This is Betty

[Kerryann]

Hi
We are new to tortoises but we have done a lot of research and have also talked to a small business store locally that sells a lot of tortoises. This is Betty. My husband got her from a woman who had her since she was a baby. She is 4 years old. She was living primarily on spring mix but the store told us to change her over to Kale, Dandelions, and collard greens. She was on a bed of walnut and alfalfa so we switched her to a bed of coconut shavings. She came with a burned out 75 watt basking light and a 75 watt red heat bulb. We added a UVB light and a 100 watt basking bulb and added a heating pad.
She seems really happy and is doing very well.
I have a couple of questions. First is how do I know if she was wild caught and does it really matter? Second, is that from her pictures in the introduction thread someone said she has a deformity from no UVB. Will she ever outgrow the deformity?
Is there anything we should look for or know that we don't?
Here she is
Today eating her dandelion

Here is her new cage. The store said if she tries to walk out and doesnt know to stop we can put up paper so she cant see out. We haven't had that issue with her and she seems like to watch the dogs down on the floor.

Here's a close up of my cute little chica

This was her old cage and bedding

I have been thinking of taking her to the vet to get her checked out. Am I being paranoid???

 

[lynnedit]

She is cute! The shell deformity is from poor nutrition/uv. It won't resolve, but you can make sure she is healthy from now on!
If she is eating, pooping (not runny) and urinating, and eyes/nose are clear, then you don't necessarily need a vet check up.
Ideally feed even more variety than they recommended. Spring mix is fine as a base, then rotate 1-2 greens weekly from the long list found here:
http://www.russiantortoise.org/russiantortoisediet.htm. Add watercress, almost any leafy green. Then many more options in summer, also on that site.
Make sure she has a water dish big enough to get into, shallow. Might not use it, but they need the option.
Soak her 2-3 x per week in a small container with warm water up to her lower shell, perhaps more often initially as they can get dehydrated in inside enclosures.
And best of all, plan an outside enclosure for summer if you can, the sun is the very best!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Kerryann:

How funny..."Betty" seems to be a pretty popular name for little girl Russian tortoises (Agrionemys horsfieldii). I have a large one named Fat Betty, and I'm sure there's one on the forum named Betty White.

Your Betty is very cute. Keep up the good work!!

 

[conservation]

Cute! There is plenty of good diet information on here!

 

[ascott]

Betty is adorable...alot of character in that little face ...nothing else to add to the great stuff offered up already...

 

[Kerryann]

I read the information what else to feed her and will add more variety to her diet.
She has gone poop but I haven't seen her urinate yet. How often should she urinate?
We give her water but she never really seems to drink it.

Also, she seems to eat a lot some days and not so much on others. Is that normal or should she eat consistent amounts?

 

[Kerryann]

I decided to take her to the vet. I figured it can only help and wont hurt. I wish my dogs off to the vet at the slightest worry so she deserves the same.

We gave her a bath last night and she peed and pooped a lot so I was relieved to see that.
Whenever I am working in the house around her cage she walks towards where I am and shakes her little legs in and out. Does that mean she is excited? Also when I am working I see her looking down at the dogs and she doesn't seem to be scared of them.

 

[lynnedit]

Russians are pretty brave! But of course, there has been more than one post on this site about damage dogs can do to torts.
Good you soaked her! That is particularly important for torts inside in tables, the lighting can be a bit drying.
So soaking the tort 2-3x per week is a great idea.
Sounds like she is responding well.
Hope everything came out well at the vet.

 

[Kerryann]

Bettys check up went really great. The vet actually had a sulcata so he was very knowledgeable about tortoises. He said Betty is in good health and very well socialized. He gave me a few more foods to add into her diet and even helped me with a concern I had about my clawed frogs.

He told me to call immediately if there is any drainage of the nose and eyes. he also said to call if I see her mouth breathing or her breathing seems raspy.

She seemed to enjoy trucking around the table and wasn't scared of him at all.

Here are some newer pics.. shes very photogenic I must say..

---

One more.. Betty on the granite

 

[Kerryann]

We got a new stand for Betty this weekend.

Here is a video of her tonight eating her some of her food
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v485/kerryannjeep/Kerry Droid/?action=view&current=26196ccc.mp4

 

[CheerAngel8]

Make sure to give her more light! In my opinion take her to the vet

 

[Kerryann]

She has a uvb light now and a higher watt basking bulb. He is looking for a uvb bulb that runs the length of her cage but hasn't found one yet. I don't manage the knowledge of the electrical stuff since I am married to an electrical engineer. He makes sure her heat and humidity are perfect. I manage her food, bathing, and exercising.
I took her to the vet and he said her shell deformity was due to nutrition but she is healthy and he thought she will do great

 

[lynnedit]

I think she likes having her picture taken. She has fallen into good hands!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

How big is that terrarium? Maybe 30 gallons? Really should have more like 55 gallons at a bare minimum, and you don't have to shell out the big bucks for a big tank, either. Just get a 55-gallon plastic tub from the hardware store for about $15. Opaque material is even better than glass, because turtles often keep trying to walk through clear barriers.

 

[Kerryann]

Her tank is 3 ft by 2 ft. Its not an aquarium so I don't know gallons. I have two 55 gallon tanks in my family room and I just measured and it is 4 ft by 1 ft, so i think the square footage is the same.
The vet said if she does try to keep pushing out to put up something to block her view, but she doesn't do that.
Since moving her by the glass door she seems to like to look outside and I do see her watching us in the kitchen and watching the dogs.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Her tank is 3 ft by 2 ft. Its not an aquarium so I don't know gallons. I have two 55 gallon tanks in my family room and I just measured and it is 4 ft by 1 ft, so i think the square footage is the same.
The vet said if she does try to keep pushing out to put up something to block her view, but she doesn't do that.
Since moving her by the glass door she seems to like to look outside and I do see her watching us in the kitchen and watching the dogs.

Cute! Our male does a similar thing when we put him out on the porch. He looks to watch the world from between the slats.

 

[Kerryann]

I am a picture freak
Here are some pics from bath time

---

Sorry
One last one.. she's too cute not to share

 

[Utah Lynn]

She is a cutie.

 

[lynnedit]

That first pic is SO cute.

 

[Kerryann]

She does have such cute and knowing expressions. I should have taken a picture of her expression this morning when I was running almost an hour late and she was waiting for her food (her lights are all on timers, so she was awake). I fed the dogs first so she was eyeballing me the whole time like what in the....... I hand fed her a big dandelion green and scratched her on the head.. and ran off to work.