Tortoise blowing bubbles and not eating

[lacrime]

Thank you guys, I'll try to keep all this in mind and do all that I can. I'm not kidding when I say little to no resources. I'm currently trying to find the right kind of flooring for him. He's still not moving much but the room I moved him to is quite warm and humid.

I'll read through the care sheets and go from there. Thanks again, I'll do what I can and hope the little fighter will get through this!

Yes ...you can give it orally ....But.....torts can smell and taste it a mile away - and it must be awful ! As they will not go near the stuff nor eat anything (which is a problem with a sick tort to begin with....they will not eat- so injections is the next option) with the smell / taste on it . If your RF LOVES bananas and is a "treat" for him, take a small chunk of banana about 1-2" long . Carefully hollow out by cutting a small inner circle within your piece- do not puncture through as your basically going to be making a cup/vase type container with the fruit. Save the piece you cut out....put your meds down inside of the hole of the large remaining chuck ....let it soak a few mins (not too long) cap off hole with the piece you saved. Being aggressive feeders on favorite items (Banana was just an example and easy to work with) they usually will gorge themselves before realizing the just swallowed a bunch of nasty tasting meds they desperately need.

Here is a care sheet and some info that will work for your species. Remember that because he is sick, you need the much higher temperatures that I mentioned, and not the ones listed in the care sheet. Once he is healthy again and you've had no symptoms for at least two weeks, you can drop back down to normal temperatures.

It would be a good idea to maintain an indoor enclosure with the correct temperatures and lighting for nighttime and cold or rainy days, and use the outside enclosure for fair weather.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[lacrime]

Can I use peat when keeping him in the box?

Here is a care sheet and some info that will work for your species. Remember that because he is sick, you need the much higher temperatures that I mentioned, and not the ones listed in the care sheet. Once he is healthy again and you've had no symptoms for at least two weeks, you can drop back down to normal temperatures.

It would be a good idea to maintain an indoor enclosure with the correct temperatures and lighting for nighttime and cold or rainy days, and use the outside enclosure for fair weather.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[Yvonne G]

Don't worry about setting up a proper habitat indoors with substrate, etc. Because the tortoise is sick, you can just keep him in a large plastic tub with newspaper on the bottom. Make sure he has a way to get out of the light, though, some sort of hiding place. Be sure to keep him warmer than usual, as told above, and soak him daily in warm water, whether he likes it or not. If you have a feed store you can shop at, a place that caters to horses, etc. you can see if they sell Terramycin powder.

You would add a quarter teaspoon per quart of water and soak the tortoise in it every day.

 

[lacrime]

Hello, thank you very much!

I put him in a box with lots of peat so he'll have opportunity to hide under if he needs to, and he's currently in a room where it's hot and humid. I'll try to find the powder, probably tomorrow, and do the soaking too.

Thank you to all who replied and tried to help. I appreciate it greatly. I'll keep you posted. Hopefully he'll get better again!

Don't worry about setting up a proper habitat indoors with substrate, etc. Because the tortoise is sick, you can just keep him in a large plastic tub with newspaper on the bottom. Make sure he has a way to get out of the light, though, some sort of hiding place. Be sure to keep him warmer than usual, as told above, and soak him daily in warm water, whether he likes it or not. If you have a feed store you can shop at, a place that caters to horses, etc. you can see if they sell Terramycin powder.

You would add a quarter teaspoon per quart of water and soak the tortoise in it every day.

 

[Tom]

Hello, thank you very much!

I put him in a box with lots of peat so he'll have opportunity to hide under if he needs to, and he's currently in a room where it's hot and humid. I'll try to find the powder, probably tomorrow, and do the soaking too.

Thank you to all who replied and tried to help. I appreciate it greatly. I'll keep you posted. Hopefully he'll get better again!

You can use dirt from where he lives outside for substrate, but what he needs is a heat lamp over one side of the enclosure so he can warm up.

 

[lacrime]

I've put in peat for now and will have to see about the heat lamp tomorrow as it's getting late here. He seems to have retreated into his shell for the night. I'll check on him again tomorrow and look for that lamp. It's quite humid and hot in here, we're in the south and the heat can be hellish for me so I think that would be okay for the tortoise, at least for tonight.

Thank you!

You can use dirt from where he lives outside for substrate, but what he needs is a heat lamp over one side of the enclosure so he can warm up.

 

[Tom]

I've put in peat for now and will have to see about the heat lamp tomorrow as it's getting late here. He seems to have retreated into his shell for the night. I'll check on him again tomorrow and look for that lamp. It's quite humid and hot in here, we're in the south and the heat can be hellish for me so I think that would be okay for the tortoise, at least for tonight.

Thank you!

What is the over night low temperature in the room where he is?

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

Please post pictures of your tort, and make sure he''s warm.

(I have the same problem: I live in Jordan, where there are NO vets for torts. Moreover, there is little or no care for animals/pets in general with the exception of cats and dogs).

