Hi all-
This is probably going to be long, I apologize in advance. As some of you know, I adopted a Yellowfoot in August. I don't know how old he is but for sure at least a few years as he constantly flashes me. I don't know any of his history, besides it couldn't have been that great since he had/has obvious MBD (saddle shaped shell). I am a first time tortoise owner. I am also a Licensed Veterinary Technician, and I worked with Leopards, a box turtle, and RESs when I worked at a zoo for a while. We see tortoises at my current vet hospital, but it is mostly babies from pet stores with upper respiratory infections. I got into tortoise owning thinking I could just figure it out as I go along, I've been a vet tech for 13 years after all. 3 months later I am worried that my tort is sick and I'm feeling lost and worried.
When I adopted him it happened very fast and I didn't have an enclosure or anything for him. I quickly found a 2 1/2 x 3 1/2' plexiglass and wood enclosure on Craig's list. It worked ok at first because it was summer and he spent most of his day outside and only slept in the box. When it started getting too cold here we built him a 4 x 6' box for indoors. It is plywood. Since it has cooled off / he moved to a bigger box his behavior has changed. Humidity is of course an issue but I dont think heat is. It is about 90 degrees under his heat lamp and he sits there often. He walks around in his enclosure and is sometimes under his UVB bulb, sometimes in the doorway of his hide, sometimes on the other side. We put in a half wall that provides a barrier between his warm/humid part and the rest of the enclosure.
He hates soaking and always tries to get out. He will stay put for a little while if I feed him a banana, but even that doesn't last long anymore. He is still eating, but not like he was at first. He doesn't seem very interested in anything I offer him, but does eat eventually.
Diet /things I've tried: kale, parsley, romaine, parsley, dandelion greens, spinach, hay, butter lettuce; tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, grapes, apples, strawberries, papaya, cactus pear, pear, banana, kiwi, watermelon,mango, sweet potato, pumpkin, bananas; once a week he gets low fat catfood. I mix calcium into the cat foot every time, and sometimes his other food too.
His hide: currently, a rubbermaid box with a door cut out, reptibark inside and a personal humidifier that runs all day. The "vapor" also rolls out and onto under his heat lamp, he often sits under the heat with his head facing the hide so there is always humidity rolling over him. Sometimes he sits in the doorway.
Behavior: flashes us constantly, always opening his mouth like he is threatened, but never bites, will eat out of my hand, and almost never hides in his shell. He's actually very social, I think. Very curious. Always looking around, comes to us when we stand by his box.
What has me worried is that his skin is very dry and his eyes look sunken in. I saw him drink for the first time ever today from his water tub. He is pooping regularly and I have dewormed him twice. I should probably soak him every day but it is such a struggle and he only will stay for a few minutes. We don't have a bathtub, only a shower, so I put him in a large litter box in the kitchen sink, and he also has a shallow water pan in his box. I'm afraid it stresses him out more to force him into the sink tub. He will sit still for a minute, but then spends the whole time trying to climb out.
The sunken eyes are my main concern right now, and that he is sleeping more and eating less. I know some reptiles slow down a bit in the winter months, I just don't know for him since this is our first fall/winter together. He's breathing fine, I see no signs of URI, he's pooping regularly, just kind of blah. I have seen him pee lots of times, but today some small white chunks came out, maybe just urate? I did put a pothos plant in his box, which is a plant that may or may not be toxic, I really don't think he has eaten any and he does not have mouth sores / oral ulcers. I guess I just need to know if tortoises "slow down" sometimes in the Winter? Does him sleeping a lot mean I should be concerned? I forgot to say: the floor is covered with linoleum, which is covered with EcoEarth and Sphagmum moss mixed together, except one corner has hay. He really needs more EcoEarth, and it is supposed to be delivered to me on Monday. That will add more humidity throughout, which will help. Also I have three rubbermaid lids on top of the box, over his heat lamp, over his water tub, and over another corner. So not completely covered, but partly. I will take some pics and post.
Thanks for reading, if you have any wisdom, advice, suggestions, please respond. Thanks!
