Random questions?

[ceci3692]

Hi everyone!

Sorry this is so long, I just felt like I had a lot to explain.
I just got back from my 5 day vacation. I posted a thread earlier that asked if I should get someone to babysit while I was gone. I had to ask my roommate to check up on him at least twice. I didn't really want her to handle him (i don't really trust her, she thinks its okay for him to hangout with her dog) so I just asked her to mostly leave him alone but just make sure he had water and food, and that he didn't hurt himself. And if anything went wrong to call me.

Well today I got back and immediately went to go see him. I took him out and gave him a bath, and while he was soaking I took everything out of his little home. I figured it would be a good time to change the substrate. When I was taking out all the substrate I notice there was no poop and no pee (nothing white). He peed in his food dish which he sometimes does. He did his business in the bath so i don't think he's sick because it looked normal.
Do you think he held it for 5 days?! Is that normal? How long can a tortoise go without going to the bathroom?

My roommate said he spend most of the time hiding and sleeping. Which is normal because that's what he mostly does, he is active outside but in his enclosure he just sleeps, digs and hides. If I could give him an outdoor enclosure I would but it's just not possible. I live in an apartment near downtown Chicago and I have no yard. I plan to move next year but can't do anything at the moment.

Troubles usually will only wake up to eat if I wake him. Is this bad? How do I get him to start waking up and eating by himself? When I was gone he barely ate. I think this might be because he likes to be hand fed. I think I spoiled him when I first got him because I would always hand feed him. I have been trying to tone down the babying but i don't know what to do really? He seems to eat less when he's not hand fed. I worry he's not eating enough, and i'm always unsure of how much to feed him? and how often?

 

[wellington]

The little or no poop while you were gone sounds normal for him not eating much. To try and get him to eat more. Feed him some of his favorite food, mixed in with the healthy stuff and put him in front of it and walk away. Also try feeding him the same time. First thing in the morning do, light/heat on, warm soak then feed. I would feed ever day or twice a day if he eats the first round. Also place the dish in the same place every time. I don't let my leopards dish ever be empty. Also make sure your temps and humidity are right. They should be check periodically anyway. A temp gun is really the best for this. Home Depot and not that expensive. Good luck, hope this helps.

 

[ceci3692]

The little or no poop while you were gone sounds normal for him not eating much. To try and get him to eat more. Feed him some of his favorite food, mixed in with the healthy stuff and put him in front of it and walk away. Also try feeding him the same time. First thing in the morning do, light/heat on, warm soak then feed. I would feed ever day or twice a day if he eats the first round. Also place the dish in the same place every time. I don't let my leopards dish ever be empty. Also make sure your temps and humidity are right. They should be check periodically anyway. A temp gun is really the best for this. Home Depot and not that expensive. Good luck, hope this helps.

is there a certain temp gun you suggest?

 

[JoesMum]

I also suggest that you use this to break the hand feeding habit. The problem with hand fed torts is that they think you are the food and don't associate the same stuff left in their enclosure with eating!

A hungry tort will eat, but they can go a couple of weeks or more without eating if they're being stubborn... they don't come to any harm if they're soaked during this impasse!

As wellington suggested get a digital thermometer or heat gun and double check your temperatures. Digging in is often a sign of them being wrong. You need 95-100F under the basking lamp. Make sure your warm end, cool end and overnight temperatures are high enough too and that you have sufficient bright lighting for your tort to feel it is day time. I don't know about you, but low lighting levels make me sleepy... I'm awful in cinemas (movie theater)!

Again I suggest routine, like you have to do with a new tortoise. Lights on, heat on (use a timer) and then before he's warmed up properly give him a soak for a good 20 minutes. While your tort is soaking put a pile of food roughly the size of it's shell in it's enclosure about half way between it's usual sleeping spot and the farthest end of the tank.

Get your tort out of his bath and put him in the enclosure at that farthest point and walk away. Leave him to it and don't let him see you.

Just keep doing this at the same time every day and he will get hungry and he will eat!

 

[Laura]

RT are usually very active.. so if he is hiding and only eats when you get him up.. that isn't normal.
Lighting and temps are very important.. and the right food..
I agree.. stop the hand feeding..
keep up posted

 

[ceci3692]

Hey guys!
thanks for the advice
the temp gun was a good idea. The temps were too cold for him all around. No wonder he was just hiding away. I think he might naturally be lazy but he has become more active since the heat went up. I keep the heater on (along with the lamp during the day and on it's own at night), but just change the dimmer setting throughout the day to keep the temp right.
i put his feeding dish right next to the pool and he has been eating on his own! The first day he just ignored it but since then when I come home from work it's usually all gone! so then I usually leave a little more so he has something to munch on at night just in case but usually doesn't eat much of that.
he is still being spoiled though :\ broccoli is his favorite food, so i mix only a little of it in with everything else, but he always goes for that first.

 

[JoesMum]

Well done... it's amazing what getting those temps right can do

 

[ceci3692]

yea! Im glad! He even started using his pool again. Maybe the water in there was too cold also.. I feel like i've been a bad mom

 

[JoesMum]

yea! Im glad! He even started using his pool again. Maybe the water in there was too cold also.. I feel like i've been a bad mom

You're not a bad Mom... you noticed he wasn't right and asked advice on what to do. Everyone tries to get things perfect, but we all make mistakes... and most importantly, no harm was done

 

[ceci3692]

[/quote]
You're not a bad Mom... you noticed he wasn't right and asked advice on what to do. Everyone tries to get things perfect, but we all make mistakes... and most importantly, no harm was done


[/quote]

well thank u all i want is for him to be happy and healthy! so we can spend the rest of our lives together!

 

[MORTYtheTORTY]

I find that if I skip a day of soaking, my sulcatas will eat their own poop! It could be a possibility but hope she changed their water a few times a day and waash their food bowl throughout because on the days that I don't soak, they will do their biz in the food and water bowl and if they poop on the substrate they will eat it if I don't take it out right away