Tortoise bed

[E*G+B]

hi.
I have a 2 year old hermanns called Bruno.
Just wondering if it is ok for him to sleep in a small soft animal bed like one for small fury animals, would this help insulate heat more as he does not have soil he has reptile carpet and sleeps in newspaper shreds.
This as because he has had a history of bladder stones...not dehydration as has three baths a day. He also can't have soil as he eats it and it blocked him up.
So basically would this small bed help insulate heat better?
It's only made of a material, slight material smell to it but nothing strong.
Thanks

 

[dmmj]

tortoises do not generate their own body heat so beds and sweaters are useless for them. He gets a lot of hydration but he still has bladder stones? Could you describe his Diet real quick thank you

 

[E*G+B]

Hi.
I know but would it do any harm him having that as he can't bury down in soil.
I don't want to sound rude but I'm not going into the bladder stone discussion as it wasn't anything I've done wrong eg diet temps dehydrated. He's been to vets a lot to make sure he's ok. His vet is an reptile expert who worked for London zoo and around the world and I trust what she say....don't mean to sound rude by this.
Thanks for your reply

 

[dmmj]

well I hope this doesn't sound rude in return but if your tortoise is getting bladder stones there's a reason why but if you want to keep your tortoise living in substandard conditions and health it's your tortoise it's your choice. if it was my tortoise I would try to solve the problem.

 

[JoesMum]

The short answer is that a snuggly thing to keep him warm will make no difference. You need things that give out heat to keep a tortoise warm.

At night if temperatures drop below 18C indoors (which they may well not, it depends on your house) then you need a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat.

By day your normal basking lamp provides the heat.

 

[E*G+B]

Hi thanks for the reply.
The bladder stone was nearly a year ago.it was an ammonium urate crystal which I did ask questions about on here but no one could help as no one had heard of it,
I would do anything for him. I've been to the vets every month for check ups and he regularly has X-rays. He had one today an there was nothing forming.
He is not in substandard conditions and to be honest there is nothing else I could possibly do to make his life any better. He has everything and anything he could need and is looked after extremely well. Your reply seemed to question my care for him,this actually really upsets me as to be honest I know for a fact I have done everything right. Some animals can get bladder stones without there being a reason. He has had blood test X-ray poo examined. And yeah your reply does sound rude.
So if you have any advice that can actually help, if you think you know anything my vet doesn't then please let me know
But I would prefere you not to question my care and looking after of him as I know i have not made any mistakes as I would never ever put him at risk

 

[E*G+B]

Thanks joes mum
Yeah all temps are good, I just thought the bed/house would let less heat escape rather than just him sleeping in the corner of his table.
Thank you

 

[JoesMum]

Hi thanks for the reply.
The bladder stone was nearly a year ago.it was an ammonium urate crystal which I did ask questions about on here but no one could help as no one had heard of it,
I would do anything for him. I've been to the vets every month for check ups and he regularly has X-rays. He had one today an there was nothing forming.
He is not in substandard conditions and to be honest there is nothing else I could possibly do to make his life any better. He has everything and anything he could need and is looked after extremely well. Your reply seemed to question my care for him,this actually really upsets me as to be honest I know for a fact I have done everything right. Some animals can get bladder stones without there being a reason. He has had blood test X-ray poo examined. And yeah your reply does sound rude.
So if you have any advice that can actually help, if you think you know anything my vet doesn't then please let me know
But I would prefere you not to question my care and looking after of him as I know i have not made any mistakes as I would never ever put him at risk

I thought I just did. I haven't questioned your care all

The short answer is that a snuggly thing to keep him warm will make no difference. You need things that give out heat to keep a tortoise warm.

At night if temperatures drop below 18C indoors (which they may well not, it depends on your house) then you need a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat.

By day your normal basking lamp provides the heat.

 

[E*G+B]

Hi joesmum that reply was for
Dmmj the one that questioned my care

Thank you for your reply joesmum

 

[JoesMum]

I'd work with your vet to see when/if hospital conditions can be reviewed. I had to have Joe on newspaper for around 5 months. He hated it.

With the correct diet and lighting (no red bulbs!), and a bit more maturity, bad habits like eating substrate should go.

Just make sure when you do go for it again that the substrate has no bits (vermiculite, stones, calcium) in it that will tempt your tort to eat it and make sure it's damp so it can be packed down.

 

[Yvonne G]

If you just want to satisfy YOUR need to see him being able to burrow into something, quite a few people use aspen bedding inside the hiding place.

 

[E*G+B]

Yeah I completely forgot to ask her about the bed earlier today
I had to sieve all his soil (when he had it)
He was on news paper then changed him to reptile carpet.
But just felt bad as he's interested in everything and it just seems boring for him.
All I wanted to know really would the smell of the fabric harm him in any way as I don't take any chances ..unlike what some people may think on here he is looked after.
Thank you for your reply. All his diet and lighting/heating is right just thought he might like the bed as he can't bury himself
Yeah I'm hoping he will grow out of it as would love him to have the soil back

 

[E*G+B]

Hi
Yvonne he tried to eat aspen bedding as well

 

[Yvonne G]

I wouldn't use cloth. He might get his claws stuck in the fabric. Maybe crinkle up some newspaper?

 

[E*G+B]

Thank you for reply.
He has newspaper at the moment was just seeing if anything else could use I was told there was something can't remember what it was called something Eco it's like small pieces of cardboard or a similar thing, has anyone heard of this?
Just as it's getting colder here so was checking if newspaper would still be suitable
Thanks