Young Herman won't eat

[Reddog]

Hi I have a young 2 year old Herman that has gone off his food for no apparent reason. His weight is just o.k. for his size and he seems to be stable at the moment, having said that he has lost weight compared to what he used to weigh.
He used to be quiet a boisterous little fella but has become quiet shy and wants to be hiding and digging himself into holes for quiet a lot of the time
Any ideas would be appreciated.

Regards
Red

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm not a Hermann's person, but I can offer you a tip or two. Heat plays a very important role with appetite. If they can't warm up to at least 80 degrees, they won't eat. So what are your temperatures? You should have a warm side and a not so warm side in the habitat.

Have you changed anything in the habitat. Some tortoises are creatures of habit and don't appreciate it when you move the furniture around in their home.

What kinds of food are you offering?

Yvonne

 

[Reddog]

Hi my Herman was kept outside with my other four Tortoises, he also has access to a Vivarium, He is now kept in a vivarium inside my house where I can keep an eye on him, the vivarium is heated up to 85-90 degrees.
He has access to lots of different food e.g. clover, dandylion, cabage, pansy, apple, carot , peppers to mention a few.
I haven’t changed anything around.
I have kept Tortoises for over 34 years and this is the first time I have come across this problem.

Regards
Red

 

[Isa]

Hi my Herman was kept outside with my other four Tortoises, he also has access to a Vivarium, He is now kept in a vivarium inside my house where I can keep an eye on him, the vivarium is heated up to 85-90 degrees.
He has access to lots of different food e.g. clover, dandylion, cabage, pansy, apple, carot , peppers to mention a few.
I haven’t changed anything around.
I have kept Tortoises for over 34 years and this is the first time I have come across this problem.

Regards
Red

Hello & Welcome to the forum
Is there a not so warm and a warm area in the vivarium? or 85-90 is the temp of the whole vivarium?
Did you bring a poo sample to the vet, maybe the he could have parasites?
Try to put something different in his meal with a nice red color like raddichio (my Hermann lovesss radichio, something he does not want to eat if there are not 5 or 6 little pieces of radichio mixed with his other greens ).
Do you feed cabage often, I do not know if I am wrong but I heard cavage is not good for tortoises.

 

[tortoisenerd]

From what you've said I do not see an obvious answer. Yes I agree to take the tort and the tort's fecal sample into the vet ASAP and see if they notice anything. With weight loss youi could be looking at something very serious as that is quite unusual actually because they can go quite a while without food without losing weight. Once you see any symptoms it can go downhill very quickly.

Yes you probably want to have more of a gradient between the 70s and 90s with at least one basking spot in the 90s, and a hiding spot at the cooler end.

Have the tort's bathroom habits been typical? Could you provide us with a picture of the tort, and an enclosure pic?

I agree no cabbage, no apple, no carrot, no pepper. I would not think that would explain this though, just a side note. Look up more greens, weeds, plants, flowers you can feed. Let us know if you need help. Clover and dandelion are very good for example. Nothing starchy like cabbage, and no sugars (apple, carrot, pepper) in my opinion. There are lots of very healthy food the tort can enjoy for treats and I would never feed any fruit actually. Cactus pad can be a great healthy treat for example.

I would try to add some different variety to the diet to see if anything peaks his interest. Things that have color and texture. I would also try to hand feed to see if that makes him more apt to eat if you have ever done that in the past.

Does the tort still move around well? Walk straight? Active? Have they been drinking more water than usual?

That's so cool you've had torts so long. I'm sorry you're having to deal with this; it's stressful! Best wishes.