Behaviour or health????

[turtletania]

Dixie, is now 2 kg, and about 4 years old.

This week I changed her enclosure (because she dug a hole through the wooden/vinyl base!)

For the last two days she has been very picky about her food, barely touching it. She just sits under her heat lamp or hides in her hut.

Could she be sick? Or is she just being temperamental and fussy about her new enclosure?

This is her new enclosure: 8 feet by 2 feet... 2 tier. She has soil in one end. Temps are 85 throughout, with the basking spot higher.

Here is a pic of her... she has hardly eaten today, and just sits in this spot.

She does have a bit of clear fluid coming from her nose and sounds a little "Wheezy"... The only vet here is not open on Fridays....so can't get to a vet till tomorrow.

I gave her a warm bath earlier.... she did a very small poo.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[dmmj]

When they are wheezy and have fluid coming out I always suspect a RI, did the fluid come out after the bath? a tortoise should not be making noise while breathing for the most part.

 

[turtletania]

The fluid did only start after the bath... and the noise only started about an hour ago....

Is there anything I can do? I have some antibiotics, but as she hasn't eaten yet today, I can't get it into her.

 

[dmmj]

Keep him warm, I would not advise starting antibiotics unless he is diagnosed with an actual RI.

 

[turtletania]

Ok, So should I increase the temp? Put in a stronger heat lamp? put her in the sun?

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Keep him warm, I would not advise starting antibiotics unless he is diagnosed with an actual RI.

What is RI?

 

[turtletania]

Respiratory Infection = RI

 

[dmmj]

I would have a hotter lamp.
and a RI means Respiratory Infection it is easier and quicker to just use RI.

 

[turtletania]

Ok, I have put in a stronger lamp. ... It won't over heat her will it????... and have opened the window as it is 33degrees outside today so the humidity will get a little extra kick with that open.

Is there anything I can do to encourage her to eat something? I have tried the usual greens, and a hisbiscus... this is the first time she has turned that down.

 

[dmmj]

Besides offering a favorite food there is not much that can be done. They won't overheat as long as they have a cool down area.

 

[turtletania]

She has moved away from the heat lamp, to the cooler area near the hut.... but still not eating.

 

[NinjaTortoises]

If you have mazuri try that, what i used to do to get my hatchlings to eat was hang the mazuri in front of their heads until they smelled it and to a nibble from then i would set it down for it to eat it, if that fails then idk what else lol good luck and i hope the tort gets through it fast

 

[ascott]

If you have made a significant change to the enclosure....they have to re adjust----if the bubbles are after the soak then take a breath and keep an eye on her...I would not freak out at this point...also, if your tort is now feeling displaced in her new world---give her some time to adjust....the not eating may be a result of the new environment....I would keep an eye on her....I would keep her temps where she is use to them being and not mess with her too much while she is getting use to the changes you have made....

May I ask, is this enclosure where she spends a large part of her day? Or does she have an outdoor yard she is in for the day and then this enclosure at night?

Oh and one other thing...that is an intriguing statue? in the second pic...have you had anyone share with you yet what it resembles.....

 

[Tom]

At those temps, I'm going to guess she is not feeling well. What I mean is she is not too cold. Be careful with heat lamps and larger tortoise they can easily burn the top of the carapace while the rest of them is too cold still. Get a cinder block or something nearly the same height as your tortoise and put your temp probe on top of it directly under the light. Adjust the height or wattage until this spot is around 100. Now remove the brick and put the probe down on the floor, but still right on the basking spot. It will be significantly cooler. You might need to get a heat mat at this point. I like the Kane brand and they have a built in thermostat nowadays to prevent the possibility of ever overheating.

I don't think this is the source of your problem, if your ambient is 85 though. What size was she in before this? How much outside time does she get. For one that size, I would try to keep her outside all day every day, weather permitting. Of course with adequate shade and shelter...

One of the things I like to do in a situation like this is soak them daily for about 45 minutes or so. It will hurt nothing, keep them hydrated, possibly help them to pass a blockage, and the movement and walking is good for them.

 

[turtletania]

Dixie gets a soaking for about 30 to 40 minutes every day anyway... that hasn't changed. The location of the lamp and the enclosure hasn't actually changed.

She is put outside for about 2 hours everyday, as the weather here is very constant. Her outside enclosure has half shelter half not... so even in wet weather we tend to leave her out there for the 2 hours.

The changes were due to her growing:

was 6 feet by 1 1/2 feet now 8 feet by 2 feet
was vinyl with wood underneath now vinyl with tiles underneath
was all vinyl walls now one perspex wall
was a small round hut now a large black hut
was only 2 feet from the floor now 5 feet from the floor

I am wondering if the "hunger strike" is in protest to the change of environment???

The sound I heard after the bath has gone now. She is moving around fine...but still not eating.

---

If you have made a significant change to the enclosure....they have to re adjust----if the bubbles are after the soak then take a breath and keep an eye on her...I would not freak out at this point...also, if your tort is now feeling displaced in her new world---give her some time to adjust....the not eating may be a result of the new environment....I would keep an eye on her....I would keep her temps where she is use to them being and not mess with her too much while she is getting use to the changes you have made....

May I ask, is this enclosure where she spends a large part of her day? Or does she have an outdoor yard she is in for the day and then this enclosure at night?

Oh and one other thing...that is an intriguing statue? in the second pic...have you had anyone share with you yet what it resembles.....

yeah yeah....The statue in the centre is actually a snake hide I found and used when I had some lizards cos they loved it.... after I parted with my lizards in order to increase my tort/turt numbers I just decided to add it in.

---

NInja and Ascott.... sorry missed your earlier comments.
I do have a product from Hong Kong like Mazuri... she hasn't had it for a while... I will definitely try that..
And yes I am really hoping it is just her stubbornness and protesting about the new environment.

Will keep you all posted.

 

[Laura]

I would leave her outside and heat a house for her. They need space and at that size need to be outside.

 

[NinjaTortoises]

Dixie gets a soaking for about 30 to 40 minutes every day anyway... that hasn't changed. The location of the lamp and the enclosure hasn't actually changed.

She is put outside for about 2 hours everyday, as the weather here is very constant. Her outside enclosure has half shelter half not... so even in wet weather we tend to leave her out there for the 2 hours.

The changes were due to her growing:

was 6 feet by 1 1/2 feet now 8 feet by 2 feet
was vinyl with wood underneath now vinyl with tiles underneath
was all vinyl walls now one perspex wall
was a small round hut now a large black hut
was only 2 feet from the floor now 5 feet from the floor

I am wondering if the "hunger strike" is in protest to the change of environment???

The sound I heard after the bath has gone now. She is moving around fine...but still not eating.

---

yeah yeah....The statue in the centre is actually a snake hide I found and used when I had some lizards cos they loved it.... after I parted with my lizards in order to increase my tort/turt numbers I just decided to add it in.

---

NInja and Ascott.... sorry missed your earlier comments.
I do have a product from Hong Kong like Mazuri... she hasn't had it for a while... I will definitely try that..
And yes I am really hoping it is just her stubbornness and protesting about the new environment.

Will keep you all posted.

---

---

No worries, hooefully it all works out for the better too

 

[turtletania]

We r 6 days later and she is only eating a bit. Still refusing all the favourites.
I took her out to let her walk around and she seemed slower than usual.
Anything else i can do to spring her back to her usual perky self when she would eat anything offered?

I have no reptile vet here at all.....so i am hoping for advice.
Please help.