A question that will maybe answer a lot

[Lovechell69]

Amara was a birthday gift to me from my spouse last month. When I was told she/he came from a exotic pet store I had to go see how they had been caring for Amara. I knew when they said sulcata’s eat cabbage and only need reptile carpet she wasn’t cared for properly. I scheduled a vet appointment for exotic animals and they have a good knowledge of sulcata’s. However they have rescheduled for the third time. My question is I was told Amara is a year old but the underbelly has a circular area looking like the umbilical was there. She’s a inch and a half and Amara was smaller when I got her/him last month. Amara weighs 52 grams and is interactive with me through her enclosure. I did a huge amount of research and her every need is being catered to. I can’t get her to eat any hay and I mean Timothy, oat and orchid. I picked fresh grass and she can eat that so could the age be the reason. I’ve wet the hay cut it up with scissors but Amara can’t eat it. I feed her red lettuce spring mix and finely cut prickly pear. I keep getting different answers as to how often do you do the calcium d3. I have both powder and spray multivitamins but I use the spray because it says it helps absorb the calcium. The vet was supposed to send a email to (get me through). That was a week ago and I’m only taking her for a check up. I have a 80 gallon tank and the receptionist without knowing what type of turtle told me the vet said she needed to be in a 15 gallon or smaller tank? I know I have the proper uva uvb lights I have a under tank heater hooked up to a thermostat as well as one on the side also thermostat ceramic heat lamp cooler one side warmer on other side and a humidity fogger six thermometers two humidity gauges and I soak Amara three times a week but she gets in her water also. I put the moss damp in her hide. Bright eyes and comes to my voice saying her name and when she sees me putting fresh water and food in she comes running no longer timid. I love Amara and want the best so knowing others opinions on the age and if it might be the reason she doesn’t eat the hay. I will take a picture of the underbelly and put it on here but Amara tucked herself in for the night. Please be patient with me I really need the one place I have valid information from to help me with their knowledge

 

[wellington]

She does not look a year old but bad care can stunt their growth. Looks t of babies won't eat hay. Cut it up tiny and soak it and keep trying every so often. Please read and follow the care sheets on this forum. Vets and other care sites are old and bad info. Please also read the closed chamber threads and make any adjustments needed.

 

[Melis]

Welcome!

Most forum members recommend vet visits when there’s a specific problem. Torts don’t necessarily need routine check ups if they are acting normal. The stress can do more harm than good.
Does not look like a year old tort. Possibly beginning to pyramid, but I could be wrong based on the pic. Many recommend soaking babies daily.
Lots of babies don’t eat hay. Calcium can be added a few times a week. What types of bulbs do you have? Does your tank have a screen lid? What are the temps and humidity?

Be sure to read through our sulcata caresheets and pictures and the answers to the above questions will help us help you! Your little one is lucky to be rescued by your family

 

[Tom]

You've got a baby there. Not a year old.

Most vets know very little about tortoise care. Most of them parrot the same wrong info that the tortoise "experts" have been spouting for decades. Sounds like the vet you found and the receptionist don't know what they are talking about. There is little value in taking a baby tortoise to the vet anyway. Not really anything they can do one way or the other, and most of what they want to do does harm, like "vitamin injections".

Hay is for adults. Babies can't and won't eat it.

Keep the 80 gallon tank. 15 is way too small.

No undertake heaters for tortoises.

Soak daily.

Get rid of the moss. It does nothing and when they eat it, it can cause an impaction.

Here is all the correct care info:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Welcome to the forum, and please feel free to ask lots of questions. Happy to explain any and all of this.

 

[Bee62]

@Lovechell69
Please don`t give your baby any vitamin supplements. Too much vitamin A causes severe skin sheddings up to the death of the tortoise.
Use calcium with D3 only once a week and little. It is better to feed cuttle bones crushed into very small pieces.

 

[Lovechell69]

