help (tort difficult to wake up)

lynsey401974

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Nov 16, 2014
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I have a young horsefield and this morning he was difficult to wake after noticing he had been asleep for a couple of days. Once waking him only opened one eye tried bathing him in lukewarm water for 10 minutes can anyone help to stop me worring thanks
 

johnsonnboswell

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What is your substrate & temps? Do you have a good UVB bulb on a timer for 12-14 hours a day?
 

Ciri

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Tell us more about the circumstances. You said he was sleeping for a few days, and it was hard to wake him up. Was he outdoors or indoors? Had he been eating recently? Is he eating today? If outside, what part of the country are you in and what are temps like? If outside, could he has had access to the yard where there were any poisonous plants? Are there any other symptoms, such as runny nose, swollen eyes or goopy stuff on his eyes, raspy breathing, strange belching? Anything else you can think of that might give us a clue?

Having trouble waking him is very concerning. If it were me, I would be planning to get him to a reptile veterinarian as soon as possible.
 

lynsey401974

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Nov 16, 2014
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He was indoors inside is enclosure managed to get him to eat a little today no swelling or discharge from the eye breathing and everything else seems okay not changed is temperature
 

lynsey401974

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Nov 16, 2014
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What is your substrate & temps? Do you have a good UVB bulb on a timer for 12-14 hours a day?
We have like a small pellet for his substrate which was recommended by the supplier we have a 40w uvb light and also have a florescent tube light we have us daily temp set to 88 on the ministat 300
 

johnsonnboswell

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Your supplier gave you bad advice. It's often hard for a novice to know which advice to take. Pellets are terrible as a substrate. He needs something like coconut coir that holds moisture. An animal that is in an environment that does not meet it's needs will just try wait it out.

How long are the lights on?
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Lynsey, and welcome to the Forum!!

Russian tortoises hibernate, and if you bought yours from a pet store, he hasn't acclimated yet to our way of keeping them. He is probably trying to hibernate.

My suggestion is to double check the temperature on the floor of his habitat. Make sure it is in the range it is supposed to be (you can find this info in the Russian Tortoise Care sheet that is pinned at the top of our Russian section).

Every morning, get the tortoise out and place him in front of the food. Then, all throughout the day when you think about it or when you walk by his enclosure, get him out and place him in front of the food.

You can soak him daily for about 15 minutes too.
 

lynsey401974

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Nov 16, 2014
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Hi Lynsey, and welcome to the Forum!!

Russian tortoises hibernate, and if you bought yours from a pet store, he hasn't acclimated yet to our way of keeping them. He is probably trying to hibernate.

My suggestion is to double check the temperature on the floor of his habitat. Make sure it is in the range it is supposed to be (you can find this info in the Russian Tortoise Care sheet that is pinned at the top of our Russian section).

Every morning, get the tortoise out and place him in front of the food. Then, all throughout the day when you think about it or when you walk by his enclosure, get him out and place him in front of the food.

You can soak him daily for about 15 minutes too.
Thank you for your reply I seem to have sorted it out I had the lights setup in correctly I contacted the supplier and he came out and sorted for me both eyes are now open and eating seems to be back to normal and awake a bit today I think I have a happy jiggels again thank you for your help
 

lynsey401974

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Nov 16, 2014
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About once a week Someone will report that a supplier told them to use pellets. Good for small mammals only.
I will change seems okay today eating and both eyes open it looks like the lights were set up incorrectly and he seems back to his happy self fingers crossed hopefully jiggers is on the mend..... Thank you for you reply
 
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