1 year old sulcata

[Chelsea7]

My baby tortoise doesn't seem to be growing. I'm pretty sure he is the same size as he was when I bought him. I've had him for about a year and he was between 2-4 months old when I got him. Are they supposed to grow this slow or am I doing something wrong?

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

To help you we need much more information about your tortoise and the setup you are providing as well as food, and temps, and hydration. Pictures of your enclosure help lots.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

And welcome to the forum. Glad you have found us!

 

[Blakem]

This should help. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/79895/

Ken beat me to it, but more info! Read, read and read more.

 

[Chelsea7]

I have a tortoise table that I made. It is 20"x40". He has a uvb light and heat light. The warm side stays around 88-91 and, depending on how warm the house is, the cool side is around 73.
He has a really cool water dish now that he can walk in and out of, but I put him in 3 times a week with warm water so he stays in for about 10 minutes.
I grow grass for him. Right now he has oat grass and wheat grass, which he seems to like. I found one website to order some other kinds of food to grow for him. I have recently been giving him pumpkin puree about once per week with extra calcium. I scrape calcium off of a cuttlebone (which I also leave I'm his cage), but he doesn't reallylike eating his food when I put calcium on it- I have to hide it pretty well, but the pumpkin helps.
I have read a ton and thought I was doing everything ok, but I think he should be bigger than he is.

 

[Dizisdalife]

Hi, and welcome to the forum. Most of us at one point or another thought we were doing everything right. Sharing our experiences and results on the forum for the last couple of years has revealed that a lot of the previously published information about caring for a sulcata, particularly a baby, was all wrong. The thread in Blake's post sums up what we have found to be a much better method for raising them. Even juvenile sulcata will benefit from applying this type of care.

Have you had your sulcata tested for parasites? A worm infestation in the digestive tract will suppress the appetite, slow weight gain, and ultimately growth. It would be easy to eliminate this a possible cause and let you then focus on improving the diet and habit for your tortoise.

 

[Tortshort]

Welcome. What is your humidity level? I have a year old sulcata who has grown very slow but a lot of it was me figuring out what works. I was feeding once daily then I changed to twice daily and making sure I have lots of humidity and progress is being made.

 

[Chelsea7]

Thank you. I read the post and I know I am doing a few things wrong.... I have not had him tested for worms, but I will. I am not sure if he has a small appetite because its been about the same since I got him. He will eat about 5-7 pieces of grass per day, sometimes more, about 2-3 inches long.
I will make some changes and try to get the humidity level up. Usually when I spray his hide he stays out until it is dry again, any suggestions? I will change the substrate, though, and keep the whole cage a little bit more humid. What should the humidity level be at?
Also, I usually keep grass in his food bowl all day so he can eat as feels hungry.

 

[bouaboua]

Good to have you here. Welcome. I'm glad that you are communicating here. A care sheet in the Sulcata section will be very helpful for you to updating your enclosure. Welcome.

 

[lismar79]

I would also add that the bulb you are using is one that a lot of us here do not recommend. It has been linked to cases of eye damage & other health issues. I would suggest replacing it asap. This is a good alternative:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AQDJK/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

you will want your humidity up to close to 80% I used the methods in that care sheet you were provided & my 1 year old is 4lbs! so I can tell you thats about as good as it gets.

Please browse through this threat for different enclosure ideas. You are going to fight a never ending battle with your current open enclosure plus a bit more space will help him too
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/ideas-for-indoor-enclosures.65798/
Even a big rubber maid storage tote would work better