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cemmons12

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Well Cooper has his 2nd vet visit in 3 months tomorrow. I hope I don't have to give him shots again! I HATE doing that. But id rather do that then lose him to a respiratory infection. I think I am taking him out of his home to much but its hard not to. A lot of times he will scratch at the corner closest to me (he is right next to my bed) until I pick him up. Then he will normally just sit on my chest and look at me for awhile, then shake his head up and down, then turn around and go to sleep under the covers. I don't know what I will do when he gets to big to lay on me and sleep. But im going to try and not take him out of his home as much so he will stay warm enough to not get sick. Love my little buddy! Thanks for all your support!
 

Laura

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sounds like you are learning a lot already..
Better diet, substrate etc.
he looks like he has some pyrimiding, so follow what Tom does and that should help put an end to it.
Does your guy get any ourdoor time? real sun? VERY important. Also calcium. Cant get too muc at this stage.
Get him a Cuttle bone, (sold in bird section) and leave it in with him to nibble on.
 

dmarcus

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Sulcata's have wonderful personalties, when my wife and I are outside with our 5 year old, he will follow us around when he is not grazing. Seems to always wanna check out what were doing. Let us know what the vet says tomorrow.
 

cemmons12

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dalano73 said:
Sulcata's have wonderful personalties, when my wife and I are outside with our 5 year old, he will follow us around when he is not grazing. Seems to always wanna check out what were doing. Let us know what the vet says tomorrow.

Well the vet said no baytril for now. His shell (to her) looks great. He eats like a cow, and is very happy to get out and run and explore on the living room floor. Other then he is making a squeak noise once n a while he seems great! No runny nose or watery eyes thus far. I have not been getting him out very much due to I want to keep him nice and warm. But I got him out about 30 min ago and he just looked at me forever, it seemed like he was trying to scold me with his eyes for not getting him out! Haha, I know I sound dumb. But then he walked right up to my neck (I'm laying in bed) and got as close to my neck as he could and started to go to sleep, so I moved him back down to my chest and he did it again and just went to sleep snuggleing up to my neck. He is such a great little tort! I love him so much, and yes I am a married MAN with kids, I just love my tort like the 4th kid I never had hehe! Just hope I can keep him good and healthy till he gets out of the baby stage as it seems R.I.'s seem to happen a lot in hatchlings and less in sub-adults. I don't want him to grow up but I do so he can be big enough to be out and about without getting into trouble (like getting into places he shouldn't). I think I've wasted enough of everyones time now! Thanks to all for help and support.
 

cemmons12

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Laura said:
sounds like you are learning a lot already..
Better diet, substrate etc.
he looks like he has some pyrimiding, so follow what Tom does and that should help put an end to it.
Does your guy get any ourdoor time? real sun? VERY important. Also calcium. Cant get too muc at this stage.
Get him a Cuttle bone, (sold in bird section) and leave it in with him to nibble on.

I have had no luck finding a cuttle bone yet, but I'm gonna drive to the nearest "good" pet store and see if they have them. Thank you! :)

dalano73 said:
Sulcata's have wonderful personalties, when my wife and I are outside with our 5 year old, he will follow us around when he is not grazing. Seems to always wanna check out what were doing. Let us know what the vet says tomorrow.

Id say Cooper's personality is taking shape. He knows if he runs back and fourth in his cage long enough "dad" will pick him up and put him on his chest. 90% of the time he will just sit there and look at me and look around and go right to sleep. But if I just pick him up for a minute and put him back he will run back and fourth again. He cracks me up! He has me wraped.
 

Rjhoop

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cemmons12 said:
Laura said:
sounds like you are learning a lot already..
Better diet, substrate etc.
he looks like he has some pyrimiding, so follow what Tom does and that should help put an end to it.
Does your guy get any ourdoor time? real sun? VERY important. Also calcium. Cant get too muc at this stage.
Get him a Cuttle bone, (sold in bird section) and leave it in with him to nibble on.

