Advice needed please. (not eating)

[Sezdt]

Hi, I'm Sarah and have a 5 year old horsefield tortoise called Bert. For the last week he hasn't eaten and for the last 3 days has hardly moved. He lives in a viv but usually comes out for a wander daily. Is he getting ready to hibernate? He has never hibernated before. I'm so scared to put him in for hibernation if he's not ready or for keeping him in his viv if he needs to hibernate. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[wellington]

He doesnt need to hibernate.
But we need more info to help figure it out.
Are you letting him wonder your house floors?
What are the enclosure temps?
Basking temp, over all temp and night temp?
What's the diet?

 

[Sezdt]

He doesnt need to hibernate.
But we need more info to help figure it out.
Are you letting him wonder your house floors?
What are the enclosure temps?
Basking temp, over all temp and night temp?
What's the diet?

He normally goes wherever he wants in the house, tends to go in his cave or under the lounge curtain. Always has a cuddle or sits on the sofa with us. On a weekend or summer evening and weather permitting, he wanders the safely enclosed garden for hours. In his viv he has a uv light that is on all day till we go to bed and a heat lamp that goes on the morning and we turn it off when we go to work and then back on when we get in from work. The temp in the viv has never gone below 19 and he's been fine for the last 5 years. He will only eat banana pellets (komodo). Has a bath once a week. Does this help?

 

[wellington]

Well it does. But you won't like what i have to say.
Everything is wrong and he may have survived for 5 years but he hasn't thrived and seeing tortoises do everything slow. It may be catching up with him now.
They should not roam your house floors. Too many dangers and we have seen them happen on here. A proper indoor and outdoor enclosure is what they need.
19c is too cold. Day time should be 75-80F with a basking spot of 95-100F and left on all day. They have to be able to warm themselves up under the basking light to properly digest their food. Night time everything can be turned off so temps can go into the 60's but not lower.
The diet needs to be greatly improved also. They must have dark leafy greens not just one kind of food. Sometimes it take an effort to get them to eat the other stuff they should be eating but that's our job to do it.
Get dark leafy greens and chop them up small and mix a tiny bit of the komodo all into them. He will then have to eat the green to eat the others. Do one type of green at a time so you know which one he takes to quickly and which ones needs more effort to get him to eat.
I don't tell you this to offend you, so many get offended when I tell them the truth. I'm not one to just say oh how cute everything sounds great when it's not. Tortoises live a long time but needs proper care to do so. They also need a proper enclosure, 4x8 foot minimum for an adult Russian.
Post pics of your enclosure for more help there if needed.
Also read the caresheets under the russian section in the Mediterranean section.

 

[Sezdt]

Well it does. But you won't like what i have to say.
Everything is wrong and he may have survived for 5 years but he hasn't thrived and seeing tortoises do everything slow. It may be catching up with him now.
They should not roam your house floors. Too many dangers and we have seen them happen on here. A proper indoor and outdoor enclosure is what they need.
19c is too cold. Day time should be 75-80F with a basking spot of 95-100F and left on all day. They have to be able to warm themselves up under the basking light to properly digest their food. Night time everything can be turned off so temps can go into the 60's but not lower.
The diet needs to be greatly improved also. They must have dark leafy greens not just one kind of food. Sometimes it take an effort to get them to eat the other stuff they should be eating but that's our job to do it.
Get dark leafy greens and chop them up small and mix a tiny bit of the komodo all into them. He will then have to eat the green to eat the others. Do one type of green at a time so you know which one he takes to quickly and which ones needs more effort to get him to eat.
I don't tell you this to offend you, so many get offended when I tell them the truth. I'm not one to just say oh how cute everything sounds great when it's not. Tortoises live a long time but needs proper care to do so. They also need a proper enclosure, 4x8 foot minimum for an adult Russian.
Post pics of your enclosure for more help there if needed.
Also read the caresheets under the russian section in the Mediterranean section.

