Sick tortise?

Potatosammie

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Hello! I'm new to this thingy but every time I search questions about my tortise this website comes up so I figured I might as well join and ask my own question. Okay so I have a baby red footed tortise that I got in August this year. I just noticed today that the corners of his mouth seem to be very torn up and look painful. He doesn't show signs of pain and is eating like normal. Also, I've noticed his eyes seem very swollen a lot of the time. I soak him and they open up after a while but they don't seem as bright as they used to... I think it may be a humidity thing but I'm not sure... Also in general the skin looks dry and cracked and his neck is kinda yellow ish but that may be normal. Are there any suggestions on how to improve humidity or diet to prevent these issues? I usually just give him greens and sometimes a fruit or vegetable and I use reptile carpeting for bedding- I used loose bedding before but it would just get stuck in his eyes or he would try to eat it... Thanks!!!!
 

G-stars

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Hello and welcome.

What are your temps? Warm side? Cool side? Basking? And night?

Red foots need high humidity and a well balanced diet. Also your substrate isn't ideal for your tortoise. Something that holds moisture would be best.
 

bouaboua

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Hello and Welcome. You are in the good hand so far......We are glad to have you here. Welcome! !
 

ascott

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Hello! I'm new to this thingy but every time I search questions about my tortise this website comes up so I figured I might as well join and ask my own question. Okay so I have a baby red footed tortise that I got in August this year. I just noticed today that the corners of his mouth seem to be very torn up and look painful. He doesn't show signs of pain and is eating like normal. Also, I've noticed his eyes seem very swollen a lot of the time. I soak him and they open up after a while but they don't seem as bright as they used to... I think it may be a humidity thing but I'm not sure... Also in general the skin looks dry and cracked and his neck is kinda yellow ish but that may be normal. Are there any suggestions on how to improve humidity or diet to prevent these issues? I usually just give him greens and sometimes a fruit or vegetable and I use reptile carpeting for bedding- I used loose bedding before but it would just get stuck in his eyes or he would try to eat it... Thanks!!!!


http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pios-new-vivarium.24736/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/solos-new-vivarium.24768/

These are still my favs on what a perfect indoor set up would look like ....

Please do research what the species of tortoise you have in your care needs and needs to live, survive and thrive in....the set up that you outlined is not the most desirable...but these two links will offer you up a visual for what the tort would do well in....:D
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Your tortoise's set up doesn't sound too inviting to me. The RF tortoises come from South America. I think if you were to visit there you'd be hard pressed to find a section where tortoises are living on plastic grass...or even real grass. The RF tortoise needs a well-planted habitat with plenty of moisture and humidity in it. Do you have a UVB light?

Please read the RF care sheet at the Tortoise Library and make the necessary tweaks and adjustments to the way you're caring for your tortoise. If you continue to keep him like you are, you'll end up with a pretty sick animal.
 

Potatosammie

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The temp is usually high 80s, there is a shaded area he likes to go into and a basking area as well. I added some coconut bedding in part of the cage and spray it with warm water for added humidity, i also soak him every day, his yes seem better but his skin still looks pretty dry and he has kinda yellow patches on his neck still.
 

Potatosammie

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Would I use real plants? will any of them be armful because Sheldon will eat anything his mouth fits around. And do you think thats the only issue is habitat? because these issues are very recent and I'm not sure why they haven't developed before
 

WillTort2

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A picture is worth a thousand words. :)

Welcome to the forum.
 

Potatosammie

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Ahhh, I bought this started pack from the store with supposedly all the materials I would need but it sounds like that's not entirely accurate. I want to add more to his habitat now that I now thats not good enough but I'm not sure what to put in that can't harm him
 

Potatosammie

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Here are some pics of the habitat. My phone doesn't take very good close up but I think you get the idea

IMG_3455.JPG IMG_3450.JPG IMG_3457.jpg IMG_3463.JPG
 

Potatosammie

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Oh one more thing, i read few places that you can use baby oil on dry skin? is that safe? is there anything else I could/should use?

thanks!
 

russian/sulcata/tortoise

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Here are some pics of the habitat. My phone doesn't take very good close up but I think you get the idea
very cute redfoot tortoise. here is some stuff that should be fixed. the substrate should be moist, the enclosure should be much larger, the water bowl is a flit hazard, and red lights mess with tortoises eyes.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi:

Darn it! I wish you could have come to us before you spent your $$ at the pet store. There's an awful lot wrong with that set up.

The screen filters out quite a bit of the beneficial UV rays.

The substrate needs to be deeper and moistened.

The dishes are for snakes and lizards and are not really good for tortoises. A plant saucer (bigger than the tortoise) works best.

The vivarium is ok for now, but will need to be bigger soon.

There needs to be some plants either fake or real in there to give the tortoise a safer feel and give him some relief from the lights.

What kind of light are you using? If it's the spiral-shaped bulb, turn it off immediately and get a different kind.

No oil is needed for the skin. Once you've got him set up in a humid environment with a moist substrate the skin will look better.

We have some very good reading for you at the Tortoise Library
 

leigti

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Don't get discouraged, I bought all sorts of the wrong stuff at first. Maybe you can take some of it back to the store and get a refund. don't listen to what the store people say, they usually don't know what they're talking about. All the information you need is here on the forum. very nice tortoise by the way :)
 

Yvonne G

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I just took another look at your picture. Is that sand you're using for substrate? That's very abrasive, drying, and might cause impaction if he accidentally eats it. I like to use orchid bark. You can moisten it and it doesn't turn sour. If you make it about 4 or 5 inches deep then pour a whole pitcher full of water over it and mix it up with your hand, that should be good for your humidity problem.
 

crimson_lotus

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My tortoise was super dry when I received her. I would soak her daily. I set her enclosure humidity to 80% by making a closed chamber, and her eyes stopped watering/bubbling and were no longer sunken in. If she had any cracks that looked painful I put neosporin on them to help heal.

I use coconut coir for my substrate and I love it. I've tried reptibark, cypress mulch, and top soil before, but coconut coir I like because it holds in a ton of moisture, she can eat it accidentally and it won't cause any harm, it doesn't mold in the high humidity environment, and hey it smells pretty good. Plus if you bought the bricks at a hardware store, it comes cheap and you don't really have to change the bedding for about 6 months (given you spot clean for poop and dropped food)

Like everyone above mentioned, I would return a lot of those items to the pet store if you can. Instead of that red light I would buy a lightless Ceramic Heat Emitter.
 

ascott

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Here are some pics of the habitat. My phone doesn't take very good close up but I think you get the idea

View attachment 118183 View attachment 118184 View attachment 118185 View attachment 118186


http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pios-new-vivarium.24736/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/solos-new-vivarium.24768/

These are still my favs on what a perfect indoor set up would look like ....

Please do research what the species of tortoise you have in your care needs and needs to live, survive and thrive in....the set up that you outlined is not the most desirable...but these two links will offer you up a visual for what the tort would do well in....:D
 

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