I have had no luck finding a cuttle bone yet, but I'm gonna drive to the nearest "good" pet store and see if they have them. Thank you! :)

dalano73 said:
Sulcata's have wonderful personalties, when my wife and I are outside with our 5 year old, he will follow us around when he is not grazing. Seems to always wanna check out what were doing. Let us know what the vet says tomorrow.

Id say Cooper's personality is taking shape. He knows if he runs back and fourth in his cage long enough "dad" will pick him up and put him on his chest. 90% of the time he will just sit there and look at me and look around and go right to sleep. But if I just pick him up for a minute and put him back he will run back and fourth again. He cracks me up! He has me wraped.



Even a walmart will have a cuttlebone in the pet department by the bird food!!
 

Yvonne G

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Hey Chris:

Just a bit of info for you to file away:

When a sulcata gets in the corner and "scratches," what he's doing is enlarging his "burrow." They do that when they settle down to sleep. My sulcata's house is right outside the window here by my computer. In the evening when he goes to bed I hear him digging and digging. It doesn't matter that he's on a cement floor with a thick rubber pad over it, he digs and digs, rearranging his burrow to make it deeper and more comfortable.
 

cemmons12

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emysemys said:
Hey Chris:

Just a bit of info for you to file away:

When a sulcata gets in the corner and "scratches," what he's doing is enlarging his "burrow." They do that when they settle down to sleep. My sulcata's house is right outside the window here by my computer. In the evening when he goes to bed I hear him digging and digging. It doesn't matter that he's on a cement floor with a thick rubber pad over it, he digs and digs, rearranging his burrow to make it deeper and more comfortable.

No, seriously, he does the digging and scratching too to make himself a nice place to sleep. But I mean he will run back and forth for minutes on end just on the side closest to me until he has worn a path out then if I pick him up he just lays and looks at me for awhile and then goes right to sleep. Maybe I'm giving him more credit then I should because I feel he likes all the attention I give him and I feel like the attachment goes both ways. Or maybe I'm just an ignorant man, I don't know. But he makes me happy and I like to think what I do makes him happy (and spoiled) too. Lol!
But thanks for the info! :)
 

cemmons12

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IMG_20110508_115338.jpgWell Cooper seems to be doing a little better. He is getting his new habitat today so I can be sure to keep him warm enough. Now as long as the spoiled kid likes it all will be good! Lol!
 
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cemmons12

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Rjhoop said:
cemmons12 said:
Laura said:
sounds like you are learning a lot already..
Better diet, substrate etc.
he looks like he has some pyrimiding, so follow what Tom does and that should help put an end to it.
Does your guy get any ourdoor time? real sun? VERY important. Also calcium. Cant get too muc at this stage.
Get him a Cuttle bone, (sold in bird section) and leave it in with him to nibble on.

I have had no luck finding a cuttle bone yet, but I'm gonna drive to the nearest "good" pet store and see if they have them. Thank you! :)

dalano73 said:
Sulcata's have wonderful personalties, when my wife and I are outside with our 5 year old, he will follow us around when he is not grazing. Seems to always wanna check out what were doing. Let us know what the vet says tomorrow.

Id say Cooper's personality is taking shape. He knows if he runs back and fourth in his cage long enough "dad" will pick him up and put him on his chest. 90% of the time he will just sit there and look at me and look around and go right to sleep. But if I just pick him up for a minute and put him back he will run back and fourth again. He cracks me up! He has me wraped.



Even a walmart will have a cuttlebone in the pet department by the bird food!!



Our walmart didn't have cuttlebone, but I went to Uncle Bills pet store and got him one and a few other goodies for him. Thanks again!
 

Tom

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Hi Chris. Welcome to the forum I missed this whole thread until just now. A few points I wanted to touch on for you.

1. Most often respiratory issues are caused by temps being too low. If you use the temps listed on the care sheet, you should never have respiratory problems ever again, and your little tort can avoid those potentially dangerous shots.

