Need help (lethargic baby)

[Brina]

My baby worries me he hasnt wanted to eat anything the past 2 days. Last night i finally was able to get him to eat a little kale and a tiny bit of strawberry. This morning he wont eat and just seems extremly lethargic.

 

[JoesMum]

Hi Brina

Chances are this is normal - a tortoise can take a while to adapt to new surroundings. However, if you answer some questions it will help us to help you.

1. How long have you had your tortoise?

2. Can you tell us some more about his enclosure? A picture paints a thousand words - photos are great.

3. What temperatures do you have? There are 4 important ones - warm side, cool side, directly under the basking lamp and overnight minimum

4. Do you soak your tortoise to keep him hydrated?

5. What type of lamp(s) are you using to provide basking heat and UVB?

 

[Brina]

Hi Brina

Chances are this is normal - a tortoise can take a while to adapt to new surroundings. However, if you answer some questions it will help us to help you.

1. How long have you had your tortoise?

2. Can you tell us some more about his enclosure? A picture paints a thousand words - photos are great.

3. What temperatures do you have? There are 4 important ones - warm side, cool side, directly under the basking lamp and overnight minimum

4. Do you soak your tortoise to keep him hydrated?

5. What type of lamp(s) are you using to provide basking heat and UVB?

So ive had him 3 weeks. His substrate is spagnum moss on one side and a mixture of potting soil and cypress mulch on the other where the cypress mulch and topsoil are I keep moist he also has a pool that he can drink and smoke out of his food is on the other end he has to hide spots. He eats a mixture of cactus romaine lettuce kale bell peppers and his food is all sprayed with calcium. I have a UVB UVA Mercury hundred-watt bulb on him he likes to bask under

 

[Brina]

So ive had him 3 weeks. His substrate is spagnum moss on one side and a mixture of potting soil and cypress mulch on the other where the cypress mulch and topsoil are I keep moist he also has a pool that he can drink and soak out of his food is on the other end he has to hide spots. He eats a mixture of cactus romaine lettuce kale bell peppers and his food is all sprayed with calcium. I have a UVB UVA Mercury hundred-watt bulb on him he likes to bask under

I try to upload a picture but i cant i will try again from the computer

 

[Tom]

First of all, you should not allow your tortoise to smoke. Smoking is bad for them…

Kidding, of course. Crazy automatic spell checkers…

I would skip the romaine and bell pepper. Kale should only be offered once in a while, and strawberry is likely to upset his tummy. Read this for a list of good foods. Skip all the text about sulcatas and grass, and just scroll down to the food list for a leopard:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

They should only be getting calcium supplementation a couple of times a week. Not every day.

A few questions:
What are your four temperatures that Joes Mum asked about?
What are you using for night heat?
Does your potting soil have perlite in it? Little white bits?
Where did you get this tortoise and how was it started?


Check these out for more info:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[Brina]

I bought my tortoise from a lady on a FB page I belong to.
No perlite in the potting soil.
At night my house stays 80 degrees so I'm not using anything
But during the day i have a 100w uvb/uva bulb on him his temperatures range from 98 (basking spot) to 80 degrees (hides and location of food)

 

[Brina]

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Brina:

You say your house stays 80F degrees at night. I'd be willing to bet that if you put the thermometer on the floor of the habitat during the night it would be cooler than that. Your baby needs a heat source at night too. This is a good one to use:

 

[Tom]

Specifically, what types of bulbs are in that double lighting hood?

Did the breeder start this baby with daily soaks and a humid environment, or did the breeder start this baby with desert-like conditions?

Please read the links I posted for you. If you continue on with your current set up, your baby is going to pyramid, and dehydration is a real possibility too. Simulating the African monsoon season is what works best for raising baby leopards. I know this because I've done it all sorts of ways over many years with 100's of hatchlings.

 

[Brina]

I have a extra heat emitter I don't use so I'll put that on tonight.

 

[Brina]

I myself soak him 3 times a day and we spray his enclosure constantly but being in Colorado it's very dry so someone suggested switching to a glass enclosure and making a tent with a shower curtain to keep in the humidity.

 

[Brina]

this is the light and now I will add the heat emitter as suggested. Thank you guys so much for all your help I love my little guys so much and I just want to be the best for him.

 

[Yvonne G]

The heat emitter would be for night time, after you turn off that light.

 

[Tom]

I myself soak him 3 times a day and we spray his enclosure constantly but being in Colorado it's very dry so someone suggested switching to a glass enclosure and making a tent with a shower curtain to keep in the humidity.

You're asking for help in this thread, so I will continue laying down advice. I don't intend to be pushy. Just helpful.

So you are only using one bulb in your double lighting hood? That is fine. Its a good bulb.

Check the temperatures at night before you add the extra heat. I think Yvonne might be right, but use your thermometer to verify first. If night temps are really staying 80 in the enclosure, then there is no need to add more desiccating heat. If night temps are lower than 80, you will need a thermostat to run that CHE, so it doesn't overheat the enclosure while keeping it warm enough.

I would highly recommend switching to another enclosure that you could close in to hold heat and humidity.

I don't think 3 soaks a day is harmful, but its also not necessary. Once a day is plenty for any baby, especially once you are able to switch enclosures and keep things a bit more humid.

 

[Brina]

Specifically, what types of bulbs are in that double lighting hood?

Did the breeder start this baby with daily soaks and a humid environment, or did the breeder start this baby with desert-like conditions?

Please read the links I posted for you. If you continue on with your current set up, your baby is going to pyramid, and dehydration is a real possibility too. Simulating the African monsoon season is what works best for raising baby leopards. I know this because I've done it all sorts of ways over many years with 100's of hatchlings.

By the feeling of him she was keeping him pretty dry I can feel all of his bumps he's not smooth at all. I posted a picture of the light I'm using and now I'll add a heat emitter at night as suggested.

 

[Brina]

You're asking for help in this thread, so I will continue laying down advice. I don't intend to be pushy. Just helpful.

So you are only using one bulb in your double lighting hood? That is fine. Its a good bulb.

Check the temperatures at night before you add the extra heat. I think Yvonne might be right, but use your thermometer to verify first. If night temps are really staying 80 in the enclosure, then there is no need to add more desiccating heat. If night temps are lower than 80, you will need a thermostat to run that CHE, so it doesn't overheat the enclosure while keeping it warm enough.

I would highly recommend switching to another enclosure that you could close in to hold heat and humidity.

I don't think 3 soaks a day is harmful, but its also not necessary. Once a day is plenty for any baby, especially once you are able to switch enclosures and keep things a bit more humid.

OK I will listen to every piece of advice you give. I appreciate it. I will start changing the enclosure immediately. And tonight I will check Temps throughout the night. And go from there as needed.

 

[Brina]

I did everything that was suggested,he is doing a lot better. Last night he got up and ate I was so excited he walked around and checked out his new environment. I'm really hoping the new setup will help him strive better. Once again thank you all for all your help.

 

[Sara G.]

Can we see pics of the new enclosure?
I love seeing the set ups everyone has, especially for baby torts.

 

[Brina]

Can we see pics of the new enclosure?
I love seeing the set ups everyone has, especially for baby torts.

Yes for sure i will take some when i get home tonight