Stopping Baths?

[Skunkworks]

I know it's been gone over before but each Tortoise is different. My question is Nala is now over a year old and she Hates baths.. I soak her in the morning for 30 min and when she is finished and put back into her enclosure she Darts for her Night house and won't come out untill the next morning. Nala Poops regularly 3 fingers worth every 3 days without baths. Nala does have a water dish that's big enough for her to soak her entire body in. My Question is can I mist her Shell every other day and be OK or should I continue to soak every 3 days.

 

[Tom]

I know it's been gone over before but each Tortoise is different. My question is Nala is now over a year old and she Hates baths.. I soak her in the morning for 30 min and when she is finished and put back into her enclosure she Darts for her Night house and won't come out untill the next morning. Nala Poops regularly 3 fingers worth every 3 days without baths. Nala does have a water dish that's big enough for her to soak her entire body in. My Question is can I mist her Shell every other day and be OK or should I continue to soak every 3 days.

What species and size? Soaking is beneficial in many ways. I would not stop, especially if you have a young growing animal.

What is it that makes you think she hates it?

Try soaking in the afternoon or evening. Try warmer water. Try cooler water. Try a different soaking container. Lighter or darker colors, taller sides, etc... Try making the water deeper or more shallow.

I have had tortoises (Russians) that acted like the warm soak water was acid. Even they eventually got used to it and came to relax about it. I've never had a tortoise that "hated" soaking, and even if I somehow did, I'd do it anyway because of all the health benefits.

 

[TammyJ]

This all sounds so strange. You soak her in the morning for 30 minutes, and when you put her back she spends the entire rest of the day and night in her "night house"? When does she eat?
We need more information, as Tom has asked.

 

[Skunkworks]

Thanks for the reply's. Nala is a 1 year old Sulcata. She has bathed every day since I got her as a Hatching recently I've noticed she wants out of the bath more and more as she ages.I do soak her sometimes in the evening.I don't want her to feel she is being bullied by me bathing her so I've decided to stop bathing her for Abit to relieve if any stress

 

[Tom]

Thanks for the reply's. Nala is a 1 year old Sulcata. She has bathed every day since I got her as a Hatching recently I've noticed she wants out of the bath more and more as she ages.I do soak her sometimes in the evening.I don't want her to feel she is being bullied by me bathing her so I've decided to stop bathing her for Abit to relieve if any stress

I've raised 100s of baby sulcatas and I've never had one that was stressed about soaking. For this reason, I suspect something else may be afoot. May I ask a few questions to try to help?

What substrate?
What size enclosure?
Closed chamber?
Four temps? Warm side, cool side, basking area, overnight low?
Are you using a UV bulb? What type of bulb?

 

[Skunkworks]

Hello Tom.
Substrate is 2 inches of topsoil & 2 inches of Coco Coir on top.
Enclosure is a closed 4x12.
Cool side 75.Warm side 85.
Basking 98 Night is always 80
UV 10.0 zoo med (5 hrs daily).
Humidity Avg 77

 

[Skunkworks]

This all sounds so strange. You soak her in the morning for 30 minutes, and when you put her back she spends the entire rest of the day and night in her "night house"? When does she eat?
We need more information, as Tom has asked.

Hello Tammy. She heats and eats before the bath in the morning. I read that's it's best to soak in the morning. She would hide all day night right after bath so I started to bath in the evening with the same results. She is Happy as can be zooming around ,basking, Eating a Ton but after baths it's right to bed no matter the time.

 

[Skunkworks]

IMO: It has to be She hates baths or Does Not like to be handled. I Never handle her other than bath time but I might try to test her and handle her to see if she B-Lines for her Nightime Hide after I handle her without a bath involved.

 

[Tom]

Hello Tom.
Substrate is 2 inches of topsoil & 2 inches of Coco Coir on top.
Enclosure is a closed 4x12.
Cool side 75.Warm side 85.
Basking 98 Night is always 80
UV 10.0 zoo med (5 hrs daily).
Humidity Avg 77

What type of UV bulb? Long tube or cfl?

Trying to figure out why a tortoise would hide all day like that.

Soil can have toxic components. It shouldn't be used as substrate. Its messy too. Do you keep it damp?

