Tortoise Medical Care

[pdelpizzo]

I'd like to get the community opinion on preventative care for my new Russian Tortoises. They are both about 2-3 inches long and I just bought them at a pet shop where I was told they were captive born. I've seen a lot of online references suggest I should have them examined by a vet but I'm reluctant to put them through the stress right now if it's not necessary. Any thoughts? Also, how often should I take them for routine checkups and what kind of exams should they be getting?

Thanks!

Patrick

 

[dmmj]

what petstore did you buy them from?

 

[pdelpizzo]

what petstore did you buy them from?

Pet Kingdom in San Diego.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Captive-born Russians are more expensive, from Petshops, than wild caught ones, which are usually brtween $75 and $140 (some members sell babies for a bit less, and that's a wise way to go if you hadn't already bought yours)....if you paid around those prices, they're likely wild-caught and getting 'em tested for worms/parasites ASAP could add years to their lives and save you a lot of $$$...not to mention adding to your peace of mind.

 

[pdelpizzo]

Captive-born Russians are more expensive, from Petshops, than wild caught ones, which are usually brtween $75 and $140 (some members sell babies for a bit less, and that's a wise way to go if you hadn't already bought yours)....if you paid around those prices, they're likely wild-caught and getting 'em tested for worms/parasites ASAP could add years to their lives and save you a lot of $$$...not to mention adding to your peace of mind.

I paid $170 for each. I'll look into whether they were really captive born... but assuming they are, what do you recommend for care?

 

[spikethebest]

can you post some pics? we can probably tell if they are wild caught or captive bred.

 

[pdelpizzo]

can you post some pics? we can probably tell if they are wild caught or captive bred.

Here are some photos of the tortoises.