Any info is helpful

[zovick]

I have added new info

Your tortoise has MBD and the lower beak is severely overgrown. You should locate the thread titled "Info for New Members" or something to that effect and begin to make the changes it will suggest ASAP. Here is the link to that thread: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/

If you have a decent exotics vet near you, it would be beneficial to have your tortoise's beak and nails trimmed. Eating off the stone and walking on it are obviously not doing the job. After a good trimming, perhaps those things will work, but the way things are now, they are not sufficient.

Do not be too disappointed by this news. Many people have had the same experience due to getting bad husbandry advice from pet stores and internet sources other than this Forum. I see that you are young and that is good. You will have a long time to make things better for this animal and any future tortoises you may acquire.

Good luck!

 

[wellington]

You won't be able to keep your tortoise outdoors year round. I would probable set both a big enough enclosure indoors and outdoors. Plus you would have to have a heated house outdoors or bring your tortoise indoors at night.

Even if you bring the tort in at night, he would still need a hide outside to go into if he wants. I would heat it for those cooler days but yet warm enough to be outside.
The mercury bulb causes more pyramiding even in the best conditions. If you can get him outside several times a week, you won't need a uvb bulb indoors in summer
If you can get Arcadia products over there, they have the incandescent flood bulb you need. Otherwise look on Amazon
Please read the link Tom left for you. Read it a couple times. It's a lot to take in I know. Take it slow and write notes.
We will help the best we can as long as needed. Don't worry about how many questions you ask. Once you get all changed and good, you will be able to enjoy your shelled friend much more.
Use as much weeds, flowers, etc as you can in summer to feed. Just be sure they are tortoise safe. Add tortoise pellet food that you can buy there. Not any of the fruity ones though, they can't eat fruit.

 

[zolasmum]

Hello from Devon - I have a Hermanns tortoise too - he is nearly 24 years old, and he isn't very big - he weighs just over a kilo - but he is very lively and strong. Don't worry if your one stays small as long as he/she stays healthy. Do you weigh yours regularly - it helps to keep a record. Zola loves dandelions, and will eat as much as we can find.His/her claws could do with a bit of a trim - just the very sharp points - that will help walking. You could do it yourself with nail clippers, or ask the vet to do it with the beak trimming. Once they are shorter, your little chap will probably walk more, which will file them down naturally.
It is great that you found this forum, as the people here are all keen to help, because they really care about tortoises. It didn't exist when we got Zola, and we would have done things differently if we knew what I know now - however, he is well and happy, and very healthy, and he is the boss of the family, really !
Very best wishes
Angie

 

[Shelldog]

Even if you bring the tort in at night, he would still need a hide outside to go into if he wants. I would heat it for those cooler days but yet warm enough to be outside.
The mercury bulb causes more pyramiding even in the best conditions. If you can get him outside several times a week, you won't need a uvb bulb indoors in summer
If you can get Arcadia products over there, they have the incandescent flood bulb you need. Otherwise look on Amazon
Please read the link Tom left for you. Read it a couple times. It's a lot to take in I know. Take it slow and write notes.
We will help the best we can as long as needed. Don't worry about how many questions you ask. Once you get all changed and good, you will be able to enjoy your shelled friend much more.
Use as much weeds, flowers, etc as you can in summer to feed. Just be sure they are tortoise safe. Add tortoise pellet food that you can buy there. Not any of the fruity ones though, they can't eat fruit.

Even if you bring the tort in at night, he would still need a hide outside to go into if he wants. I would heat it for those cooler days but yet warm enough to be outside.
The mercury bulb causes more pyramiding even in the best conditions. If you can get him outside several times a week, you won't need a uvb bulb indoors in summer
If you can get Arcadia products over there, they have the incandescent flood bulb you need. Otherwise look on Amazon
Please read the link Tom left for you. Read it a couple times. It's a lot to take in I know. Take it slow and write notes.
We will help the best we can as long as needed. Don't worry about how many questions you ask. Once you get all changed and good, you will be able to enjoy your shelled friend much more.
Use as much weeds, flowers, etc as you can in summer to feed. Just be sure they are tortoise safe. Add tortoise pellet food that you can buy there. Not any of the fruity ones though, they can't eat fruit.

So would this plan be ok?

I could make a house outside in my garden and have that be insulated and have a heat lamp in there. In the summer I could keep them in there and they stay in the house at night. They would have an area to be outside but I would have to have some sort of wire mesh lid? Coz she’s still quite small and I don’t want any birds getting at her. Would I also need to have a way of stopping her from digging out under the garden pen thing?

Then in the winter I could have a bigger indoor tortoise table and then when she’s older she will “hibernate” (I think it’s called something else for tortoises).

Do u think that would be suitable?

 

[wellington]

So would this plan be ok?

I could make a house outside in my garden and have that be insulated and have a heat lamp in there. In the summer I could keep them in there and they stay in the house at night. They would have an area to be outside but I would have to have some sort of wire mesh lid? Coz she’s still quite small and I don’t want any birds getting at her. Would I also need to have a way of stopping her from digging out under the garden pen thing?

Then in the winter I could have a bigger indoor tortoise table and then when she’s older she will “hibernate” (I think it’s called something else for tortoises).

Do u think that would be suitable.

That sounds great. I'm not familiar with Hermanns digging out so I'm not sure that's a problem. But if you think it is or going under the walls of the enclosure you can line the outside with paving bricks or landscaping timbers

 

[Tom]

So would this plan be ok?

I could make a house outside in my garden and have that be insulated and have a heat lamp in there. In the summer I could keep them in there and they stay in the house at night. They would have an area to be outside but I would have to have some sort of wire mesh lid? Coz she’s still quite small and I don’t want any birds getting at her. Would I also need to have a way of stopping her from digging out under the garden pen thing?

Then in the winter I could have a bigger indoor tortoise table and then when she’s older she will “hibernate” (I think it’s called something else for tortoises).

Do u think that would be suitable?

Sounds great. You would need to heat the house with something other than the heat lamp. The heat lamp would just be for basking when the weather turns cold and the sun isn't shining. You still need a way to keep the house warmer than the outside temp at night when it needs to be dark. This can be accomplished with a CHE, RHP, or mini radiant oil heater set on a thermostat. It doesn't need to be 27C like it would for a tropical tortoise. Just up around 15-20C so it doesn't get TOO cold at night.