Big ole Mongo got out and now feels poorly...What could be up?!

[Lil Haus]

Last week, Mongo got out and roamed the (dry) creek and hillside for about 36 hours. We found him and got him home (and seriously beefed up the joint), but I can tell he isn't feeling well.

There is a LOT of growth we tracked him thru; all kinds of stuff he could have sampled. He drank a lot of water when he got back; which is unlike him. Also, the weather has been wonky; hot then cold. Colder nights. Now cold nights and SUPER hot, windy, DRY weather for the next couple of days.

He usually goes into his house at night, then out and BUSY all day. But the past 24 hours, he's hunkered down on the side of the house and hasn't budged; even when it got warmer yesterday. I thought for sure he had passed when I woke up this AM, but he hissed when I poked his nose. I also started thinking how I haven't seen any droppings. And now I think of it; I saw a dark fluid on the walkway the other day!

He was eating: premium alfalfa, organic brome hay, the lawn, whatever else he can reach (regular back yard stuff he's eht up before w/o issues, like roses, geraniums- whatever hangs over the fence that he can reach). But haven't seen him eat since he hasn't moved this time yesterday. And no bowel movements/urine/urates. Just saw some dark stuff I'm assuming came from him.

I'm worried he ate something he shouldn't have last week when he escaped. DANG IT!! I'll offer him some cut up pumpkin and aloe pads to see if he takes em... Praying he'll be OK!!

 

[Yvonne G]

It always helps to soak a tortoise that isn't feeling well. Because of his size it may be hard to keep him inside a container, but that's something that may help him feel better. Choose a water trough or something he can't climb out of and add enough water to come up to the middle of his sides. Leave him in there for a good half hour. Scrambling around to escape helps get things inside him moving. Good luck. Hope he feels better soon.

I don't remember reading about his accommodations. Does he have heat inside his shelter? Heat on these cold nights is really important, and helps them keep their inner core temperature up where it should be. A cold sulcata acts similar to what you're describing.

 

[Dizisdalife]

He may be a bit traumatized by his big adventure or, maybe has sustained an injury of some sort. Anytime I take my sulcata out of his yard for a couple of hours (like the last trip to the Vet) he is "off" for a few days. It is possible too that he ate something that has upset his digestive tract. Perhaps the pumpkin or cactus pads will get things moving again.

 

[JoesMum]

He may also be sulking about his loss of freedom. Yvonne’s soaking recommendation is good

 

[Lil Haus]

It always helps to soak a tortoise that isn't feeling well. Because of his size it may be hard to keep him inside a container, but that's something that may help him feel better. Choose a water trough or something he can't climb out of and add enough water to come up to the middle of his sides. Leave him in there for a good half hour. Scrambling around to escape helps get things inside him moving. Good luck. Hope he feels better soon.

I don't remember reading about his accommodations. Does he have heat inside his shelter? Heat on these cold nights is really important, and helps them keep their inner core temperature up where it should be. A cold sulcata acts similar to what you're describing.

The only thing I have that he'll fit in is a baby pool; but I can't get him in it w/o help as he weighs about 100-125lb. That'll take a day to round it up. Then, when he's IN it...he just barrels right out and obliterates the pool!

He does have a house- just like the ones recommended on this site. With heat. But he hasn't wanted to go IN it...just on the side of MY house, under a bunch of stuff. So we cleared it all out and just leaned a pc of metal roofing against the wall for him.

He JUST came out and I tried feeding him some his favs. He won't touch any it. I hosed him down (warm water) and he got moving. It's already hotter than blazes, so he let me get the water up into his shoulders and under his tushy. Gonna go get watermelon and blueberries...

 

[no one]

Hope Mongo feels better real soon!! Poor thing...

 

[Yvonne G]

He won't eat if his inner core temperature isn't high enough to digest the food. That's why he needs to be in his heated shelter at night. They don't always know what's best for them.

I just recently sold two aldabran tortoises that were both right around 300lbs. I'm a 79 year old woman. Like you, I was not able to lift the tortoises, but if one of them didn't go into their heated shed on his own at night, it was up to me to get him in there. I was able to train one of them to move away from a continuing tap on his butt, and in that way, got him moving towards and eventually into the shed. The other one had to be coaxed by the carrot on a stick method, but I used a strawberry.

You have the responsibility to make sure this animal is cared for properly. What you see now in his behaviour is the result of allowing him to make his own decision on where to sleep. Enough said.

 

[Lil Haus]

Well he's back to mostly normal. Truckin around, busily browsing on anything and everything. I cut up apples and drizzled organic coconut oil all over em. Ate it up and passed a hard, fibrous, densely packed pellet about an hour later. Just as I thought, it's stuff he doesn't regularly eat, from his walk about. Gave him more coconut (he eats it from a spoon...I just scoop some out from the jar in it's hardened state and snarfs it up) so hopefully it'll grease everything up in there.

Now he's doing his impression of a Husqvarna mower, while enjoying the sprinklers ❤

 

[Lil Haus]

He won't eat if his inner core temperature isn't high enough to digest the food. That's why he needs to be in his heated shelter at night. They don't always know what's best for them.

I just recently sold two aldabran tortoises that were both right around 300lbs. I'm a 79 year old woman. Like you, I was not able to lift the tortoises, but if one of them didn't go into their heated shed on his own at night, it was up to me to get him in there. I was able to train one of them to move away from a continuing tap on his butt, and in that way, got him moving towards and eventually into the shed. The other one had to be coaxed by the carrot on a stick method, but I used a strawberry.

You have the responsibility to make sure this animal is cared for properly. What you see now in his behaviour is the result of allowing him to make his own decision on where to sleep. Enough said.

This is the first time he stayed out of his house. We were not aware of it until very late. Which is why we put the piece of roofing over him. I didn't mention that I did go ahead and put his heating pad in there and stack his bedding around him. So he was warm. TYVM.

 

[Big Charlie]

This is the first time he stayed out of his house. We were not aware of it until very late. Which is why we put the piece of roofing over him. I didn't mention that I did go ahead and put his heating pad in there and stack his bedding around him. So he was warm. TYVM.

that's good you were able to put his heating pad in there. Sometimes Charlie will hunker down like that and it is really difficult to get him back to his heated house. I think sometimes he gets stuck there by waiting too long and then he isn't warm enough to move. I had friends help me slide him onto a towel and we carried him like on a stretcher. He has another spot he sometimes go that is a tight spot between a shack and fence. If he is there, there is no way I can get him out if he doesn't want to come.