Please advise- really really worried

[Paddy&babs]

Hello.

My horsfield, Patrick, has stopped eating half as much as usual and there appears to be something wrong with the skin on his face. I don't know what to do, the vets seems the obvious choice but I just wanted to see if anyone knows what could be wrong with him. We've got another female horsfield in her own enclosure in the same conditions and she eats everything in sight and appears completely healthy.

 

[JoesMum]

Hello and welcome

The skin on the face is just shedding. That's normal. All animals do it. Snakes do it tidily all in one go. You do it in tiny bits that become house dust. Tortoises do it in patches and look downright tatty on occasion.

No moisturisers or treatment is needed. The old skin will rub off as your tort bumbles about.

 

[enzot91]

Not necessarily related to your question, but is that an MVB? They shouldn't be aimed at an angle at all, it should be hanging straight down. It may not be producing UV properly the way you have it.

 

[JoesMum]

However, your enclosure does have problems. It's far too small and too dry.

Rabbit pellets are not suitable substrate. You need an earth type substrate that you can dampen to raise humidity. Coco coir and orchid bark are good.

Your basking lamp needs to hang down vertically for it to be effective. The temperature directly underneath it must be 35C/95-100F for your tort to digest its food and be properly active.

I suggest you read the following for how you need to care for Russians and compare with what you have.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[Paddy&babs]

However, your enclosure does have problems. It's far too small and too dry.

Rabbit pellets are not suitable substrate. You need an earth type substrate that you can dampen to raise humidity. Coco coir and orchid bark are good.

Your basking lamp needs to hang down vertically for it to be effective. The temperature directly underneath it must be 35C/95-100F for your tort to digest its food and be properly active.

I suggest you read the following for how you need to care for Russians and compare with what you have.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Thank you. It's not rabbit pellets, it's herbiflour which is apparently suitable for them? We used to have a sand like substrate but it wasn't practical in our apartment!
We have just bought a bark which seems a lot more damp which were putting in today! His lamp is the best we can have it at the moment as the clip broke! I'll have a proper look and sort it all! Thanks for the responses!!!

 

[JoesMum]

Thank you. It's not rabbit pellets, it's herbiflour which is apparently suitable for them? We used to have a sand like substrate but it wasn't practical in our apartment!
We have just bought a bark which seems a lot more damp which were putting in today! His lamp is the best we can have it at the moment as the clip broke! I'll have a proper look and sort it all! Thanks for the responses!!!

Herbifloor is just compressed grass pellets. Still not a suitable as a substrate. Sand is worse because it impacts in the gut.

With the soil type substrates, you can tip water in and mix it with your hands to make it evenly damp.

The lamp needs to hang from a stand like this


The floor area of the enclosure needs to be at least double the size.

 

[Tom]

What is the temperature directly under that bulb? It looks way too hot and that could dry and damage your tortoises carapace.

Your tortoise also need a MUCH larger enclosure. Tortoises use locomotion as a means to move food through the GI tract. When they are kept in enclosures that are too small, they lose muscle condition, and they sometimes get constipated. They need a lot of room to roam. A tortoise that size should have a minimum of 4x8 feet of floor space. If you can do that, at least do as much as you can.

Are you soaking this tortoise in warm water daily? You should be. This will help get things in the GI tract moving and also keep him well hydrated.

Please don't take these suggestions the wrong way. We only have your tortoises health and well being in mind.