Russian Tort. refuses to eat- what do I do?

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May 30, 2017
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Hey guys, my Russian Roxy refuses to eat every other day now when I feed him for 20 min., not a lot...what should I do? I feed him everything that he likes, he started this a week ago. I have a cypress mulch bottom, and I feed him in a plastic bucket under the heat lamp so that he doesn't choke on it. Yesterday he tried to climb out the bucket! I don't want him to hurt himself, what should I do? Does anyone have any advice? In the 3 1/2 months I've been a tort. owner, this has never happened to me before! Does anyone have any advice?

Kayla
 

tylerfitz420

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I'm confused, why feed him in plastic bucket? And why under the light?
Mine eat off a piece of slate on the cooler side of her enclosure?
If temperatures are off that affects my guys eating too.
 

ethan508

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I'd skip the bucket and let the tortoise eat in the environment that he is familiar and comfortable in. He might have built a slight association between eating and the stress of being handled and placed in uncomfortable surroundings.

Add a flat rock, a ceramic tile, or a shallow terracotta saucer in the habitat specifically as a place for food. This will prevent the ingestion of substrate and will also allow for some good beak wear (which cuts down on beak trimming). Keep the food out of the direct heat to help it stay fresh a bit longer. Place your food at the similar time each day (morning is good). Then your tort will know where the food is, when it is available, and that he won't be handled every time he eats. He can come and nosh as he pleases without any stress.
 
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JoesMum

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Trying to feed a tort in confinement whilst baking under the basking lamp is a recipe for disaster.

Get yourself a piece of flat slate or rock... or even a ceramic wall tile the wrong way up... and use that as a food plate in the enclosure... not under the basking lamp.

I recommend a routine for torts which helps them to learn what's safe.

Have the lights on a timer so they come on and go off at the same time each day.

First thing, before your tort has warmed up properly, soak your tort in warm water for at least 20 minutes.

During the soak tidy the enclosure and place a mound of greens on the slate/tile roughly the volume of your tort's shell.

Replace your tort and walk away and leave him to be brave, explore and eat without being watched. You're intimidating right now.

Tortoises don't necessarily eat all their food in one go. They browse. So your tort is quite likely to eat something and then wander off to bask or snooze. Depending on how hungry it is, the tort may return for more at intervals through the day.

Your tort couldn't care less if the food goes limp. If it all gets eaten then add a bit more food. Replace with fresh next day.
 
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Thank you for all of the advice! Do you have any ideas for a timer brand? Should I soak Roxy every day, but bathe him once a week? When I say bathe, I meen rinse his shell, clean him, and look at his tail. Can they over eat in a 2 by 6 foot tank? I have a pretty small feeding bowl I just put into the tank with food. Should I put a rock under it? Thank you so much for all of this advice.
 

ethan508

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What do you mean by bowl? A picture would help here. A deep bowl would be bad as it is a roll over accident or a tortoise stuck in the bowl. Any container shallow enough that a tortoise can crawl in and out of without climbing is okay (think bread plate rather than soup bowl).

2'x6' is a small for an active tortoise (better than some people but still a bit cramped). Read the 'enclosure/habitat' forum for many great ideas on tortoise tables, and outdoor spaces.

I don't bathe my tortoises, but I do give them a soak every few days and they always have water available for them (in large shallow easy to climb in and out of container).

I don't use a timer as my tortoises are outside primarily, when I keep them inside I just turn the daylights on and off manually.
 

JoesMum

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Thank you for all of the advice! Do you have any ideas for a timer brand? Should I soak Roxy every day, but bathe him once a week? When I say bathe, I meen rinse his shell, clean him, and look at his tail.
They don't need bathing. Just swoosh a little of the soaking water over the shell at the end of the soak. A baby tort needs soaking for twenty minutes every day in warm water. This can be reduced to every other day as your tort gets older and starts drinking in the enclosure and then when they're really self sufficient and living outdoors much less frequently.

I routinely give Joe a quick checkover whenever I pick him up.

Can they over eat in a 2 by 6 foot tank?
2x6 is far too small for anything but the youngest. They are a very active species and need lots of space ... 4'x8' is a good size to aim for.

I have a pretty small feeding bowl I just put into the tank with food. Should I put a rock under it? Thank you so much for all of this advice.
Scrap the bowls.

A terracotta plant saucer makes a good safe water dish. Push it into the substrate so the rim is level with the surface. Surrounding it with stones helps to stop the substrate being dragged in.

Use the slate/flat rock/tile as a food plate. Don't have a dish on it. The rough surface helps to keep your tort's beak in shape through wear and tear.

Photos of your enclosure and lighting will help us to help you further.

I suggest you read the TFO care guides if you haven't already

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Russian Tortoise Care
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
 
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I rearranged everything. Here are some pictures.

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Warm side Whole tank Roxy eating on the new rock! Roxy stretching! So cute!


 
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