Baby Marginated Not Doing Well

[Leo525]

Hi, I'm new to the forum but I'm pretty desperate right now so I thought I'd post. I bought a marginated hatching from Arizona Tortoise Compound in July, and he's been doing great up until yesterday when I noticed his plastron was soft. Today he's unresponsive when I touch him, won't move or open his eyes. His eyes also look sunken in. Yesterday he was eating, but today he looks almost dead.

I keep him at the correct temperature gradient, adding moisture to his cypress mulch substrate every day for humidity. I feed him different veggies including romaine, dandelion greens, collard greens, and kale. He gets calcium power and a vitamin soak once a week. He has a strip UV lamp and I soak him for 15 minutes daily.

I'm not sure what I've been doing wrong that could have caused this. I think MBD is unlikely by how quickly it came on. Other possibilities I could think of are shell rot or hatchling failure syndrome. I've found no vets that can take me until at least next week. Does anyone have any advice?

 

[zovick]

Hi, I'm new to the forum but I'm pretty desperate right now so I thought I'd post. I bought a marginated hatching from Arizona Tortoise Compound in July, and he's been doing great up until yesterday when I noticed his plastron was soft. Today he's unresponsive when I touch him, won't move or open his eyes. His eyes also look sunken in. Yesterday he was eating, but today he looks almost dead.

I keep him at the correct temperature gradient, adding moisture to his cypress mulch substrate every day for humidity. I feed him different veggies including romaine, dandelion greens, collard greens, and kale. He gets calcium power and a vitamin soak once a week. He has a strip UV lamp and I soak him for 15 minutes daily.

I'm not sure what I've been doing wrong that could have caused this. I think MBD is unlikely by how quickly it came on. Other possibilities I could think of are shell rot or hatchling failure syndrome. I've found no vets that can take me until at least next week. Does anyone have any advice?View attachment 336016View attachment 336017

There is no sign of shell rot in your photos.

Many tortoises "slow down" at this time of year due to the day length getting less and less. You did not mention your actual temps. Maybe they are too low to make him stay active. You may need to raise your temps to help get the tortoise to be more active.

Has it been defecating? Has it grown/gained weight since you bought it?

 

[Leo525]

There is no sign of shell rot in your photos.

Many tortoises "slow down" at this time of year due to the day length getting less and less. You did not mention your actual temps. Maybe they are too low to make him stay active. You may need to raise your temps to help get the tortoise to be more active.

Has it been defecating? Has it grown/gained weight since you bought it?

Thanks so much for responding. The temps are around 75 on the cool side and 80-90 on the warm side with a heat lamp at about 100. Humidity is about 60% when I add moisture, and decreases to about 45% by the next morning (I add moisture every day).
I'd be surprised if it was a temperature issue because I keep his enclosure at a consistent temp, and he was active/eating just yesterday morning. He's been defecating since I got him, but I haven't measured him at all so it's hard to say if he's grown.

 

[Astrid37]

Have you tried giving him a warm soak? The humidity is not consistently high enough for a baby. Needs to be at least 70% especially in humid hide. Does he have a humid hide on the warm side of the viv? Does he have a clean sunken water dish at all times?

To me, it sounds like it could be a nutritional deficiency and dehydration. I would purchase Oxbow Herbivore Critical Care and if he won't eat that, syringe feed tiny amounts at a time in cheek pocket (NOT straight down the throat) plus warm soaks 1-2x daily and make humidity etc. adjustments from tfo temperate tortoise care sheet.

Please consider making a few adjustments based on the temperate tortoise caresheet on this forum. Especially please consider looking at his diet when he starts eating again. I think the diet is the main culprit here. There's no variety there and way too much calcium.

 

[Astrid37]

Also- UVB. Does he have it in sufficient amounts based on tfo temperate tort care sheet?

 

[TaylorTortoise]

Any updates? Were you giving plenty of baths? Hatchlings suffer from dehydration if lighting is off and if they are not soaked every day.

 

[Leo525]

Any updates? Were you giving plenty of baths? Hatchlings suffer from dehydration if lighting is off and if they are not soaked every day.

Unfortunately he passed away already I was bathing him for about 15 minutes every day and he also enjoyed sitting in his water dish and drinking on his own. Thanks everyone for trying to help!

 

[TaylorTortoise]

So sorry

 

[Ink]

Sorry for your loss

 

[Karen(pebbles)]

Sorry your loss

 

[Mrs.Jennifer]

Unfortunately he passed away already I was bathing him for about 15 minutes every day and he also enjoyed sitting in his water dish and drinking on his own. Thanks everyone for trying to help!

I’m so sorry for your loss. I’ll be keeping you close to my heart…

 

[TammyJ]

I feel sad and sorry reading this. It is possibly not at all your fault! So don't look at it as being anything you did or did not do, but instead, study up some more on these tortoises, in places like this forum, and try again, from a reputable breeder. Good luck. We all have some sad stories.