I have read a lot of post here. I know a sick sulcata isn't unique, but I am really hoping I can nurse her back to health.
Problems:
- hasn't eaten since I've owned her (9/22/18)
- rarely opens eyes except while soaking
- have only seen one poop
- bottom of shell is starting to get soft (noticed 9/28)
- not very active
What I have tried:
- started soaking daily 9/23
- started soaks with Vitasol 9/25 - 9/29, then started again 10/5
- started zoo med turtle eye drops once daily 9/28
- baby food soaks 1-2 times a day 9/29
- force feed zilla jump-start once 9/29
- put zilla jump-start dissolved in soaks from 9/30 to 10/3
- started adding Fluker's Liquid Calcium to soaks 10/5
Set-up:
- 40 gal reptile tank with screen lid
- MVB solar glo 100w
- ceramic heater w/ thermostat at 80 9/29 to 10/3, at 85 starting 10/4 ***was getting to 76 at night before ceramic
heater was added
- covered screen of lid with foil 10/5 (immediate, large improvement in humidity and overall temp)
- hide: zoo med haba hut with sphagnum moss, half buried in substrate
- substrate: 1/2 coco fiber, 1/2 peat moss, getting orchid mulch 10/6
- small basking rock
- 2 medium terra cotta dishes: one for food, the other for a shallow water dish
- small dish of planted wheat grass
- cool side temp 80-90,
- hot side temp 90-105
- misting entire tank well 1-2 times per day
Food:
- breeder said she fed her green leaf lettuce
- what I have offered:
> spring mix
> mashed strawberry
> watermelon
> grass clippings from outside
> hosta leaves
> wheat grass
> spinach
> baby kale
> shaved carrots
> cucumber slices
> clover
> mashed raspberry
- she will not eat anything
- I put her in food dish and she will walk to other side of tank
- I put a piece of cuttlebone in her dish. Have not tried to scrape it onto food yet only because she isn't even eating
the food
Other Important Notes:
- I live in Ohio and it is too cold to take her outside right now, limits food options
- she was not active, was not eating the food in tank, did not have eyes open when she was purchased
- have contacted breeder but not much advice offered
- baby food baths show some improvement in condition, but she still won't eat
- will move half way across tank, but then lay there for 6 hours (have video camera for when we are not home)
- soaks are 30 min long and done under lamp to keep the bath warm, she is then rinsed in a clean bath
- lights are on from 7-9 to allow me to get a soak in at 7am (before I have to leave) and at 8pm (the latest I get
home) with a 30 min window for her to dry off before the solar glo goes off
- did 3 baby food soaks today. plan to do 3 daily the rest of the weekend with baby food, vita sol, and liquid calcium
Questions:
- Is there some kind of food I can offer that might be more enticing? She has not showed interest in food at all since
I got her
- Is there anything else I can do to help her pull through?
- Should I keep using the eye drops?
- Do you know what is wrong with her?
Problems:
- hasn't eaten since I've owned her (9/22/18)
- rarely opens eyes except while soaking
- have only seen one poop
- bottom of shell is starting to get soft (noticed 9/28)
- not very active
What I have tried:
- started soaking daily 9/23
- started soaks with Vitasol 9/25 - 9/29, then started again 10/5
- started zoo med turtle eye drops once daily 9/28
- baby food soaks 1-2 times a day 9/29
- force feed zilla jump-start once 9/29
- put zilla jump-start dissolved in soaks from 9/30 to 10/3
- started adding Fluker's Liquid Calcium to soaks 10/5
Set-up:
- 40 gal reptile tank with screen lid
- MVB solar glo 100w
- ceramic heater w/ thermostat at 80 9/29 to 10/3, at 85 starting 10/4 ***was getting to 76 at night before ceramic
heater was added
- covered screen of lid with foil 10/5 (immediate, large improvement in humidity and overall temp)
- hide: zoo med haba hut with sphagnum moss, half buried in substrate
- substrate: 1/2 coco fiber, 1/2 peat moss, getting orchid mulch 10/6
- small basking rock
- 2 medium terra cotta dishes: one for food, the other for a shallow water dish
- small dish of planted wheat grass
- cool side temp 80-90,
- hot side temp 90-105
- misting entire tank well 1-2 times per day
Food:
- breeder said she fed her green leaf lettuce
- what I have offered:
> spring mix
> mashed strawberry
> watermelon
> grass clippings from outside
> hosta leaves
> wheat grass
> spinach
> baby kale
> shaved carrots
> cucumber slices
> clover
> mashed raspberry
- she will not eat anything
- I put her in food dish and she will walk to other side of tank
- I put a piece of cuttlebone in her dish. Have not tried to scrape it onto food yet only because she isn't even eating
the food
Other Important Notes:
- I live in Ohio and it is too cold to take her outside right now, limits food options
- she was not active, was not eating the food in tank, did not have eyes open when she was purchased
- have contacted breeder but not much advice offered
- baby food baths show some improvement in condition, but she still won't eat
- will move half way across tank, but then lay there for 6 hours (have video camera for when we are not home)
- soaks are 30 min long and done under lamp to keep the bath warm, she is then rinsed in a clean bath
- lights are on from 7-9 to allow me to get a soak in at 7am (before I have to leave) and at 8pm (the latest I get
home) with a 30 min window for her to dry off before the solar glo goes off
- did 3 baby food soaks today. plan to do 3 daily the rest of the weekend with baby food, vita sol, and liquid calcium
Questions:
- Is there some kind of food I can offer that might be more enticing? She has not showed interest in food at all since
I got her
- Is there anything else I can do to help her pull through?
- Should I keep using the eye drops?
- Do you know what is wrong with her?