Amara was a birthday gift to me from my spouse last month. When I was told she/he came from a exotic pet store I had to go see how they had been caring for Amara. I knew when they said sulcata’s eat cabbage and only need reptile carpet she wasn’t cared for properly. I scheduled a vet appointment for exotic animals and they have a good knowledge of sulcata’s. However they have rescheduled for the third time. My question is I was told Amara is a year old but the underbelly has a circular area looking like the umbilical was there. She’s a inch and a half and Amara was smaller when I got her/him last month. Amara weighs 52 grams and is interactive with me through her enclosure. I did a huge amount of research and her every need is being catered to. I can’t get her to eat any hay and I mean Timothy, oat and orchid. I picked fresh grass and she can eat that so could the age be the reason. I’ve wet the hay cut it up with scissors but Amara can’t eat it. I feed her red lettuce spring mix and finely cut prickly pear. I keep getting different answers as to how often do you do the calcium d3. I have both powder and spray multivitamins but I use the spray because it says it helps absorb the calcium. The vet was supposed to send a email to (get me through). That was a week ago and I’m only taking her for a check up. I have a 80 gallon tank and the receptionist without knowing what type of turtle told me the vet said she needed to be in a 15 gallon or smaller tank? I know I have the proper uva uvb lights I have a under tank heater hooked up to a thermostat as well as one on the side also thermostat ceramic heat lamp cooler one side warmer on other side and a humidity fogger six thermometers two humidity gauges and I soak Amara three times a week but she gets in her water also. I put the moss damp in her hide. Bright eyes and comes to my voice saying her name and when she sees me putting fresh water and food in she comes running no longer timid. I love Amara and want the best so knowing others opinions on the age and if it might be the reason she doesn’t eat the hay. I will take a picture of the underbelly and put it on here but Amara tucked herself in for the night. Please be patient with me I really need the one place I have valid information from to help me with their knowledge

I know the dangers of vitamin A. I had a box turtle that was sick got a vitamin A shot and a antibiotic. Since she was small the antibiotic had to be split in three visits. She perked up after the first one. She was doing great. The last visit her vet wasn’t the one who saw her and they never allow you to go back after the first visit. The vet had given her two shots and when I spoke up about it they said she needed another vitamin A. My little girl was dead within hours. I sent a email telling them how I felt and the response was a card in the mail we are so sorry. Amara will have a different vet. I have the coconut fiber/shredded bark at least six inches high and I do not let her bask on anything but the rock. I have two thermometers to keep track of the temperature in her substrate. The spagmoss is wet but excess water removed only clumped in her hide. I’m like a new mom so ever since she was given to me very little sleep and I know what time she wakes. I will keep checking she doesn’t eat it. Soaking daily? Okay y’all have done this longer thank you. After my box turtle died I was a mess so I made the vet appointment out of fear. I have the pictures of the circular thing on her underbelly. I have cut the hays with scissors and I’ve soaked them and soaked them longer. She just can’t do it. I never give up trying lol. I know what pyramiding is. I don’t think that is happening yet hopefully never I’m not the best picture taker and I need to clean the glass on the tank. Misting the tank is messy because she likes to play in it and playing with me while I do it. Her substrate ends up on me her and the glass but I won’t discount your thought. I saw in the tortoise forum when I had my box turtle about the carrot soak and I must say scientists may not agree but for some reason it worked. I’ll read the care sheets and thank you. Please tell me what you think about the pictures

 

[Bee62]

I think that your Amara is much younger than one year. That is what I think when I see the pics of her belly. But no matter how old she is, she is very small and because of that I would treat her like a hatchling or very young tortoise.
Babies don`t eat hay and they must not eat hay. It is better for a baby when you feed fresh greens but please not only kale. When you feed grocery food please feed endive, belgian endive, lambs lettuce and romain lettuce. Add this food with weeds when available. Gras must be clipped in very small pieces for a baby tort. Forget about feeding hay for the next years. Baby torts need fresh greens to thrive and grow.
Soak long ( 30 min. ) and every day and keep her enclosure humid ( 85 - 90 % ) and warm. Night temps never less than 80 F.
And please control Amaras weight every week. When she is active and good eating she should gain weight.

 

[Lovechell69]

I think that your Amara is much younger than one year. That is what I think when I see the pics of her belly. But no matter how old she is, she is very small and because of that I would treat her like a hatchling or very young tortoise.
Babies don`t eat hay and they must not eat hay. It is better for a baby when you feed fresh greens but please not only kale. When you feed grocery food please feed endive, belgian endive, lambs lettuce and romain lettuce. Add this food with weeds when available. Gras must be clipped in very small pieces for a baby tort. Forget about feeding hay for the next years. Baby torts need fresh greens to thrive and grow.
Soak long ( 30 min. ) and every day and keep her enclosure humid ( 85 - 90 % ) and warm. Night temps never less than 80 F.
And please control Amaras weight every week. When she is active and good eating she should gain weight.

Thank you so much for answering and all the information. If it for this forum before I joined and since I did I wouldn’t have learned the things I have. I have a thing inside her tank that puts out humidity and gauges that give me a digital readout of what the level is. I went crazy when I got her and got six thermometers two humidity gauges under tank heater on the side and bottom hooked to thermostats to control temperature. I know it’s vital for uva and uvb so I have two. Ceramic heat emitter from the top I use a red reptile uva and uvb heat bulb for a couple of hours at night and she loves it. Thank you for your opinion on the age. I’m not a expert but I researched like crazy and so much conflicting information but I just knew she was far from a year old. The information you gave on feeding helps me and Amara greatly. I weigh her every few days to make sure she isn’t losing and keep track of her progress. I can’t thank everyone enough for answering my questions