Baby Sulcata Barely Eats, Please Help

[dmmj]

As long as he can move under his own power he will move when he needs to.

 

[Mordy]

I've read reasons for why to keep them apart and have also read where people have housed leopards and sulcatas together with no issue. He hasn't changed because of the introduction of the leopard and seems to be fond of it. My girlfriend seems to think he's showing early signs of the "hatchling failure syndrome" or dehydration. She's started soaking him twice a day, rather than the once a day the leopard gets.

like many will say, tortoises do not need a buddy. they solitary creatures. the small one may be getting bullied and you may not even know it. i would not house them together, its unecessary at one end and dangerous in the other end.

good luck with the sulcata. perhaps you should take him to the vet. he should get a check up anyways.

 

[Baoh]

If any of this has already been answered, I apologize in advance.

I agree already with suggestions of using more heat (with a gradient it can choose), separating the animals at least until everything is under control, and trying other foods.

Is the substrate moist enough? I keep a fine layer of dry substrate over a thick layer of moist substrate with a wet surface patch or two after I noticed the similarities among the places I have found a variety of baby tortoises in the wild.

Have you tried any pellet foods to get some nutrition in it? Attempt baby food soaks (baby food mixed with water) instead of water alone soaks. For my experiences, baby carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash each tended to get better response. I would add the contents of a multi-organism probiotic capsule to the first baby food soak and perhaps several soaks within the first week of new treatment. After that, the bacteria should be at least somewhat established if they are going to.

Of course, this animal has never eaten well since you have been able to observe it, so this may be a problem that started well before receipt. All you can do is your best with what you have been dealt.

 

[Joiner]

Came home for lunch and he was soaking in the water dish, gave him a dandelion and he won't eat it or the grass, gave him a sweet potato baby food soak yesterday. He's moving real slow.

 

[Laurie]

Sorry, the only advice I can offer is to maybe take the baby to the vet. If you have the proper temps and are keeping him/her hydrated, i'm not sure what else you can do, others may have some more suggestions. This may be a problem that started before you even got him. Like Maggie said, babies can go downhill quickly. You can use the vet section of the forum to locate a reptile vet in your area. Good luck.

I also wanted to add, if you decide to bring your baby to the vet, I suggest reading up a bit about the risks of Vit A shots. In the meantime, I would continue to keep him warm, hydrated and offering food. I hope someone with more experience will offer you some help soon.

 

[Joiner]

He's scheduled for the next opening at the vet 5:10pm.

 

[Laurie]

He's scheduled for the next opening at the vet 5:10pm.

Glad to hear, I hope everything works out for you! Please read about the dangers of Vit A shots, in case your vet suggests one. Keep us updated.

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A couple threads for you to consider
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Vit-A-injections#axzz1uZzh1VpY

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Very-upsetting#axzz1ua16zssm

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Vitamin-A-injecton#axzz1ua16zssm

 

[jason g.]

Never mind vets better posted to late.


My baby wouldn't eat nothing but spring mix when I got him. It was almost a month before I could get him to eat grass or zoomeds grassland tort food or anything but spring mix and Collard greens. I'm from Indiana so I understand the temp. Issue. Try spring mix instead of weeds just to see. Worth a try. I've had him two and a half months and he eats everything but dandelion flowers loves the leaves hates the flower. Loves clover leafs and flower but hates the stem my can be picky.

 

[Laurie]

Here is some more info, i'm not sure if you were trying the baby food soaks already, but it could help
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Vitamin-soaks-baby-food-soaks-for-ailing-tortoises#axzz1ktWaYxe6
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Soaking-Tortoises--41739#axzz1ua2f8GA3

 

[Maggie Cummings]

No matter what the vet says please don't allow a Vit A injection. Tortoises don't usually lack in Vit A as box turtles do. When given that injection there's usually a sloughing off of skin at the injection site. And now that I started this I forget what is the other reason not to allow Vit A injections for tortoises. I have a head injury myself and sometimes forget important things...but I Do remember that Vit A injections for tortoises are bad news...

 

[Kalgodric]

If the baby is still not eating you may want to try romaine lettuce, I know its not great neutitional food, but it was the only thing Bodhi would eat when he first came to live with us and it took us some time to slowly introduce things like dandelion, kale, spring mix, ect....just a thought...I hope your friend starts eating soon

 

[Joiner]

Basking temp is 100, cool side is 72. Got out of work early and he's sleeping on the warm side but not in the light. What is the best way to transport him?

