wondering what type of tortoise?

[Leebug]

SUNSHINE SUNSHINE SUNSHINE!!! Several people on both threads have mentioned it, but I really wanted to emphasize it. A good diet, calcium supplementation, and lots of SUNSHINE, will probably turn this little guy around and get him walking again. Being outside on natural ground and grazing on grass and weeds will work wonders for him. I'd soak him at least every other day too.

Your enclosure looks great. Nice job. Your light bulb will work better if you somehow mount it directly overhead. I usually hang them by their cords. This is much safer AND it allows you to adjust the height to get your temp just right. Those clamps ALWAYS fail eventually.

just checking on my temp, it should be between 75 and 85 right???
Also, really soak every other day? He's "hybernating" and I have to wake him up to do this now @ 3 days... soak and feed & then take him outside ever other day? He almost always eats after the soak & even outside sometimes, unless he goes straight to a hiding place to fall asleep...

 

[Yvonne G]

He's still pretty young, so I would wake him up and soak him every day, then feed him.

Don't worry about wheels for him. He needs to keep trying to use his legs, and that will strengthen them. The indoor/outdoor carpet will help him a lot. You should start to see some improvement in a month or so.

Sprinkle a tiny bit of calcium over his food every day for the first couple of weeks, then you can go to about 3 times a week. But be sure he gets his vitamin D either from the sun or from a UVB light. Don't use too much calcium. Some tortoises won't eat if you use too much.

 

[Tom]

just checking on my temp, it should be between 75 and 85 right???
Also, really soak every other day? He's "hybernating" and I have to wake him up to do this now @ 3 days... soak and feed & then take him outside ever other day? He almost always eats after the soak & even outside sometimes, unless he goes straight to a hiding place to fall asleep...

Temps should be 70-75 on the cool side 80-85 on the warm side with a basking spot directly under the light around 95-100. At night 70ish is fine. Get those temps up where they ought to be and he'll get much more active for you. Also set his indoor light on a timer for 13-14 hours and he won't think its winter time.

He's NOT hibernating at all if you are doing all that stuff and keeping him warm. A little guy in his condition should NOT be hibernated. Maybe next winter if he makes a huge turn around. Like Maggie and Yvonne said he should be fed and put in the sun everyday. Even if he's hiding he's still getting some UV if he's outside. It bounces around a lot.

 

[Leebug]

got it! no matter how much I've read online, you all seem to know best and have really helped me a lot
I sprinkle the powder everytime I feed him, which will now be done everday!! And as far as the light time, I've been doing 11-12 hours, so I'll be "upping" that too! I've taken some videos of him eating... if I can figure out how to get that on here, I will post that as well, he is so darn cute, crappy legs and all!

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Ok, so I will feed him everyday... keep up with the calcium as I have for a few more weeks and then cut back to 3x a wk... Sunshine! EVERYDAY, lots of beautiful Arizona sun rays & will start soaking him every other day...
This lil guy will be walking in no time, I just know it!

 

[Shelly]

Sounds like you are on the right track now. Good luck with him.

 

[Tortuga_terrestre]

Suggestion: The ballast for that MVB is too small. It will reduce the life of the bulb significantly; it will get too hot and give out.

 

[Leebug]

Suggestion: The ballast for that MVB is too small. It will reduce the life of the bulb significantly; it will get too hot and give out.

we got a bigger one, finally!!
once we got him home~ it was a scramble to get all the right stuff... he's doing amazing!! even woke up y-day all by himself to eat, I've had to wake him everyday to feed him... he was ready for some sunshine and his greens