Taking Tortoise To The Vet Today

[MsBeBe_E]

I'm taking my tortoise to the vet today! I've had him since June 16 and he hasn't eaten a thing. I know he may be adjusting but I also want to get him checked out. Petco is taking care of the vet bill within the first 15 days so I'm taking advantage of that while I can. I was wondering if there are any specific questions I should ask the vet? I know I'm going to get them to do a fecal test. I just don't want to miss out on any good questions. I just want my little guy to eat lol. He is active, but for the last 2 days he has been burried under his substrate. Could anything be wrong? Or is that normal russian tortoise behavior?

 

[JoesMum]

Being scared is the most likely problem, closely followed by the wrong temperatures. Your tort may akso be dehydrated.

So I need to start with some questions:
1. What are the 4 important temperatures : warm side, cool side, directly under the basking lamp and overnight minimum?
2. What source of UVB do you use: the sun, UVB tube bulb, MVB bulb or Compact ( also known as Coil) UVB?

To help him settle and rehydrate, he needs routine so that he understands what to expect and when.

1. Put the lights on a timer so that they go on and off at roughly the same time each day. They need to be on for 12 hours and there needs to be complete darkness at night.

2. First thing in the morning, before your tort has warmed up properly, soak him for a good 20 minutes. If he is fully warmed up, he will get stresed and want to get out. Soaking helps to get him used to being handled too. Use a bowl that he can't see through or out of and use warm, not hot water. Experiment with the water temperature until you find the one that he likes to lounge in.

3. While he is soaking. Prepare his food (more later) and serve it in a flat stone or slate in his enclosure.

4. Pop him back in the enclosure and walk away. Don't feel tempted to stand and watch as it is intimidating. Give him peace, quiet and soace to get brave and explore. Leave the food there all day and don't wirry if it goes a bit limp.

Food: Your tort needs a diet mostly of leafy greens. He cannot digest sugars properly; they will make him sick. So fruit, bell pepper, tomato and carrot should only be fed very occasionally. Banana must not be fed; it's too sweet. If you are not sure what greens you can feed to give him a good variety, make a kist of the ones that griw outside (pesticide and herbicide free) and the ones that you can buy and then look them up on the Tortoise Table Plant Database to find out what's good to feed http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

Feed the leaves soaking wet after rinsing under the tap and your tort will take extra water on board by accident.

 

[MsBeBe_E]

Being scared is the most likely problem, closely followed by the wrong temperatures. Your tort may akso be dehydrated.

So I need to start with some questions:
1. What are the 4 important temperatures : warm side, cool side, directly under the basking lamp and overnight minimum?
2. What source of UVB do you use: the sun, UVB tube bulb, MVB bulb or Compact ( also known as Coil) UVB?

To help him settle and rehydrate, he needs routine so that he understands what to expect and when.

1. Put the lights on a timer so that they go on and off at roughly the same time each day. They need to be on for 12 hours and there needs to be complete darkness at night.

2. First thing in the morning, before your tort has warmed up properly, soak him for a good 20 minutes. If he is fully warmed up, he will get stresed and want to get out. Soaking helps to get him used to being handled too. Use a bowl that he can't see through or out of and use warm, not hot water. Experiment with the water temperature until you find the one that he likes to lounge in.

3. While he is soaking. Prepare his food (more later) and serve it in a flat stone or slate in his enclosure.

4. Pop him back in the enclosure and walk away. Don't feel tempted to stand and watch as it is intimidating. Give him peace, quiet and soace to get brave and explore. Leave the food there all day and don't wirry if it goes a bit limp.

Food: Your tort needs a diet mostly of leafy greens. He cannot digest sugars properly; they will make him sick. So fruit, bell pepper, tomato and carrot should only be fed very occasionally. Banana must not be fed; it's too sweet. If you are not sure what greens you can feed to give him a good variety, make a kist of the ones that griw outside (pesticide and herbicide free) and the ones that you can buy and then look them up on the Tortoise Table Plant Database to find out what's good to feed http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

Feed the leaves soaking wet after rinsing under the tap and your tort will take extra water on board by accident.

