Worried About My Russian Tortoise

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rockyMTNtortoise

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I routinely soak my Russian tortoise-Deuce once a day for about 30 min. A few days ago I had him soaking, I fell asleep accidently for about 2 hours.Ever since the under side of his tail has turned white and at the end of the tail it appears a little red like it is inflamed. I am not sure what is happening with his tail, anyone have any ideas? I feel horrible about falling asleep while he was soaking, I hope this isnt my fault. Any help would be appreciated.
 

dmmj

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I think a picture would help greatly, as a general rule as long as the don't get cold they usually don't suffer any ill effects from long soaks.
 

rockyMTNtortoise

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dmmj said:
I think a picture would help greatly, as a general rule as long as the don't get cold they usually don't suffer any ill effects from long soaks.

I will try and add a picture tomorrow, thanks for helping me feel a little better.
 

GeoTerraTestudo

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A 30-minute soak everyday is too much for a healthy tortoise. A 5-15 minute bath once a week is fine. Daily baths are only helpful if your tortoise is ill from dehydration, chill, URTI, inflamed eyes, etc.

The two-hour bath is probably not good for him, but as long as he didn't get too chilly, then he's probably going to be okay. The discoloration on his tail could be due to pee or poo. Watch him over the next few days and let us know how he's doing. In the meantime, keep him warm and dry, and just bath him once a week for only a few minutes.
 

JoesMum

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30 minutes is a bit long, but for a tortoise that is kept entirely indoors it is not excessive. I recommend 20 minutes a day.

The two hour soak should not have caused the problem your RT has... a photo would be helpful so we can see what it looks like.
 

GeoTerraTestudo

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JoesMum said:
30 minutes is a bit long, but for a tortoise that is kept entirely indoors it is not excessive. I recommend 20 minutes a day.

The two hour soak should not have caused the problem your RT has... a photo would be helpful so we can see what it looks like.

Hmm ... I see no reason to bathe a tortoise on a daily basis (unless it's sick). I think weekly is preferable. What is the rationale for soaking it everyday?
 

JoesMum

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With torts kept indoors, especially those where air con or central heating is switched on, the humidity is low and they dehydrate quickly. This is especially true of younger tortoises.

A daily soak does no harm either :)
 

GeoTerraTestudo

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JoesMum said:
With torts kept indoors, especially those where air con or central heating is switched on, the humidity is low and they dehydrate quickly. This is especially true of younger tortoises.

A daily soak does no harm either :)

It is true that forced-air heating and A/C do tend to dry the air out, as may basking lights, so we do need to compensate for those factors. As a tortoise keeper, it may seem tricky to create an environment in the right range of temperature and humidity. However, the Russian tortoise is adapted to arid deserts and semi-arid grasslands, where the relative humidity is naturally low. As long as they have a moist substrate, they tolerate dry air very well.

In Central Asia, rains don't come that often. When they do, they form puddles that wild Russian tortoises do like to wade and drink in:
http://www.arkive.org/afghan-tortoise/testudo-horsfieldii/image-G24371.html

I think that weekly baths approximate these puddles fairly well. I think that short, weekly, warm baths may be comfortable for a tortoise (and usually prompt it to eliminate wastes). However, IMO, bathing more frequently than that may be stressful.
 

rockyMTNtortoise

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GeoTerraTestudo said:
JoesMum said:
With torts kept indoors, especially those where air con or central heating is switched on, the humidity is low and they dehydrate quickly. This is especially true of younger tortoises.

A daily soak does no harm either :)

It is true that forced-air heating and A/C do tend to dry the air out, as may basking lights, so we do need to compensate for those factors. As a tortoise keeper, it may seem tricky to create an environment in the right range of temperature and humidity. However, the Russian tortoise is adapted to arid deserts and semi-arid grasslands, where the relative humidity is naturally low. As long as they have a moist substrate, they tolerate dry air very well.

In Central Asia, rains don't come that often. When they do, they form puddles that wild Russian tortoises do like to wade and drink in:
http://www.arkive.org/afghan-tortoise/testudo-horsfieldii/image-G24371.html

I think that weekly baths approximate these puddles fairly well. I think that short, weekly, warm baths may be comfortable for a tortoise (and usually prompt it to eliminate wastes). However, IMO, bathing more frequently than that may be stressful.

Thank you for your advice, I have only been soaking my RTs once a week for the last couple weeks and they seem to be much happier, thanks again for you help.
 

GeoTerraTestudo

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Bump - BTW - Here's that picture of a wild steppe tortoise wading in a puddle:

afghantortoisestandingi.jpg
 
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