Request for help with old lady’s old tortoise

[AchillesIsaLoser]

Hi,
my partner’s grandmother is 100, and has a tortoise that came with a house she got decades ago, so unknown age but she knows from the previous owners it is at least 120. It’s April and has been warmer than usual recently, but it hasn’t woken up, and I’m terrified that if anything bad happens to the tortoise, the old lady might be in trouble as she’s loved it for decades and statistically, the very old often give up the ghost if a beloved pet dies. I know nothing about tortoises but need to do my best to help if I can. What should I do?

 

[TammyJ]

Wow. Welcome to the forum! Can we see some pictures of the tortoise and get more information? We really would like to help! @Yvonne G @zovick @Tom @wellington

 

[wellington]

I would wake him and give him a nice long, 30-60 minute warm water soak and then put him in front of a pile of food.

 

[AchillesIsaLoser]

Wow. Welcome to the forum! Can we see some pictures of the tortoise and get more information? We really would like to help! @Yvonne G @zovick @Tom @wellington

 

[AchillesIsaLoser]

Thanks for replying. This is in South East England.

 

[Tom]

Hi,
my partner’s grandmother is 100, and has a tortoise that came with a house she got decades ago, so unknown age but she knows from the previous owners it is at least 120. It’s April and has been warmer than usual recently, but it hasn’t woken up, and I’m terrified that if anything bad happens to the tortoise, the old lady might be in trouble as she’s loved it for decades and statistically, the very old often give up the ghost if a beloved pet dies. I know nothing about tortoises but need to do my best to help if I can. What should I do?

Keep doing whatever she's been doing for 100 years.

Here is some general care info:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Most of the info you need will be in there, but questions are welcome.

 

[EppsDynasty]

Keep doing whatever she's been doing for 100 years.

Here is some general care info:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Most of the info you need will be in there, but questions are welcome.

This sounds like the best advice your going to get, it's worked. We (this includes me) sometimes let emotions guide us through something we are unsure about. It is not always the BEST solution. The tort will LOVE a warm soak and keeping it's temp "Warm." Please keep us posted on how things are going. WE ALL want this tort to outlive her, don't for any reason feel your asking dumb questions and ask whatever, whenever you need to.
That picture is absolutely Beautiful. If it makes her or you feel better let her know that there are "Professional" Tortoise people you are speaking with.

 

[TammyJ]

It's a wonderful photo of the most enduring manifestation of TLC all round - for both tortoise and human! Fabulous tortoise. Congratulations.

 

[AchillesIsaLoser]

Hi,
my partner’s grandmother is 100, and has a tortoise that came with a house she got decades ago, so unknown age but she knows from the previous owners it is at least 120. It’s April and has been warmer than usual recently, but it hasn’t woken up, and I’m terrified that if anything bad happens to the tortoise, the old lady might be in trouble as she’s loved it for decades and statistically, the very old often give up the ghost if a beloved pet dies. I know nothing about tortoises but need to do my best to help if I can. What should I do?

Thanks for all your advice! We did what you said and the tortoise is now stirring, much to the grandmother’s delight.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Thank you for coming back with an update! These are great news!

 

[EppsDynasty]

Thanks for all your advice! We did what you said and the tortoise is now stirring, much to the grandmother’s delight.

YES, Thank You for the update. You might not think it but there are people that were wondering how it was going. The update was a good one to.

 

[Sarah2020]

Lovely to see the elderly tortoise, hope you can look after it for many more years. Amazing smooth shell condition. Please keep us updated as most of us have much younger torts.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

They BOTH look fantastic