2. Sulcatas like and need to pace and walk a lot. I turn mine loose on five acres and they just go up and down from one end to the other. Make a nice big outdoor pen for him. The sunshine and exercise will do wonders for him. All that locomotion helps move things along the digestive tract. Its similar to a horse. Usually the first thing you do when you see a horse start to colic is put him on the hot walker. All that walking is a necessary part of digestion for tortoises too. It helps move things along in the GI tract. Plus while he's outside he can graze on weeds and grass, which are really good for them.

3. Your soaks need to be longer. Given your problem, I'd go 40-60 minutes. Make sure the water stays warm though. Use a heating pad, a heat lamp, or just regularly refresh the water with warmer water as it cools. The point at when he starts trying to climb out is exactly what you need another 20-30 minutes of. All that frantic walking, coupled with the moisture in and on the cloacal opening will help "move things along". They almost always poop pretty soon after they start trying to get out like that. Just leave him in there. I like to compare it to a person on an exercise bike or treadmill. Your not going anywhere, but you get a good workout.

4. I don't know if you read it, but that care sheet is full of tips that will help you. The humid hide, the temps, substrate suggestion, diet info, which bulbs to use for which situation, etc... Here's the link again:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1MUoi5wKz

5. Dean's suggestion of adding cactus is a great one too. Cactus, pumpkin and aloe all have natural stool softening properties and will help greatly. You can find cactus pads at Mexican Grocery Stores or order online here on the forum. Many of us grow it ourselves. It does great in pots too.

Good luck and keep us posted. I'm glad to hear he's doing better.
 

Angi

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Welcome. How do you wife and kids like Cooper? I find it strange that one of my sons and my husband don't care about my torts yet my other son loves them. How can anyone not love a tort? :) I hope Cooper gets better. My advice is do whatever Tom and Yvonne say to do. Also start planting thing he will be able to eat later, after the chemical fertalizers have grown out. Or buy organic plants he can eat.

Welcome. How do you wife and kids like Cooper? I find it strange that one of my sons and my husband don't care about my torts yet my other son loves them. How can anyone not love a tort? :) I hope Cooper gets better. My advice is do whatever Tom and Yvonne say to do. Also start planting thing he will be able to eat later, after the chemical fertalizers have grown out. Or buy organic plants he can eat.
 

cemmons12

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Tom said:
Hi Chris. Welcome to the forum I missed this whole thread until just now. A few points I wanted to touch on for you.

1. Most often respiratory issues are caused by temps being too low. If you use the temps listed on the care sheet, you should never have respiratory problems ever again, and your little tort can avoid those potentially dangerous shots.

2. Sulcatas like and need to pace and walk a lot. I turn mine loose on five acres and they just go up and down from one end to the other. Make a nice big outdoor pen for him. The sunshine and exercise will do wonders for him. All that locomotion helps move things along the digestive tract. Its similar to a horse. Usually the first thing you do when you see a horse start to colic is put him on the hot walker. All that walking is a necessary part of digestion for tortoises too. It helps move things along in the GI tract. Plus while he's outside he can graze on weeds and grass, which are really good for them.

3. Your soaks need to be longer. Given your problem, I'd go 40-60 minutes. Make sure the water stays warm though. Use a heating pad, a heat lamp, or just regularly refresh the water with warmer water as it cools. The point at when he starts trying to climb out is exactly what you need another 20-30 minutes of. All that frantic walking, coupled with the moisture in and on the cloacal opening will help "move things along". They almost always poop pretty soon after they start trying to get out like that. Just leave him in there. I like to compare it to a person on an exercise bike or treadmill. Your not going anywhere, but you get a good workout.

