sulcata tortoise help

dmccld

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May 7, 2019
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BOGALUSA
My husband bought me a baby sulcata for my birthday in May. We did take it to the vet for an initial check-up and it was fine. It slept a lot and was a finicky eater. It also would not eat food with calcium added. About two weeks ago I tried making a homemade calcium block with the calcium powder that I had to put on the food. As far as I can tell he has not touched it but it did break apart. I have offered the dry tortoise food, kale, and dry grasses. I started putting outside in my greenhouse with a shade cover to reduce the heat and it seemed ok. The last several days it had started not eating and this morning it died. I have no idea what I did wrong. The tortoise has a warranty, but I am reluctant to try again if I cannot figure out what mistake I made. I live in southern Louisiana and it is very hot and humid. This means the ac runs most of the time. I have a heat lamp during the day, but turn it off at night. I assumed that it would be ok because the ac gets turned up to 82 at night in the area where he stayed. I also tried to make sure when he was outside that it was an area where no chemicals were used. I gave him a warm bath every day. What did I miss?
 

Maro2Bear

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Greetings...really sorry to hear of the loss of your sully. Based on a few things in your info, I’m guessing you didnt have everything dialed in correctly. Prob too much calcium, temps too cold, no mention of daily soaking, nice moist enclosure, etc.

Take a look here on the care sheet and see if you can see issues in care provided.

Again, sorry u lost your lil guy...


https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome!

You may have a time limit on that warranty, so I'd go ahead and claim it right away. We're here to help you with your new baby so you don't make the same mistakes as you did with the first one.

I'm thinking that he got too hot in the greenhouse, even though you provided shade. The temperature in my green house, with the door open and four roof vents open is well over 120F degrees. That's much too hot for any tortoise, especially a baby tortoise.

Read the thread Maro2Bear linked for you and have a new enclosure set of for the baby for when you bring him home. I like to keep my babies, regardless of the species, 80-85F degrees all over the whole enclosure, day and night. Start with that. And no greenhouse or outside for a while.
 

dmccld

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May 7, 2019
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BOGALUSA
Hi, and welcome!

You may have a time limit on that warranty, so I'd go ahead and claim it right away. We're here to help you with your new baby so you don't make the same mistakes as you did with the first one.

I'm thinking that he got too hot in the greenhouse, even though you provided shade. The temperature in my green house, with the door open and four roof vents open is well over 120F degrees. That's much too hot for any tortoise, especially a baby tortoise.

Read the thread Maro2Bear linked for you and have a new enclosure set of for the baby for when you bring him home. I like to keep my babies, regardless of the species, 80-85F degrees all over the whole enclosure, day and night. Start with that. And no greenhouse or outside for a while.
 

dmccld

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Joined
May 7, 2019
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Location (City and/or State)
BOGALUSA
You may be right. I think I will get a thermostat to control temp. I am still not sure how to deal with the calcium and vitamin d if they won't eat calcium mixed with the food. I was worried that it was too cool and may have gone to far the other direction. Thank you for your help.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Hello and welcome. Sorry to hear about the baby.

Where did you get it? You may have made mistake number one here: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
If this is the case, then nothing you or any vet could do would have saved it. Most breeders do not start them correctly.

Read that first link from Mark, and then read this one too: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
Sounds like you weren't offering the right foods for a baby. Babies won't eat dry foods, and it takes time to introduce anything new. Dry grass hay is great for adults, but not babies. Kale is okay once in a while but not regularly, and if the tortoise hadn't eaten this before, it might not recognize it as food.

Sulcatas are easy IF you do a few things the right way. We're happy to help.
 
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