Oh no!!!! Now I feel rubbish but thank you. As soon as his viv gets up to 28 he hides in his cave. I always offer him other foods but he won't eat them. I will try putting them with his komodo like you advised. This is his viv and he's always seemed happy with it. Why is he not allowed to walk around the downstairs of the house please? There are no places he can get stuck or in trouble and he seems to like it xxx

 

[Sezdt]

Oh no!!!! Now I feel rubbish but thank you. As soon as his viv gets up to 28 he hides in his cave. I always offer him other foods but he won't eat them. I will try putting them with his komodo like you advised. This is his viv and he's always seemed happy with it. Why is he not allowed to walk around the downstairs of the house please? There are no places he can get stuck or in trouble and he seems to like it xxx

So I will definitely take on all your advice (Thank you for that) but should I hibernate Bert this year or not? What if he just continues in this limbo until March time?

 

[wellington]

Don't feel bad. I'm sure you did what you thought was the best for him. The old outdated info that is wrong is what most people find or are told by pet stores and even still some breeders.
The substrate is very wrong too. Get coconut coir or orchid bark for the substrate. Walking the floors of your home is bad because of things they can pick up and eat, even dust bunnies that can cause impaction or worse. We have seen of one here that got its head crushed by a door and others too. Also the floor is much colder then what they should have during the day. Just a bad idea.

 

[wellington]

So I will definitely take on all your advice (Thank you for that) but should I hibernate Bert this year or not? What if he just continues in this limbo until March time?

If he has never hibernate before then I wouldn't do it now.
Make the needed adjustments and changes and see how he does. I have a Russian that lives in my basement for winter. I have never hibernated him. He has a proper day and basking temp. He hides a lot but also comes out to eat, drink, bask and roam and dig a bit. For most of the day he finds a place to sleep. He has always slowed down a bit in the winter but still does the above routine.
Get the temps right and change the substrate and up the diet and I think you will see a more active tort.

 

[Sezdt]

If he has never hibernate before then I wouldn't do it now.
Make the needed adjustments and changes and see how he does. I have a Russian that lives in my basement for winter. I have never hibernated him. He has a proper day and basking temp. He hides a lot but also comes out to eat, drink, bask and roam and dig a bit. For most of the day he finds a place to sleep. He has always slowed down a bit in the winter but still does the above routine.
Get the temps right and change the substrate and up the diet and I think you will see a more active tort.

Thank you for your help

 

[Humbug & Maz]

You have done the best thing asking advice on this forum and it has helped me so much too. Don't feel bad as now you can get things right for your little one. I have posted this link before but, with you being in the UK too, I find this substrate excellent:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00TOBNT4U/?tag=

 

[Sezdt]

Thank you

 

[TaylorTortoise]

Oh no!!!! Now I feel rubbish but thank you. As soon as his viv gets up to 28 he hides in his cave. I always offer him other foods but he won't eat them. I will try putting them with his komodo like you advised. This is his viv and he's always seemed happy with it. Why is he not allowed to walk around the downstairs of the house please? There are no places he can get stuck or in trouble and he seems to like it xxx

Everything about this set up needs to be corrected to help your tortoise live long and happy. That basking light is really bothering me, it looks like it can be a possibly burning hazard for the tortoise if he desides to climb on top of his dome hut. There is a lot of flipping hazzards in there as well. I would advice you to make changes with @wellington feedback. Also,
Torts need a lot of space not just space but the correct care of course which we will do our best to get you on the right path into the right direction for your little Bert.

also, you claiming your tortoises likes to walk around the house, they are solitary animals. Meaning what you think they might like enjoy can be the complete opposite. Dont let that cute face fool you!! He might be trying to find hiding places.. tight spots to feel safe. Also, they pee and poo a lot. So thats a lot of cleaning you will have to do. I advice you to make an enclosed secure area for Bert. Get some Cameras to put on him as well, if you feel he needs more time to free roam. At least he can be monitored at all times in a controlled environment rather than your living room.