This is probably going to be long, I apologize in advance. As some of you know, I adopted a Yellowfoot in August. I don't know how old he is but for sure at least a few years as he constantly flashes me. I don't know any of his history, besides it couldn't have been that great since he had/has obvious MBD (saddle shaped shell). I am a first time tortoise owner. I am also a Licensed Veterinary Technician, and I worked with Leopards, a box turtle, and RESs when I worked at a zoo for a while. We see tortoises at my current vet hospital, but it is mostly babies from pet stores with upper respiratory infections. I got into tortoise owning thinking I could just figure it out as I go along, I've been a vet tech for 13 years after all. 3 months later I am worried that my tort is sick and I'm feeling lost and worried.
When I adopted him it happened very fast and I didn't have an enclosure or anything for him. I quickly found a 2 1/2 x 3 1/2' plexiglass and wood enclosure on Craig's list. It worked ok at first because it was summer and he spent most of his day outside and only slept in the box. When it started getting too cold here we built him a 4 x 6' box for indoors. It is plywood. Since it has cooled off / he moved to a bigger box his behavior has changed. Humidity is of course an issue but I dont think heat is. It is about 90 degrees under his heat lamp and he sits there often. He walks around in his enclosure and is sometimes under his UVB bulb, sometimes in the doorway of his hide, sometimes on the other side. We put in a half wall that provides a barrier between his warm/humid part and the rest of the enclosure.
He hates soaking and always tries to get out. He will stay put for a little while if I feed him a banana, but even that doesn't last long anymore. He is still eating, but not like he was at first. He doesn't seem very interested in anything I offer him, but does eat eventually.
Diet /things I've tried: kale, parsley, romaine, parsley, dandelion greens, spinach, hay, butter lettuce; tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, grapes, apples, strawberries, papaya, cactus pear, pear, banana, kiwi, watermelon,mango, sweet potato, pumpkin, bananas; once a week he gets low fat catfood. I mix calcium into the cat foot every time, and sometimes his other food too.
His hide: currently, a rubbermaid box with a door cut out, reptibark inside and a personal humidifier that runs all day. The "vapor" also rolls out and onto under his heat lamp, he often sits under the heat with his head facing the hide so there is always humidity rolling over him. Sometimes he sits in the doorway.
Behavior: flashes us constantly, always opening his mouth like he is threatened, but never bites, will eat out of my hand, and almost never hides in his shell. He's actually very social, I think. Very curious. Always looking around, comes to us when we stand by his box.
What has me worried is that his skin is very dry and his eyes look sunken in. I saw him drink for the first time ever today from his water tub. He is pooping regularly and I have dewormed him twice. I should probably soak him every day but it is such a struggle and he only will stay for a few minutes. We don't have a bathtub, only a shower, so I put him in a large litter box in the kitchen sink, and he also has a shallow water pan in his box. I'm afraid it stresses him out more to force him into the sink tub. He will sit still for a minute, but then spends the whole time trying to climb out.
The sunken eyes are my main concern right now, and that he is sleeping more and eating less. I know some reptiles slow down a bit in the winter months, I just don't know for him since this is our first fall/winter together. He's breathing fine, I see no signs of URI, he's pooping regularly, just kind of blah. I have seen him pee lots of times, but today some small white chunks came out, maybe just urate? I did put a pothos plant in his box, which is a plant that may or may not be toxic, I really don't think he has eaten any and he does not have mouth sores / oral ulcers. I guess I just need to know if tortoises "slow down" sometimes in the Winter? Does him sleeping a lot mean I should be concerned? I forgot to say: the floor is covered with linoleum, which is covered with EcoEarth and Sphagmum moss mixed together, except one corner has hay. He really needs more EcoEarth, and it is supposed to be delivered to me on Monday. That will add more humidity throughout, which will help. Also I have three rubbermaid lids on top of the box, over his heat lamp, over his water tub, and over another corner. So not completely covered, but partly. I will take some pics and post.
Thanks for reading, if you have any wisdom, advice, suggestions, please respond. Thanks!