What should I do? (to hibernate or not?)

Torch

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I'm having some issues with my young (less than a year old) three toed box turtle.

I bought Lucy back in the summer and she was sold as a 2013 baby. I'm not sure if she hibernated or not, but she seemed a little small to me. She ate like a champ for me from day one.

Now that the weather is turning off cooler I'm debating whether or not to hibernate her; she just doesn't seem to be doing well with the cooler temps. She is burrowing more, eating less, and most troubling, her eyes seem puffy and swollen to me. There's no sign of infection per se, and after being soaked, whether in baby food or warm water, the swelling subsides. Applying antibacterial ointment to her eyes doesn't appear to be helping or hurting them.

The hatchlings have a heat lamp, UV bulb, and temps that are ranging between 66-76 degrees F. By contrast, my young gulf coast hatchling, who is only a few months old, is ravenous and barely burrowing into the substrate. He seems perfectly healthy. They are kept in identical conditions with lots of cover and moisture.

If she does need to be hibernated, how would I go about it here in east Tennessee? Our temperatures vary widely-we've been down into the teens and twenties this week but should warm back into the forties and fifties before winter really sets in. I've got a crawl space under the house that might be cold enough, but I'm not sure.

Thanks for any suggestions! I'm really worried about Lucy.
 

wellington

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I can't really help,you with the hibernation, but if there is any concern for her health at all, like the puffy eyes, Its suggested to keep her up and not to hibernate. They don't have to hibernate.
 

Kathy Coles

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When I read how complicated it was to successfully have a tort/turtle hibernate it terrified me. I thought they just went to sleep but I was very wrong. I am so glad I learned that before getting my red foot. He does not hibernate. On this forum you can find the articles describing the process. BUT, he does not need to do it. And what you are describing does not sound healthy. Can you take him to a vet?
 

johnsonnboswell

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Don't hibernate her. She's at too much risk

What kind of light bulb are you using? She needs UVB for 12-14 hours a day. The temp is a little low. Try eye wash. Does she have a water dish 24/7?

Can you post a picture of her & her habitat?

Sometimes one turtle thrives while another is delicate. That that's an indicator of the vitality of the healthy turtle sometimes, rather than proof that we're doing everything right. I learned that the hard way.
 

lisa127

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I would up the temps (temps are a little low). That may be why she is slowing down. Keep the temps in the 70's during the day with a hot spot of about 90. Keep gentle heat on during the night but turn UVB off at night. Keep that on for 14 hours a day. And keep it nice and humid. Warm humidity is what you want.
 

Torch

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Thank you for all the replies. I will try to up the temps a little. What's the best way to increase temperature? I keep my house at 69 degrees, they have a heat lamp, and the room they're in gets a decent amount of natural light. I keep the vivarium really moist and try to monitor the humidity, and they have access to water all day.

I'll include a link to the exact UV bulb I'm using for them. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A8RHTYU/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
Her eye problems started about three weeks ago, and I've only had the UV bulb for a little over a week; it was getting too chilly here to get them outside for their UV exposure. So I don't think the light is the problem, but you all tell me what you think.

I'll try to post pictures of their habitat but I may have to do it from my phone as I have some photos on there. Her eyes are really perplexing me; they're not getting worse or showing signs of infection, and the swelling subsides every time after soaking. Plus I know the vivarium is not being kept any less moist than it was two months ago before any issues started.

I have pill bugs in the enclosure that I know she can hunt, and I keep food out all the time, so she could still be eating, just not as much as I'm used to. My dad borrowed my gram scale but I am going to try to get it back this weekend to start weighing her.
 

lismar79

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Those bulbs are linked to eye problems. For a boxie you would do well with a long tube flourescent and a che
 

Torch

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I'll ditch that bulb then. I thought it was just the spiral coil bulbs that were a problem....
 

4jean

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I have had the exact same situation with my Hermann's tortoise who is just under a year. I took him to the vet twice. I used antibiotic drops for 2 weeks with little change. I am soaking 2x a day and his eyes are a little better after a soak. I use a Mercury vapor bulb for uvb. I think I had my light too low and it hurt his eyes. I raised the light up several inches and added a CHE for heat. The vet gave me some protective eye ointment and I think his eyes are slowly improving. I was thinking about hibernating too...but not this year anymore. What is the distance of your light?
 

lismar79

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I'll ditch that bulb then. I thought it was just the spiral coil bulbs that were a problem....
I think it is any compact fluorescent but to double check let's see what others say
 

Torch

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Thanks everyone for the input. The heat lamp and UV bulb were positioned about 14 inches from the substrate. I've ditched the UV bulb and I'm going to add a second heat lamp. I'm not sure a long fluorescent bulb will work well since they are in a Rubbermaid container and not a real aquarium, but I'm going to give it a go.

Today is warm so I'm going to take them outside for some natural rays.
 

lisa127

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Thanks everyone for the input. The heat lamp and UV bulb were positioned about 14 inches from the substrate. I've ditched the UV bulb and I'm going to add a second heat lamp. I'm not sure a long fluorescent bulb will work well since they are in a Rubbermaid container and not a real aquarium, but I'm going to give it a go.

Today is warm so I'm going to take them outside for some natural rays.
I used them with rubbermaids. real easy. Just buy it long enough to go across the middle of the tub. A 24 inch one will lay right across it.
 

Torch

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They're going to the vet. I'm going to call tomorrow and get an appointment. Now they are both showing symptoms and I have a feeling they might be in the early stages of a RI.
 

tortdad

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They're going to the vet. I'm going to call tomorrow and get an appointment. Now they are both showing symptoms and I have a feeling they might be in the early stages of a RI.

Good luck
 

Torch

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Good luck

Thanks. I took them into the veterinary hospital today. They are still exhibiting very mild symptoms but are going to be wormed and then have cultures (from a mouth swab) performed to see if they have a viral or bacterial infection. Based on what the culture says, they'll be given an antibiotic or a nutritional supplement. I had to drop them off and leave them overnight but they should be good to pick up in the morning.
 

Torch

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Update on the babies: Both of them are fully recovered! I started them on antibiotic eye drops and changed much of their conditions.

I moved them to a warmer room in my house and put a space heater in there that I run at night. I changed their lighting and between all those things was able to increase their temperatures substantially. Cool side is 75 degrees and warm side pushes 90 under the UV lamp. I also changed their substrate and added moss for more humidity.

Slowly they have bounced back and within the last month have really shown great vitality. They are both growing and eating daily. My gulfie eats his pellets during their soaks, and also loves pill bugs thrown in the water. My three toed is a goober and doesn't know how to eat in water, but she's hunting bugs again and eating soaked reptomin as well as fruit and meal worms out of her dish.

I'm so relieved that they're better!
 
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