HELP! Marginated tortoise barely moving, not eating, shell feels soft

[Tillybethell]

Hey there, I have two young tortoises (around 18 months) one is a Hermann and one is a Marginated. I've never experienced any issues with their health until recently. I thought it might just be the cold winter making the marginated sluggish but now I am really really worried. There are very limited specialist vets that I can find in my area so I'm asking for advice here first. I think she must be calcium deficient as her tummy feels soft and she is barely moving, she is also barely eating. She also keeps her eyes closed a lot. I just don't know what to do as she has a UV strip lamp, a heat lamp, calcium supplement powder for her food, clean water, regular bathing and the Hermann is thriving and growing strong. If anyone can help I'd really appreciate it x have attached pictures of her incase there is something obvious wrong

 

[Yvonne G]

It sounds to me as if your little tortoise isn't warm enough. Try covering the enclosure to keep the cold air from the house out and the warm air the light provides in. Also the substrate is pretty dry. I see from the bumpiness of the shell that the baby has been raised in a very dry environment. Do you soak this baby? It should be placed in warm water daily for about 15 or 20 minutes, water that comes up to the middle of the sides.

 

[Tillybethell]

It sounds to me as if your little tortoise isn't warm enough. Try covering the enclosure to keep the cold air from the house out and the warm air the light provides in. Also the substrate is pretty dry. I see from the bumpiness of the shell that the baby has been raised in a very dry environment. Do you soak this baby? It should be placed in warm water daily for about 15 or 20 minutes, water that comes up to the middle of the sides.

Hey, thanks so much!! I do soak her yes, honestly not every single day so I'll make sure to do that with immediate effect. I used to spray the substrate with water, but it attracted flies.. I'll have to sort a way of misting it without soaking it. Do you not think it could calcium? And have you got advice on making her eat? X

 

[KarenSoCal]

And have you got advice on making her eat? X

Just warming her up will help her appetite. Torts cannot digest food if they are too cool, so they don't eat.
You can also do this in addition to raising temps. When you soak, put some pureed carrot baby food in the warm water. Most torts drink when put into their soak, so he will get the baby food when he does. You can also add some Pedialyte to the water. In some cases this has saved the lives of babies who won't eat.

 

[Tillybethell]

Just warming her up will help her appetite. Torts cannot digest food if they are too cool, so they don't eat.
You can also do this in addition to raising temps. When you soak, put some pureed carrot baby food in the warm water. Most torts drink when put into their soak, so he will get the baby food when he does. You can also add some Pedialyte to the water. In some cases this has saved the lives of babies who won't eat.

Thanks!! She is warm soaking as we speak x