Wont eat ANYTHING

[TurtisTime]

I just brought my Sulcata home 6 days ago. She hasn't eaten in 4 days. Its not normal to not eat when acclimating to a new environment, right? She didn't have proper care or diet before, and obviously I've done something wrong. She is 7" long and I have no idea how old she is.
She spent a lot of time outside and was very happy about it at first.
During the day she was staying outside. I'm in Texas, where its been 95-100 degrees everyday. Her shaded hiding spot(s) temperatures stay 80-85 degrees. She always has water near by and I've been soaking her 1-3x per day recently, because I'm worried she over heated. She ate the first two days, then stopped. I really don't think she ate anything poisonous. The only tort toxic plant I have is a four o'clock, which I kept her far away from. We do not use pesticides. I've been keeping her inside mostly, sense yesterday. Except for a couple of hours in the morning, and a 30 min outing around 6pm- hoping that she just needs something more stable and maybe I should have acclimated her to the outdoors slower. I'm really worried and trying really hard to figure out where I went wrong. Too much heat? Could it be something else?




PS. At night she sleeps in a 95 gal bow front tank, maintained at 85 degrees. I have upped the humidity level to around 80 percent.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

It is sometimes normal for them to not eat or sulk when they are acclimating to a new environment. They are creatures of habit and they will sulk sometimes when things change. My RF went almost a week not eating when I first got him. Do you have any Mazuri? Most torts can't resist it.

 

[BevSmith]

I swore my aldab wasn’t eating when I got him last summer. Turns out that he was eating really early in the morning when I didn’t see him.

Since it gets so hot here (Oklahoma, so similar weather to yours), he was already tucked under a bush by the time I got up.

I’m a huge fan of keeping her outside, so she can get some sunshine (given that she has access to water and shade etc), and will thrive there once acclimated.

I bet she’s still getting used to your setup, and may be eating when you’re not looking!

 

[TurtisTime]

Thank you for the replies! I hope you're both right! I failed to mention that she's super sleepy and has only made one poo. She dries out quickly in the sun and I don't think she is familiar with her inclosure. She does seem lost. Like she's having a hard time keeping her temp right because she doesn't know where to go. I'm going to keep her in the tank most of the day and slowly acclimate her now.
I wonder if maybe I could put her in a bath of squash and veggies? In the morning she drinks her bath water like a race horse.

 

[Kasia]

Thank you for the replies! I hope you're both right! I failed to mention that she's super sleepy and has only made one poo. She dries out quickly in the sun and I don't think she is familiar with her inclosure. She does seem lost. Like she's having a hard time keeping her temp right because she doesn't know where to go. I'm going to keep her in the tank most of the day and slowly acclimate her now.
I wonder if maybe I could put her in a bath of squash and veggies? In the morning she drinks her bath water like a race horse.

My torts have a tough time with all that heat as well, drinking is a good singh.
My leo stopped eating after our move to a new home for over a week. Same enclosure but different home... they need stability. Keep offering him food and let her roam outside. Put out some foods you know she have eaten. And be patient...

 

[Yvonne G]

Can you contact the seller to ask what they fed the tortoise? sometimes they don't recognize that what you're offering is 'food' and you have to start with food items they're used to seeing.

 

[TurtisTime]

Thank you! I do know exactly what her diet has been the past year. In my first thread I explained her situation and have also updated until now. https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/new-advice-appreciated.166745/

Her diet was mostly grass and weeds. A little bit of veggies(lettuces, greens, etc) and a co-worker of mine WOULD NOT TOP FEEDING HER FUIT while I wasn't there.
I don't think her inclosure was humid enough then.
My concern is that when I brought her home thinking she'd love to be outside, I accidentally caused her to develop heat exhaustion. By not acclimating her slow enough. I'm my other thread I describe her symptoms.
She is still drinking. Sleeping all day. Not eating. I made her a soup bath w veggies and squash this morning. She white pooped and made 6 stools. Sunned for about 30 minutes. Then slept in her 85 degree tank all day.

 

[TurtisTime]

Today she hasn't moved at all. She just looks around and is acting very week...

 

[TammyJ]

It seems to me that you should take her to a good reptile vet, but probably also that you should keep her out of the sun until she recovers (?) from what may have been a heat stroke. A lot of soaking for an hour or two every day is also a good idea if she is dehydrated.

 

[TurtisTime]

Should I leave her UV lamp off?
Man she's so confusing. She didn't do anything in her tank or baths all day. Until I put her in the shade this evening. She starred at her food for a long time. Then she went into the sunshine. proceeded to sun each of her sides and take a little walk in the grass. Then went back to the shade and fell asleep.

 

[TurtisTime]

Still don't think she ate any of the food or grass. I've been watching her like a hawk

 

[daniellenc]

Give her a month to settle in. Put her out early morning or early evening when it’s not stifling. Dig her a burrow moving is a big change. Outside is so different she’s confused.

 

[TurtisTime]

Give her a month to settle in. Put her out early morning or early evening when it’s not stifling. Dig her a burrow moving is a big change. Outside is so different she’s confused.