 

[Skunkworks]

Hey Tom thanks for all your Time and Expertise.Long tube @ 14 inches. Topsoil is chem free (Earth Gro). Cheap bags, sprayed once daily..She doesn't hide unless it's after a bath. So I'm leaning towards being held is not her favorite thing, now I just remembered when I took her outside a week or two ago she went directly into her Night hide when I put her back into her enclosure.

 

[TammyJ]

I am sure that she is not alone in her display of sulks after being handled, and that in general, reptiles don't like being picked up and held by us large, menacing potential predators. But as Tom said, why hide all day??? Must be another issue somewhere here.

 

[Skunkworks]

I am sure that she is not alone in her display of sulks after being handled, and that in general, reptiles don't like being picked up and held by us large, menacing potential predators. But as Tom said, why hide all day??? Must be another issue somewhere here.

Hello Tammy. Thanks for your Time and Expertise.The only Trigger that makes her Hide all day is being held. Every morning she's out of her Nightime Hide at 9:15 like Clockwork stays out all Day until 6 to 7 pm everyday except Bath days.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Can you post a pix of the entire enclosure so we can see the enclosure. I agree, something is not quite right, soooooo, we need to see the enclosure.

Temps of water?
Depth of water?
Type of soaking bowl?

Has it always reacted strange with soakings? Or, is this something new?

Our Sully “hated” cool to warm water, but would soak forever in “very warm” water.

Sorry for all of my questions, but just trying to help.

good luck.

 

[Skunkworks]

Can you post a pix of the entire enclosure so we can see the enclosure. I agree, something is not quite right, soooooo, we need to see the enclosure.

Temps of water?
Depth of water?
Type of soaking bowl?

Has it always reacted strange with soakings? Or, is this something new?

Our Sully “hated” cool to warm water, but would soak forever in “very warm” water.

Sorry for all of my questions, but just trying to help.

good luck.

Thanks for your Time and Experience.Temp of water is Luke warm in the 80's it's filled about an inch.Nala has Always went from Bath directly to Hide afterwards..

 

[Tom]

Thanks for your Time and Experience.Temp of water is Luke warm in the 80's it's filled about an inch.Nala has Always went from Bath directly to Hide afterwards..

I don't recommend stopping the soaks because they are so beneficial. You can get a tall sided dark colored opaque tub from Walmart for about $5. Try that daily for a while, and make the water warmer. Should be around 90-95.

 

[Skunkworks]

I don't recommend stopping the soaks because they are so beneficial. You can get a tall sided dark colored opaque tub from Walmart for about $5. Try that daily for a while, and make the water warmer. Should be around 90-95.

Will do .

 

[Maggie3fan]

Hi...You refer to the morning "swim" as a bath...Nope...a bath means washing...you are soaking him for the hydration and the humidity. So you are thinking about giving up the soaks...don't. Your little Sulcata needs those soaks. He would have been born under the soil in a nest during the rainy season...so the nest is super humid. You cannot simulate that in Idaho...in the house. But, I personally think that 30 minutes for a daily soak is too long now that he's older. Most small Sulcata by his age understand what the water is and most will drink in the first 10 minutes...So take him out of the water sooner and see if that makes a difference. Just 10 minutes every day

 

[Skunkworks]

Hi...You refer to the morning "swim" as a bath...Nope...a bath means washing...you are soaking him for the hydration and the humidity. So you are thinking about giving up the soaks...don't. Your little Sulcata needs those soaks. He would have been born under the soil in a nest during the rainy season...so the nest is super humid. You cannot simulate that in Idaho...in the house. But, I personally think that 30 minutes for a daily soak is too long now that he's older. Most small Sulcata by his age understand what the water is and most will drink in the first 10 minutes...So take him out of the water sooner and see if that makes a difference. Just 10 minutes every day

Sounds good. I think I will take Yours and Tom's Advice and continue to soak Her and try to figure this out Abit more.

 

[MenagerieGrl]

Thanks for your Time and Experience.Temp of water is Luke warm in the 80's it's filled about an inch.Nala has Always went from Bath directly to Hide afterwards..

Wow!, Look's Nice, does it come with a refrigerator, I would consider moving in . . .

 

[Skunkworks]

Wow!, Look's Nice, does it come with a refrigerator, I would consider moving in . . .

Thanks. No Refer yet.