4. I don't know if you read it, but that care sheet is full of tips that will help you. The humid hide, the temps, substrate suggestion, diet info, which bulbs to use for which situation, etc... Here's the link again:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1MUoi5wKz

5. Dean's suggestion of adding cactus is a great one too. Cactus, pumpkin and aloe all have natural stool softening properties and will help greatly. You can find cactus pads at Mexican Grocery Stores or order online here on the forum. Many of us grow it ourselves. It does great in pots too.

Good luck and keep us posted. I'm glad to hear he's doing better.

I'm having trouble trying to reply... thanks for all the info! Cooper is doing great now that he has a nice warm home and he is eating (and seems to love it) Sulcata grass mix I got online, and man does that stuff grow fast! I was going to grow 2 under bed storage boxs of it but no need untill he eats more! And I got him 2 pounds of Mazuri and he loves it too.



FernandoM said:
Hi! Welcome to TFO. Cooper sounds like a great tortoise!

Thank you! Yes, Cooper is GREAT! Now when I get Cooper out he will walk on the bed for a few and he will come right up to the pillow (75% of the time), bump it with his nose, then go to sleep with his head either on the pillow or right up against it. Cooper thinks he is a person! Lol! Or maybe I'm just nuts! :)

TortoiseDaddy said:
cemmons12 said:
Hi, my name is Chris. I have a 9 month old (or so) 132 gram Sulcata named Cooper. He is awesome! We love him like a child. But he is having problems pooing because his/her poo is so firm/hard. Last night he pooed but he was pushing so hard and when he got done he was making squeaking sounds like he was just hurting sooo bad. I held him for hours, he went to sleep. I have read so many things to try to loosen it up but does anyone want to give me some advice on here please? It hurt me so bad to see and hear him that way it brought me to tears. We had I'm at the vet the first month we had him cause he had runny nose and eyes. I think I had him to cold that time. But I have since fixed that problem. When I picked his poo up it was very hard and huge for his small size. Bigger around then a pencil and about 3 or 4 inch's long if it hadn't been broken in 3 pieces.
Thank you for ANY advice you can give me for little Cooper. If anything happend to him I don't know what I would do, I'm very attached to him!
Chris
Welcome Nice looking tortoise you have ... Yes they become family members ;) Here is a pic of my Scooter and Chopper
Thank you! Your torts look great! My wife was like "ahhh, they are sooo cute!". Your not joking, he is more spoiled then my daughter! My wife says I spend more time with Cooper then with her, hehe!
 

cemmons12

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Angi said:
Welcome. How do you wife and kids like Cooper? I find it strange that one of my sons and my husband don't care about my torts yet my other son loves them. How can anyone not love a tort? :) I hope Cooper gets better. My advice is do whatever Tom and Yvonne say to do. Also start planting thing he will be able to eat later, after the chemical fertalizers have grown out. Or buy organic plants he can eat.

Welcome. How do you wife and kids like Cooper? I find it strange that one of my sons and my husband don't care about my torts yet my other son loves them. How can anyone not love a tort? :) I hope Cooper gets better. My advice is do whatever Tom and Yvonne say to do. Also start planting thing he will be able to eat later, after the chemical fertalizers have grown out. Or buy organic plants he can eat.



Thank you!! My wife and daughter love Cooper, but not as much as dad does! Lol! I know what you mean, how could anyone not love the torts?? The local pet store had a poor Russian, all alone and he just looked so sad in the cage they had him in, I had talked myself into getting him when I went back to get my stand that I had to order. But when I asked where he was he was sold. It was upsetting but I just hope he got a good home and not a 5 year old that some mom or dad thinks anyone could take care of a tort.... I wish I could have got him! :(
 

cemmons12

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To al of you nice people who have helped me, Cooper is doing GREAT! He just cracked the 200 gram mark 2 days ago. I'm not real sure of his age as the person I got him from has failed to email me back with an answer... But my thinking is about he is about 6 months or so. I got him in Feb and he was about 50 grams. So he is growing fast. But thanks to everyone for all the info, it has been priceless!!! :)
 

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