worried about inactive tortoise (in NE) - please advise!

[CrystalsFamily]

Oh geez, thank you so much for clarifying that, Mike and others. (I have been assuming your first name is Mike.) I was quite upset thinking you were fed up with me (like, I didn't sleep well), which is obviously a reflection of how guilty and responsible I feel for my little guy.

Agreed, I'll drop the bleach and see. (Trying to take care of my family as well, but he's not pooping right now anyway. Incidentally, I suspect my son and I have had a bout of salmonella, if it can manifest very mildly.)

The humidity is higher at night because I run a humidifier in my son's room. So this morning, for ex, it's at 50. I haven't been watching it closely, but I'm pretty sure that it's typically around 30 during the day. I haven't gotten a digital hydrometer, but if you think humidity might be important here, there is a trip to Home Depot happening today anyway. I only spritz the substrate occasionally, but I can do it more and see if his eyes open more. What humidity do you think I should shoot for? I would say he does tend to open his eyes more when being soaked, but I just assumed that was being handled and woken up.

The substrate is Repti-bark (which says it's 100% pure fir bark) on top of coco coir (see this previous discusssion: http://tortoiseforum.org/threads/best-substrate.89137/).

Temps of the tort vary, but are typically in the 80 to 90 range. I haven't checked at night in the last few days, but I think it was a little lower that time of day.

Pics of tail in a while. 5 year old has been waiting patiently for me......

 

[CrystalsFamily]

I am getting an error message "there was a problem uploading your file" and can't share pics. Must have to do with yesterday's upgrade? Anyone have any suggestions? I have several photos to share.... Will try again later. Tried different browser (Explorer instead of Firefox), and still not working.....

 

[Teacherstortoise]

Just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you and Crystal and hoping for resolution to this mystery malady!

 

[CrystalsFamily]

Here is the underside of Crystal's tail:

I have another good shot of the tail tucked along the shell, which still won't upload. Not sure why only this photo worked. Will see if I can do another in another message.

 

[Dorrie Siu]

Chrystal looks kind of dehydrated to me. How long are you soaking for? I soak mine for half hour each night even though she doesn't "need" it. I do it mainly to rinse her off after being outside playing in dirt. Doesn't hurt to soak more than once a day. Don't let the water get cold. I soak mine in water that is pretty warm. It helps her to become more active and she swims, which helps work out her legs more.

 

[CrystalsFamily]

Here is the underside of Crystal's tail:
View attachment 75995
I have another good shot of the tail tucked along the shell, which still won't upload. Not sure why only this photo worked. Will see if I can do another in another message.

Ok, apparently all the shots I took this morning with camera on close up were over a MB, which won't upload. Here's a less good one.
Tail tucked:


What I was also going to show from this morning was how oddly he was positioned after the night, face toward the glass at the back of the tank, head in his shell somewhat. Then how his head came out and he started to open his eyes a good 30 mins after the lightbulb had come on. Then later, how he had burrowed a little in that same spot, and just stuck his head in. (Perhaps evidence about eyes and humidity??)

I can't seem to get a shot with his face or whole body that isn't too large to upload! I'm not hiding his identity, I swear.

I put a freshly moistened batch of coir in there to keep up the humidity for the day and am trying to periodically observe if I think his eyes are open more often. I still think he just has them open for a while after I handle him, then drifts back to sleep. There is no way he is moving around enough to regulate his temp. He's been around 90 whenever I've checked it today.

Unfortunately, we are leaving town for a week on Wednesday. I have a caring pet sitter who will follow instructions closely and come twice/day to soak him, but there won't be anyone to watch as closely as I do.

 

[CrystalsFamily]

Chrystal looks kind of dehydrated to me. How long are you soaking for? I soak mine for half hour each night even though she doesn't "need" it. I do it mainly to rinse her off after being outside playing in dirt. Doesn't hurt to soak more than once a day. Don't let the water get cold. I soak mine in water that is pretty warm. It helps her to become more active and she swims, which helps work out her legs more.

I am soaking twice/day during the week and 3 times on weekends and when I can. For about 20 mins. Since getting the infrared gun, I know that the water that has felt the right warmth to my wrist to start with is 100-105. Sometimes he drinks a little, sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes I have thought his eyes looked a little sunken, but then other times they don't at all.

 

[CrystalsFamily]

Digital humidistat is in there now, and it seems to be reading the same as the analog one, so prior reported info was probably correct. It's been 45-50% in there today. Just saw him open his eyes without being handled, but closed them again within a minute.