 

[lacrime]

What is the over night low temperature in the room where he is?

Probably 25-26 C. Just in case, I'm thinking of wrapping a blanket around the box itself, one that used to keep me very warm when I needed it.

A very warm welcome to the forum!

Please post pictures of your tort, and make sure he''s warm.

(I have the same problem: I live in Jordan, where there are NO vets for torts. Moreover, there is little or no care for animals/pets in general with the exception of cats and dogs).

Thank you, and hello!

I'm hoping I can keep him warm for now. I'll try to upload a pic on here. Since we leave them be in the garden mostly, per guidance from a friend who knew relatively more than us about tortoises, this was taken when I got him inside while the garden was being mowed and gave some lettuce to keep busy

 

[Tom]

Probably 25-26 C. Just in case, I'm thinking of wrapping a blanket around the box itself, one that used to keep me very warm when I needed it.

Use a thermometer and check the temperature in the box where the tortoise is. If its on the floor, it is probably several degrees cooler down there. 26-26 is too cold for a tortoise that is fighting an RI, and its probably colder than that down on the floor over night. You need a heat source. Heating pad, heat lamp, etc… Do they have pet stores in your area? Get a ceramic heating element and a thermostat.

Being too cold is how this tortoise got sick in the first place. Letting it continue to be too cold, will likely kill it.

 

[lacrime]

Alright, I'll try and find something to bring up the heat. Don't think that I'm being irresponsible, I'm just trying to come up with solutions the best way I can. It's late in here so I can't go out to do shopping for a heat lamp or any other heat source, so I'm thinking of ways to heat the box up. Let's see.

Thank you for the advice!

Use a thermometer and check the temperature in the box where the tortoise is. If its on the floor, it is probably several degrees cooler down there. 26-26 is too cold for a tortoise that is fighting an RI, and its probably colder than that down on the floor over night. You need a heat source. Heating pad, heat lamp, etc… Do they have pet stores in your area? Get a ceramic heating element and a thermostat.

Being too cold is how this tortoise got sick in the first place. Letting it continue to be too cold, will likely kill it.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Probably 25-26 C. Just in case, I'm thinking of wrapping a blanket around the box itself, one that used to keep me very warm when I needed it.

Unless it's an electric blanket, it won't keep the box warm. Blankets keep you warm by trapping your own body heat close to you. That won't help a cold-blooded animal stay warm. You need an external heat source like Tom recommended.

 

[lacrime]

Unless it's an electric blanket, it won't keep the box warm. Blankets keep you warm by trapping your own body heat close to you. That won't help a cold-blooded animal stay warm. You need an external heat source like Tom recommended.

I thought I had an electric blanket but alas I was wrong. I did, however, find a heater somewhere and put the box and the heater both in a smaller space than a room, and let it raise the temp inside. It's the best I could come up with at the moment. Tomorrow, I'll have to see about something else as a heat source.

 

[Kori5]

You can make a baby food soak. Buy a jar of baby carrot and add it to his soaking water. That's what I've read here . That way he'll get some nutrition. Also, for a basking spot you need a lamp (temporary it could be a clamp one for a desk) and a regular household bulb 60 w. You need to measure the temp underneath it and adjust it so it is about 35 C.

 

[lacrime]

You can make a baby food soak. Buy a jar of baby carrot and add it to his soaking water. That's what I've read here . That way he'll get some nutrition. Also, for a basking spot you need a lamp (temporary it could be a clamp one for a desk) and a regular household bulb 60 w. You need to measure the temp underneath it and adjust it so it is about 35 C.

Thank you for your reply! For now, I've arranged a heater in the same room and am trying to keep the room temp high. Tomorrow, I'll see about all the rest and perhaps a better heating arrangement.

 

[lacrime]

Don't worry about setting up a proper habitat indoors with substrate, etc. Because the tortoise is sick, you can just keep him in a large plastic tub with newspaper on the bottom. Make sure he has a way to get out of the light, though, some sort of hiding place. Be sure to keep him warmer than usual, as told above, and soak him daily in warm water, whether he likes it or not. If you have a feed store you can shop at, a place that caters to horses, etc. you can see if they sell Terramycin powder.

You would add a quarter teaspoon per quart of water and soak the tortoise in it every day.

Hi, I got the powder, but I wasn't sure whether I should wet every part of his body or just let its belly and legs get wet and that's enough. I know I sound really clueless but that's only because I am. And, well, English

 

[lacrime]

Hi guys, I want to thank everyone for their advise. A quick update, Bicirik seems to be doing fine now, maybe a little irritated because I was keeping him in a box while he was sick. But now that he seems okay, I'm thinking of putting him back to the garden where he usually lives. He's been there 3 years now, faced heavy rain and wind, but maybe the new homeless tortoise we got was a factor in him getting sick, I don't know. I've separated the garden in half so they'll both have their own space and hopefully will be alright from now on.