 

[Tom]

It's been said already, but I'd like to chime in and put it in my own words.

Reptiles are completely dependent upon external heat sources. In the wild this takes the form of the sun and things that have been warmed by the sun. In captivity we must provide an artificial sun. The idea is to creat a thermal gradient. It has already been noted that in the wild they bask a bit and then stay out of the hot mid day sun. In our enclosures we need to provide the same thing. I like to put a heat lamp over one side of the enclosure and adjust the height of the bulb to get the temp right around 100. Then they can move in and out of the "sun" and maintain their body temp where it needs to be. For me, in my enclosures, right around 100 gives me the behavior that I want to see. I want to see them bask and then move away from the heat, and then bask some more later. They should be able to maintain their body temp in the mid to high 90's in this way, even when most of the enclosure is only around 80. If they are always under or near the basking site, it is too cool. If they are always on the cool side of the enclosure it is too hot. HOWEVER, when one is sick or exceptionally scared, the instinct to find safety can often overide the instinct to warm up and function. I like to offer a small hot spot on one side and then maintain the rest of the enclosure at around 80, day and night. I use a Ceramic Heating Element on a thermostat to maintain my back ground temps.

There are four temps to be concerned with and you need to know and monitor all four. Cool side, warm side, basking spot, and night. At the very least, seasonal tweaks are necessary. These temps should be measured with both a remote probed thermometer and a temp gun and adjusted as needed.

I suspect that at least part of your problem is due to temps, especially night temps. "Hatchling Failure Syndrome" cases seldom make it to a year and if they do, they usually don't grow a whole lot beyond hatchling size.

I don't think there is any harm in soaking twice a day, but once a day ought to be adequate for a tortoise the size of yours.

I would not "quarantine" the sulcata. I would build another fully functioning enclosure and move the healty tortoise into that and leave the sulcata where he is.

Pics of the enclosure and your tortoise would help a lot too. I use tinypic.com for posting pics. It's easy and hassle free.

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72 is too cool for right now. Some of the older care sheets recommended that, but with proper humidity it is too cool. It is also too cool for a tortoise that is lacking in appetite. My usual strategy for warming an enclosure is to use a heat bulb on a timer over a flat piece of slate on one end, and a CHE on a thermostat near the middle to maintain the ambient I want 24/7.

The best way to transport them is in a dark plastic tub with a towel on the bottom to absorb the mess. Like a hawk wearing a hood, the darkness will calm them.

 

[Joiner]

I'd upload pictures, but our Internet is disconnected as we're moving at the end of the month and I'm doing this on my phone.

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Even with covering the bowl, he still won't stop trying to escape, at least he's showing activity.

 

[Joiner]

He came in underweight, the vet says he looks like he's growing proportioned well for his deformity, he doesn't think he's sick. Since he was able to get his mouth open fairly easily, he gave us a syringe and some formula. He told us to force feed him a max of 5 days, try weening him off about 3 days in. He did tell us the cool side is a little low, to get it to 75-85.

 

[Laurie]

Glad to hear he's not sick. I bet after a couple days at the right temperatures and some energy from the feedings, he will be more active and eat on his own soon .

 

[Joiner]

Bought some new heat sources on the way home as well as a hygrometer and more thermometers. We've only been using the one thermometer. Time for his second feeding, he's not too happy about them.

 

[Joiner]

Ambient temperature 84, cool temperature 78, basking temperature 95, warm temperature 87, night ambient 75, night cool 70, night warm 82. Humidity 55%.

Half hour after his force feeding this morning he ate a little grass, and we saw him poop today, first time in a while.

 

[Tom]

Your night temp is too cool. I would keep it no lower than 80 anywhere in the entire enclosure, at least until this little guy starts eating and behaving normally. 70 is just too cool. Think steamy hot humid tropical savannah during the African rainy season. Daytime highs are in the 90's and 100s and they likely spend most of their time in warm underground burrows.

 

[Joiner]

Took him out on the nice day to get sun and he was eating the grass. He seems to be progressing. Will work on the night temperature