Warm side 85
Cool side 75
Basking temp 95-102
Night 75
I use a reptisun 10.0 tube bulb.
I've soaked him about 3 times since I've had him and I must him daily.

 

[theelectraco]

I would start doing warm soaks daily. Also, maybe covering some of the glass on the tank so that he feels more secure may help him get more comfortable.


0.1.0 Dachshund
0.0.1 Redfoot
1.0.0 Greek

 

[MsBeBe_E]

Being scared is the most likely problem, closely followed by the wrong temperatures. Your tort may akso be dehydrated.

So I need to start with some questions:
1. What are the 4 important temperatures : warm side, cool side, directly under the basking lamp and overnight minimum?
2. What source of UVB do you use: the sun, UVB tube bulb, MVB bulb or Compact ( also known as Coil) UVB?

To help him settle and rehydrate, he needs routine so that he understands what to expect and when.

1. Put the lights on a timer so that they go on and off at roughly the same time each day. They need to be on for 12 hours and there needs to be complete darkness at night.

2. First thing in the morning, before your tort has warmed up properly, soak him for a good 20 minutes. If he is fully warmed up, he will get stresed and want to get out. Soaking helps to get him used to being handled too. Use a bowl that he can't see through or out of and use warm, not hot water. Experiment with the water temperature until you find the one that he likes to lounge in.

3. While he is soaking. Prepare his food (more later) and serve it in a flat stone or slate in his enclosure.

4. Pop him back in the enclosure and walk away. Don't feel tempted to stand and watch as it is intimidating. Give him peace, quiet and soace to get brave and explore. Leave the food there all day and don't wirry if it goes a bit limp.

Food: Your tort needs a diet mostly of leafy greens. He cannot digest sugars properly; they will make him sick. So fruit, bell pepper, tomato and carrot should only be fed very occasionally. Banana must not be fed; it's too sweet. If you are not sure what greens you can feed to give him a good variety, make a kist of the ones that griw outside (pesticide and herbicide free) and the ones that you can buy and then look them up on the Tortoise Table Plant Database to find out what's good to feed http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

Feed the leaves soaking wet after rinsing under the tap and your tort will take extra water on board by accident.

Warm side 85
Cool side 75
Basking temp 95-102
Night 75
I use a reptisun 10.0 tube bulb.
I've soaked him about 3 times since I've had him and I mist him daily. He has been buried for two days. Could it be too hot for him? When I soak him be drinks the water I've noticed.

 

[JoesMum]

Re: RE: Taking Tortoise To The Vet Today

Warm side 85
Cool side 75
Basking temp 95-102
Night 75
I use a reptisun 10.0 tube bulb.
I've soaked him about 3 times since I've had him and I must him daily.

The temperatures sound fine. Do you use additional heating at night? Overnight can drop into the 60s without a problem.

If he is not eating and you are not soaking regularly, then dehydration is quite likely. Until he starts eating normally, do the soaking routine first thing every morning.

You could also try doing a babyfod soak instead of a water soak a couple of times a week until he eats too. For this, you stir a jar or carrot puree babyfood into the soaking water... otherwise, it's the same.

 

[MsBeBe_E]

Warm side 85
Cool side 75
Basking temp 95-102
Night 75
I use a reptisun 10.0 tube bulb.
I've soaked him about 3 times since I've had him and I must him daily.

The temperatures sound fine. Do you use additional heating at night? Overnight can drop into the 60s without a problem.

If he is not eating and you are not soaking regularly, then dehydration is quite likely. Until he starts eating normally, do the soaking routine first thing every morning.

You could also try doing a babyfod soak instead of a water soak a couple of times a week until he eats too. For this, you stir a jar or carrot puree babyfood into the soaking water... otherwise, it's the same.

Ok thanks! I will get a background for the tank also!