He's had the runs for about 2 days now and he is acting a bit sluggish. I feed him spring mix dusted with repcal. He has a water dish. And the only thing different lately is the new substrate of cypress mulch. Could the spring mix be the problem?
Wall-e doesnt feel good.
- Thread starter DuttonWebb
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try soaking him in warmed baby food mixed with water. sweet potato or carrots seem to be the ones favored here. soak about 15 minutes.
nrfitchett4 said:
Ok. I'll get some tomorrow. what does this do?
M
Maggie Cummings
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If a tortoise goes without eating for a while the organs start shutting down and the animal dies. So after a tort has gone without eating for a few weeks some think that soaking them in baby food water or vitamin water keeps them hydrated and gets vitamins etc absorbed thru the cloaca. That's how I was taught and have always believed. But that thinking is just not viable anymore. I am an obsessive tort keeper, I live alone and until a few days ago had about 30 turtles and tortoises. I am so on top of their care...but for the past couple of years I have noticed that soaking ain't all it's cracked up to be. As an example, I had a 4 yr old tortoise who stopped eating. She came to me as a 3 weeks old hatchling. I soaked her twice a week for her whole life, yet my Vet says regardless what made her sick what killed her was dehydration. So even with all those soakings she was dehydrated. That's not the first time I have noticed that. No matter how much you soak them if they don't drink they are not getting hydrated enough to maintain life. So after much research and my own experience I don't believe in the babyfood soak any more.
But this is a new opinion, 2 weeks ago I would have recommended a soak in baby food but I just used carrots because of the high vit A content.
But your tort just has the runs and I will say that it's the Spring Mix that's causing that and you need to work in some fiber...dried grasses weeds blooms leafs. That's what he needs for the wet poop...He's not sick just needs some fiber...
But this is a new opinion, 2 weeks ago I would have recommended a soak in baby food but I just used carrots because of the high vit A content.
But your tort just has the runs and I will say that it's the Spring Mix that's causing that and you need to work in some fiber...dried grasses weeds blooms leafs. That's what he needs for the wet poop...He's not sick just needs some fiber...
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
Back off with the repcal. He should just get that a couple of times a week, not every feeding. Go to your local feed store and bring a bag with you. Ask them if you can scrape up and fill a bag with some loose hay. Then cut it up and sprinkle it over his food. I get 2 ginormous bags for free, it carries Bob thru the winter...
Thanks everyone! I really do think its just the spring mix. Ill cut it out and give him some hay ooor Can I just pick some grass from outside? I noticed him trying to eat my store bought tortoise food after it had dried. Its the zoomed stuff . mostly hay. I've read all about not using alfalfa, but I think that is all we have (for feeding the neighborhood deer).
Alfalfa is too high in protein for your tort. I would not cut out the spring mix just add more fiber to his diet as in dried grasses weeds blooms leaves. Make sure if you are picking grass outside that it has no fertilizer of chemicals used on it or any of the weeds or blooms.
Pumpkin is good too..
But pumpkin can cause the runs, and he already has those 
Kristina
Kristina
Any luck?
well. He seems a bit better. Im going to take him outside today so he can eat some grass. Dont worry. no chemicals. We havent touched our land for the whole 7 years we have lived here :]
took him outside. let him eat some grass...found some hay in are "barn" and he ate it happily. Now he is rumbling around in his enclosure. hes back to normal :]
Dutton
I am glad Wall-e is back to his old self
I am glad Wall-e is back to his old self
It might be a female, but I'm going to pretend its a male. :] I dont have the patience right now to look through the forum for information about sexing. What are the criteria for sexing sulcatas? and is wall-e even old enough yet?
Wall-e isn't old enough. So happy he is better. So is Jefferson. A good day in the tort kid world.
Dawna
A good day in the tort kid world.Dawna
It usually is not possible to be 100% certain of the sex of a Sulcata until they reach about 15".
Kristina
Kristina
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