Thank you! I hope that's all it is. How long is not eating normal? I've given her two "soup" baths. She's pretty lethargic but the squash bath seemed to give her the energy to walk for a minute today. Only about 1/2 hour of activity per day. I've been taking her out early morning and as the sun goes down.

 

[daniellenc]

Thank you! I hope that's all it is. How long is not eating normal? I've given her two "soup" baths. She's pretty lethargic but the squash bath seemed to give her the energy to walk for a minute today. Only about 1/2 hour of activity per day. I've been taking her out early morning and as the sun goes down.

A vet won’t hurt but she’s not a vulnerable baby. My month old hatchling went weeks with only soaks and nibbles here and there. He’s an RF btw but got into a habit after a month. If yours was displaying normal behavior prior to the move I personally wouldn’t freak out. Soak when you can a few times a week, give a few outside hours before the heat really sets in, and start thinking about indoor space. Honestly they need time with changes. No matter what he/she needs an indoor spot between Mother Nature being funny anyway and an outside night box.

 

[TammyJ]

Today she hasn't moved at all. She just looks around and is acting very week...

Something is not right, I would try to get her to a reptile vet if you can.

 

[TurtisTime]

She's doing better, I think. She still hasn't eaten. But she's been a little bit more active in the morning. She seems to enjoy laying outside in the evening and listening to the birds. She eliminates, drinks, and enjoys her baths. Today she looked long and hard at some bird poop, I thought she was going to eat it. She sleeps a TON.

 

[Russian Pebbles]

When coming to a new climate they need to settle in and then they will eat. If they still don’t eat try other foods because some tortoises are picky others not so much

 

[TurtisTime]

When coming to a new climate they need to settle in and then they will eat. If they still don’t eat try other foods because some tortoises are picky others not so much

Thank you! How long can this not eating go on before I should really start to worry?
She is exploring her habitat today!

 

[Yvonne G]

It's VERY unusual for a sulcata to be quiet because of a new environment, especially a larger one (not a baby). Please excuse me for asking questions that you already answered in other threads. I'm reading THIS thread and have no memory of your other thread.

I operate a tortoise rescue, and in my years of doing this, I've taken in quite a few sulcatas. Most of them basket ball size, but a few the same size as yours. I've NEVER taken in a sulcata of that size that refused food. They are eating machines.

My only suggestion would be to soak the tortoise daily in something he can't climb out of. Leave him soaking for 30 or 40 minutes a time. Put him where he's going to be living permanently, and stop moving him around. If he's going to live outside, then put him out there.

If he doesn't perk up in a day or so, he needs to have a vet examine him. Something's wrong. He may be constipated??? He may be trying to pass a stone??? Maybe he's not warm enough??? Maybe he's too warm??? Read the care sheet, then be the detective and try to figure out what's wrong with him.

 

[TurtisTime]

It's VERY unusual for a sulcata to be quiet because of a new environment, especially a larger one (not a baby). Please excuse me for asking questions that you already answered in other threads. I'm reading THIS thread and have no memory of your other thread.

I operate a tortoise rescue, and in my years of doing this, I've taken in quite a few sulcatas. Most of them basket ball size, but a few the same size as yours. I've NEVER taken in a sulcata of that size that refused food. They are eating machines.

My only suggestion would be to soak the tortoise daily in something he can't climb out of. Leave him soaking for 30 or 40 minutes a time. Put him where he's going to be living permanently, and stop moving him around. If he's going to live outside, then put him out there.

If he doesn't perk up in a day or so, he needs to have a vet examine him. Something's wrong. He may be constipated??? He may be trying to pass a stone??? Maybe he's not warm enough??? Maybe he's too warm??? Read the care sheet, then be the detective and try to figure out what's wrong with him.

Thank you for your help! Sense you haven't read my other thread I'll give you a brief history on how I got her. My friend's kids found her roaming the neighborhood about a year ago. She has been living at our place of business in a tank with a heat pad and light. I brought her grass, greens and weeds to eat everyday. There is plenty where I live. I'd take her outside with me to get sun 2-3 times a day for 10-15 minutes at a time. Baths once a week. Despite my efforts, someone else there was feeding her FRUIT. After all I've learned I suspect she may have also been at least mildly dehydrated because of drafty AC and no lid on the tank.
Finally after a year I brought her home. She seemed great the first two days (eating the lawn) and hasn't eaten sense. She did seem to get really hot and dry those first two days. She was out for 12 hours the second day. Like I said, before this she was usually indoors.
So I reduced outside time to a few hours in the morning and 1-2 hours in the evening. She takes a break during the hottest part of the day and sleeps in her tank at night. I'm putting her in the same place everytime she goes outside now. And two baths a day. This morning she soaked for two hours then perked up and explored her outdoor inclosure. She has been more active the past 2 days but still not eating.

Interesting notes: she used to make white poo almost everytime she ate fruit but I've noticed it happening less over time.
She made 6 small stools the day before yesterday. And worked on one looong one for most of the day today. Other than weird sizes they seemed otherwise normal.

Oh my I'm sorry this got so long. Obviously I have no experience, this is my first tortoise. I would deeply appreciate advice from someone with your experience. Thank you for reading and for your time!