 

[mikeh]

Its a male. He is a looker at least from the rest shots, very nice looking shell.

90F shell temp plus minus few degrees are right on the mark. 100F while basking is normal as well. As long as he is strong he will move away from the heat if he gets too hot.
At this time of spring no night heat at all. I doubt your sons room dips below 65F at night.

The humidity sounds ideal. I would keep the substrate moist, but not soaking wet. i would mist him few times a day, see if some moisture perks him up. I keep 99c spray bottle in the enclosure so the water is always as warm as the enclosure.

Tortoises sleep in all kind of weird positions, nothing to worry about there.
Hope you manage to get some clear pictures to show his face.

I would also start monitoring his weight. If the tortoise is responsive to your touch and very strong I would not be panicking despite lack of appetite and activity. Just keep tweaking the husbandry, but I think you are all set up well. Either he will come around or there will be a point where you will feel that taking him to another vet is a next step. Has he had any more mucus discharge from his anus you mentioned in one of your posts?

 

[CrystalsFamily]

Its a male. He is a looker at least from the rest shots, very nice looking shell.

90F shell temp plus minus few degrees are right on the mark. 100F while basking is normal as well. As long as he is strong he will move away from the heat if he gets too hot.
At this time of spring no night heat at all. I doubt your sons room dips below 65F at night.

The humidity sounds ideal. I would keep the substrate moist, but not soaking wet. i would mist him few times a day, see if some moisture perks him up. I keep 99c spray bottle in the enclosure so the water is always as warm as the enclosure.

Tortoises sleep in all kind of weird positions, nothing to worry about there.
Hope you manage to get some clear pictures to show his face.

I would also start monitoring his weight. If the tortoise is responsive to your touch and very strong I would not be panicking despite lack of appetite and activity. Just keep tweaking the husbandry, but I think you are all set up well. Either he will come around or there will be a point where you will feel that taking him to another vet is a next step. Has he had any more mucus discharge from his anus you mentioned in one of your posts?

Well, I sure think he's a cutey. Have been using no heat at night since the high heat scare, and every nighttime check shows around 70. I do mist his shell and head, typically when soaking him. He is really liking that one particular spot in the tank, and I do think it's odd he never ventures to the cool side or into the hide anymore.

When we return, I can get something to weigh him with (but I won't have had a baseline from before he stopped eating).

No more mucus since those two days before the vet visit (two weeks ago). That would be the only vague suggestion that the pinworm meds did anything. In fact, since he pooped on the vet's floor (adding more to the sample I brought in), he's probably only pooped twice, and those very, very small amounts, and I'd say not in almost a week. But he's not eating, so what would he poop?

It sounds like you still think he could come back from this point, and that's encouraging. (My worst fear is that I have done him neurological damage somehow.) Thanks once again for all the close attention, time, and precise advice.

 

[mikeh]

Any update on Crystal before you go away for a week?

 

[CrystalsFamily]

Any update on Crystal before you go away for a week?

Nothing to report. I will just have to trust the petsitter and the temp setup and hope that time helps. Ironically, the rest of the family will be in the desert. Thanks for checking in.

 

[CrystalsFamily]

Ok, I take it back, because this just happened: a very weird looking poop (the first in at least a week, I think). Almost like a plug came out. It looks hard and dried on one end, almost like he swallowed a stem and it came out the other end whole, and softer and more rounded on the other end. The whole thing was no more than an inch and a half long. I am wondering if this could have been blocking him up? Any opinions?

With flash:

Without flash:

 

[Yvonne G]

Looks like some sort of alien monster.

 

[mikeh]

That almost looks like cigarette butt.

 

[CrystalsFamily]

That almost looks like cigarette butt.

Oh god, I hope not. Certainly not on our watch! But it didn't resemble a cigarette butt so much live. Too thin and fibrous looking. Looked like something that had been in there for a long time and got sort of dessicated. I don't think I fed him anything atypical that would be hard to pass. I don't know if it's just a symptom of being so slowed down, or if it this will make him feel better....

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I what type of basking light are you using? I also use Power Sun, but it is my understanding that they now make a spiral type bulb. If that's the case get rid of it. Do his eyes looks swollen as well as closed?
Pour some warm water over the substrate that will add the needed humidity. Also along with cedar, pine is toxic to tortoises, make sure it's not pine, cedar or sand...

 

[CrystalsFamily]

He's eating! He's eating! I have to catch a plane!

 

[lismar79]

Yay! Great news!

 

[littleginsu]

So excited! I pray you come home from your trip to a fully recovered tort!