Sick sulcata tortoise

[Tortiouse firl]

I just got a 4 month old baby sulcata tortoise. When I brought him home he was making croaking sounds and bubbles would come out of his nose and he would run it against his shell. He barely eats and his eyes are a little sunken but is still walking around and basking. The current basking temperature is 95 degrees but at the other end the temps are 75 degrees how can I increase the humidity and temps. I am concerned it will get worse but I feel like I should take him to the vet. The photo is only a temporary set up because we are building a larger enclosure.

 

[wellington]

He needs a closed chamber enclosure with temps never lower than 80 day and night. Being he has RI symptoms, get the day and night temp to 85 ASAP.
Getting the proper enclosed chamber enclosure will get the humidity up when you dampen the substrate.
The basking area needs to be 95-100 with a incandescent flood bulb. Get 1 or 2 ceramic heat emitter to add more heat and for night heat.
This needs to be done yesterday or he will get sicker.

 

[TammyJ]

Hi and welcome. Did you know that he was sick before you brought him home? Because from what you are saying, it sounds like he may have about a fifty percent chance to recover if he is quickly given the right conditions as advised. Good luck!

 

[Tortiouse firl]

He needs a closed chamber enclosure with temps never lower than 80 day and night. Being he has RI symptoms, get the day and night temp to 85 ASAP.
Getting the proper enclosed chamber enclosure will get the humidity up when you dampen the substrate.
The basking area needs to be 95-100 with a incandescent flood bulb. Get 1 or 2 ceramic heat emitter to add more heat and for night heat.
This needs to be done yesterday or he will get sicker.

Thank you. I used theses tips and he is already looking better and eating. I put the lid on half the bin to keep temps up. I’m not sure if I should completely cover it and put holes but I don’t think I should be directly putting the heat lamp above the plastic. If I did so would all the heat go through the plastic.

 

[wellington]

No, the heat and lights need to be under the plastic and the whole needs to be covered. If you can, build like a saw house frame to fit over the enclosure and hand plastic over it. The lights and heat can hang from the saw house
Or purchase a pop up greenhouse like in the pic and either make that the enclosure or place the enclosure inside it.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello! I’m sorry your baby is sick! Aside from the mentioned suggestions, I’d definitely get yourself some digital monitoring, those analog gauges are notoriously inaccurate, yours is mounted quite high too so chances are temperature is lower than you think at tortoise level.

I think hopefully you might find this indoor housing thread I made useful, it covers equipment, levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything and a really handy diet link to check out! If going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better!

Leopard/sulcata starter

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle an indoor starter set up for a leopard/sulcata until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give people some ideas!” I know it looks like a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered...

tortoiseforum.org

This one includes some other closed chamber options, but do bare in mind the scale for a growing sulcata

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

Lastly, probably the most important, this one is also really good to familiarise yourself with, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope they help! Always happy to try and answer any further questions once you’ve read them! Welcome to the forum

 

[Tortiouse firl]

Hello! I’m sorry your baby is sick! Aside from the mentioned suggestions, I’d definitely get yourself some digital monitoring, those analog gauges are notoriously inaccurate, yours is mounted quite high too so chances are temperature is lower than you think at tortoise level.

I think hopefully you might find this indoor housing thread I made useful, it covers equipment, levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything and a really handy diet link to check out! If going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better!

Leopard/sulcata starter

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle an indoor starter set up for a leopard/sulcata until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give people some ideas!” I know it looks like a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered...

tortoiseforum.org

This one includes some other closed chamber options, but do bare in mind the scale for a growing sulcata

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

Lastly, probably the most important, this one is also really good to familiarise yourself with, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope they help! Always happy to try and answer any further questions once you’ve read them! Welcome to the forum

Thank you so much this was very helpful. I took him to the vet and I have to inject antibiotics. He is already eating all of his food and being more active. I also got a green house and heat emitter Wich is helping as well. It looks really good for him and I think he is going to get through it.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Thank you so much this was very helpful. I took him to the vet and I have to inject antibiotics. He is already eating all of his food and being more active. I also got a green house and heat emitter Wich is helping as well. It looks really good for him and I think he is going to get through it.

YAY! Just be sure to finished the prescribed dosage. Many folks see them improving and assume it's safe to discontinue the injections. Then soon after the infection comes back with a vengeance.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thank you so much this was very helpful. I took him to the vet and I have to inject antibiotics. He is already eating all of his food and being more active. I also got a green house and heat emitter Wich is helping as well. It looks really good for him and I think he is going to get through it.

No problem at all! Glad youre seeing him being more active already

 

[Tortoise Mom TRAVIS 2025]

I just got a 4 month old baby sulcata tortoise. When I brought him home he was making croaking sounds and bubbles would come out of his nose and he would run it against his shell. He barely eats and his eyes are a little sunken but is still walking around and basking. The current basking temperature is 95 degrees but at the other end the temps are 75 degrees how can I increase the humidity and temps. I am concerned it will get worse but I feel like I should take him to the vet. The photo is only a temporary set up because we are building a larger enclosure.

Sambucol is Standardized Elderberry Syrup you can get at Walmart. It Kills Viruses. Walmart has their own brand which is good and in small bottle. Try a diluted drop of this . Now keep in mind my tortoises hate the high heat... they will seek shade shelter after about 15-30 mins. These are a 10 million Year old species...used to outdoor weather.... You need to take him out and sit with him in fresh daylight! Let him sleep. But then get him to vet. Watermelon is full of nutrients so watermelon juice is good for hydration. Tortoises Burrow for a greater portion of their day so a lot of what you have been told are wrong. ..I think avg temp below 2 feet is 56-65 degrees. In your area there is also--is it VAlley Fever or Fungus...which has entirely diff. treatment! It is worth getting them to the Vet! I have not been on antibiotics in 32 years! Because we always start w/ Elderberry; Viral load may be very high before they contract Bacterial infection just like in all animals. Reduce the heat a fraction to ambient temp. A baby may not be able to handle this high heat. A couple from Sudan and Ethiopians I know say there is very little desert there. That the climate is more like between Dallas and Houston so 6% Humidity/ 90 degree High temps up to 107 and Houston same feels like 100% humidity. It is NOT DESERT.