Baby Hermann's more trouble...

[Jami]

Hi everyone,

I feel terrible about my 8-9 week old hermann's tort. I think something is really wrong, but I'm hoping so hard that I'm just being a nervous owner.

I posted a previous thread about his plastron being soft and flexible, and he seems to have very defined ridges on both part of the shell. I'm working hard on keeping him with enough UVB. Today he seemed happier, wanted to eat, still turns up his beak at anything with the herbivite on it. I'm going to buy the Gerber baby food carrots and the plain calcium for a bath with these if that's the recommendation.

Next issue - today either pooped all over a piece of leafy dinner, or it (the leaf) came through him practically whole. Either way seems like diarrhea. Maybe he's still not hydrated enough but his substrate (coco fiber) is pretty moist under a top layer of dry. He doesn't burrow. He loves to drink.

Next issue- has pinkish brown lines on plastron and side of shell where top & bottom join. My hubby looked and says he seems ok to him. He's eating - a little and very picky. Eyes & nose look good. He wanders and explores and sleeps a lot, like a baby.

So- thoughts please? Maybe he's growing and too fast? I don't know.

Thanks for reading this huge post. Off to the store!

 

[dmmj]

Not digesting food can happen, not a big problem, unless it happens all he time. Good pics of the shell will help, the lines could just be normal.

 

[Jami]

Thanks. I'm breathing a sigh of relief. I'm going to try for pics tomorrow. I'm going to stick him in his hut to sleep.

Thanks again for responding to me!!!!

 

[Jami]

Hi! Here are a few quick shots of his shell. He's still a little dirty. That's ok, right? Or should I be cleaning him out? My biggest concern is his pinkish spots/lines.
Thanks!

 

[dmmj]

I will let someone with better eyes handle that, as for dirt it's fine,they like it.

 

[Jami]

Thanks. I know it's hard to see. In looking at others it seems ok, but I'm a super nervous neurotic New Mamma here... Thanks again! Hope the pics get bigger when you click them.

 

[Jami]

Hi all. I need some feedback on my baby Hermie. He's about 9 weeks old. Shell is worrying me. Very flexible - not quite squishy but definitely goes in when you touch his plastron. He has these spots on the plastron and also along the sides of his shell where the two join. He's pretty active. There's nothing to fall off of. We struggle with hydration. He likes to drink tho. Bathes every morning and sometimes a short one in afternoon. Please let me know what you think! Thanks!

 

[Jami]

Hi all. I need some feedback on my baby Hermie. He's about 9 weeks old. Shell is worrying me. Very flexible - not quite squishy but definitely goes in when you touch his plastron. He has these spots on the plastron and also along the sides of his shell where the two join. He's pretty active. There's nothing to fall off of. We struggle with hydration. He likes to drink tho. Bathes every morning and sometimes a short one in afternoon. Please let me know what you think! Thanks!View attachment 83431View attachment 83432

 

[tortadise]

How long have you had this little guy? That does not look good. Looks like Petechiae, which are broken blood vessels inside the animal. Typically caused by an extreme. Sometimes it's nothing and can work itself out, or it may be something serious. Is he eating, drinking, acting normal? Could of been something as simple like, being sold too young, and not started off too well. So could you go over a good breakdown, what your feeding, how long you have had the tortoise, what substrate your using, lighting, etc....

 

[Jami]

Hi. I've posted the pic of his shell twice by accident. I've had him since may 22. I was told he was 5 to 6 weeks when I got him. Which makes him 8 to 9 weeks now. I got him from tortoise supply and they were great. He was probably dehydrated a bit the first few days because I had some conflicting info and didn't realize he needed to be so moist. He's kept in a 20 gallon long tank with mesh cover with a power sun light. Usually 80 to 85 at one end and 75 at other. Sometimes 90 directly under light. He eats well. He loves fresh dandelion and he likes spring mix. He hates his calcium vitamin supplement. He loves to soak in morning and sometimes in evening I give him a short soak. He takes small drinks in his enclosure. I mist the coco and water it around edges each morning. He has huts and places to hide. He doesn't burrow to the really moist stuff. I feel so bad because I really feel like we've done everything right with the exception of the first day or two. Ugh....thanks for responding.

 

[Moozillion]

Just 2 days of slightly imperfect husbandry doesn't seem likely to cause that, so don't beat yourself up!!!

 

[Moozillion]

I don't know what to tell you about the lines- they're hard for me to see. When my Hermann's gets mostly spring mix to eat (that is in the winter) her poop is very soft and shapeless due to the high water content of the lettuces. When she gets mostly outdoor weeds (all the rest of the year) her poop is much more formed and solid. I hope this helps.

 

[tortadise]

Yeah a few days won't do this. MostlyPetechea is in the soft tissue. This may be an old issue from it e hatched as well. If the little guy is eating, drinking and acting normal it should be ok and go away. Just make sure to notice anything out of the ordinary. I've seen this in a spider tortoise I raised up many years ago. Nothing wee came of it either. She's doing great and laying eggs now. If the Petechea moves to te skin on te legs or head ten it's a big issue and will require veterinary help. Has te little guy grown and gained weight since you've had him?

 

[Jami]

Thanks. I appreciate the info!

 

[Jami]

Just 2 days of slightly imperfect husbandry doesn't seem likely to cause that, so don't beat yourself up!!!

Thanks! That's what we thought too!

 

[Jami]

Yeah a few days won't do this. MostlyPetechea is in the soft tissue. This may be an old issue from it e hatched as well. If the little guy is eating, drinking and acting normal it should be ok and go away. Just make sure to notice anything out of the ordinary. I've seen this in a spider tortoise I raised up many years ago. Nothing wee came of it either. She's doing great and laying eggs now. If the Petechea moves to te skin on te legs or head ten it's a big issue and will require veterinary help. Has te little guy grown and gained weight since you've had him?

Thanks much. I'll watch for it to move. It seems like it is getting a little better around the plastron. His sides are not better. Our scale is broken. He has grown a little and he feels heavier- more solid. His back legs are still really skinny. I'm getting a better scale this weekend I hope. His area around where his yolk was has always looked like that and my friend who worked at a zoo said he seemed very young when we got him and that it seemed he must have just lost it. He's definitely grown. He loves to drink and moved his sleeping area to the warmer side of the hut. His temps seem ok to you? About 85 in the daytime on warm side and 75 on cooler side. He also has a piece of substrate -coco coir- stuck up high on 1 leg and I'm not sure if I should be trying to get it out? Didn't want to mess with him. I rinsed his legs but it didn't come out. Thanks so much for responding!

 

[Jami]

I meant better on the plastron, still same on sides.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

What are you feeding him?

You should have cuttlebone available all the time. Try skipping the commercial additive & see how that goes.

 

[Moozillion]

My Elsa ignores cuttle bone, so I do something that I learned on this forum. You hold the cuttle bone over their food and scrape it with the blunt side of a knife. That way you'll make very fine cuttle bone powder that will stick to the wet greens and they'll accidentally get it when they eat. This works great for me. I think a little bit most days would be plenty.

I hope this helps.

 

[Moozillion]

Sound like it's improving!
Here's hoping!!!