Does my Russian tortoise have hatchling failure syndrome?

EE torts

Active Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
205
Location (City and/or State)
USA
Hello i have been dreading making this thread because i am to afraid my 3 month old hatchling (Pebbles) will have HFS. so i read tom's thread about HFS and i feel like Pebbles has all the symptoms. "his appetite drops a little and he hides or sleeps a little more. Then the shell starts feeling a little softer than you remember. Then the eyes don't want to open and the lethargy really sets in. Eating stops or is greatly reduced. Usually the hatchling has barely grown." the breeder is a super nice guy and i met him at the reptile expo (this tortoise was not an impulse buy i did lots of research before i got him/her) he was very busy so i waited to ask some questions until email he replied to all my questions except for the one regarding HUMIDITY so i got very worried because he is leaving like the most important part of a hatchling care so if he was raised in a open aired enclose do you guys think he has HFS the breeder wont tell me if he was or was not so i cant really say. i am very nervous that this is HFS because i heard there is no cure to HFS and eventually they will just die and i love him so much i cant just know he will soon die :( .
pleas help in anyway!
 

Arzu78

Active Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2018
Messages
109
Location (City and/or State)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Hi, I just lost one of my babies, not an expert here, but have read a lot of cases like ours. You have to start soaking your baby in warm water with carrot baby food on it for at least 30 minutes to an hour, preferably under the sun (providing shade area) 9-10am is perfect, and maintaining the warm water temp. ASAP. Good luck!!! [emoji1317][emoji1317][emoji1317]
 

Arzu78

Active Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2018
Messages
109
Location (City and/or State)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Hi, I just lost one of my babies, not an expert here, but have read a lot of cases like ours. You have to start soaking your baby in warm water with carrot baby food on it for at least 30 minutes to an hour, preferably under the sun (providing shade area) 9-10am is perfect, and maintaining the warm water temp. ASAP. Good luck!!! [emoji1317][emoji1317][emoji1317]

This you have to do twice a day.
 

Arzu78

Active Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2018
Messages
109
Location (City and/or State)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Plus gives them the nutrients they are lacking from not eating properly. Water provides the hydration, baby food the nutrients. Some people even add some flavorless pedialyte. There are cases of babies gaining their health back thanks to this.
 

EE torts

Active Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
205
Location (City and/or State)
USA
Hi, I just lost one of my babies, not an expert here, but have read a lot of cases like ours. You have to start soaking your baby in warm water with carrot baby food on it for at least 30 minutes to an hour, preferably under the sun (providing shade area) 9-10am is perfect, and maintaining the warm water temp. ASAP. Good luck!!! [emoji1317][emoji1317][emoji1317]
thanks for the info i will try the carrot soak. if that does not work what should i do? is there a chance he/she cold live through this?
 

LaLaP

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2018
Messages
959
Location (City and/or State)
Portland, OR
There is definitely a chance. Don't give up and do all you can.
 

katieandiggy

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2018
Messages
1,022
Location (City and/or State)
Suffolk, United Kingdom
MKe sure your temperatures are stable.80f all over with a basking spot of 97-100f soak 30 mins twice per day in baby carrot. Keep offering food. If it is HFS there is nothing you can do because it’s likely the kidneys are damaged beyond repair. Don’t give up.
When you say the shell is soft? Do you mean soft like a water balloon or sort like a Tupperware container, some pics of your baby would be good
 

Arzu78

Active Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2018
Messages
109
Location (City and/or State)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
thanks for the info i will try the carrot soak. if that does not work what should i do? is there a chance he/she cold live through this?

Yes, there is. Do the soaks with the baby food, twice a day in warm water, maintain the right temps and humidity. Have some food available, is used to put 4 pellets of food, to be able to ck if he started eating. Do not give up, be strong [emoji8][emoji8][emoji8]
 

Bee62

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
11,981
Location (City and/or State)
Germany
Hello i have been dreading making this thread because i am to afraid my 3 month old hatchling (Pebbles) will have HFS. so i read tom's thread about HFS and i feel like Pebbles has all the symptoms. "his appetite drops a little and he hides or sleeps a little more. Then the shell starts feeling a little softer than you remember. Then the eyes don't want to open and the lethargy really sets in. Eating stops or is greatly reduced. Usually the hatchling has barely grown." the breeder is a super nice guy and i met him at the reptile expo (this tortoise was not an impulse buy i did lots of research before i got him/her) he was very busy so i waited to ask some questions until email he replied to all my questions except for the one regarding HUMIDITY so i got very worried because he is leaving like the most important part of a hatchling care so if he was raised in a open aired enclose do you guys think he has HFS the breeder wont tell me if he was or was not so i cant really say. i am very nervous that this is HFS because i heard there is no cure to HFS and eventually they will just die and i love him so much i cant just know he will soon die :( .
pleas help in anyway!
How are the temps and the humidity in the enclosure of your baby tort ?
What lights do you use ?
What do you feed ?
Please upload pictures from the whole enclosure and your tortoise ( all sides please ).
Sometimes pics are better to see when things are wrong.
 

EE torts

Active Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
205
Location (City and/or State)
USA
There is definitely a chance. Don't give up and do all you can.
Thanks for the motivation i definitely would never give up i will try everything. it just sucks that people still rise there hatchling torts up in open aired enclosures :(
 

EE torts

Active Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
205
Location (City and/or State)
USA
How are the temps and the humidity in the enclosure of your baby tort ?
What lights do you use ?
What do you feed ?
Please upload pictures from the whole enclosure and your tortoise ( all sides please ).
Sometimes pics are better to see when things are wrong.
temps our 70 on the cool side slowly going to 77-80 middle and 95 basking temp humidity 70 precent.
i use a 4ft UVB 10.0 covers most the enclosure.
i feed all of these switching day to day mixing different stuff arugula, collard greens, radicchio, endive, dandelion leaves and flowers, clovers, cactus pads and fruit, Brussel sprouts,i have tried zoomed grassland tortoise food and he dose not like it.
(in the pics you will see a humidity gauge i onley use it for aproximent humidity i know these our not very accurate i will be getting a better one. i also use a temp gun for the temp because those our pretty accurate.) IMG_5709.JPG IMG_5708.JPG IMG_5710.JPG IMG_5707.JPG
 

Bee62

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
11,981
Location (City and/or State)
Germany
Your temps and humidity must be a little bit higher.
Basking spot at 104 F. The whole enclosure at 80 F.
Humidity at 85 % for a baby tort.
How are your night temps ?
How long are the lights in the enclosure on ?
Even russian baby torts might want to hibernate. You have to bump up the temps and the humidity and the lenght of the day to simulate your tort that it is summer.
Please keep on with the soaks. Twice a day for 30 min with baby carrot food in the water. The soaking water must stay warm during the soaks.
 

EE torts

Active Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
205
Location (City and/or State)
USA
Your temps and humidity must be a little bit higher.
Basking spot at 104 F. The whole enclosure at 80 F.
Humidity at 85 % for a baby tort.
How are your night temps ?
How long are the lights in the enclosure on ?
Even russian baby torts might want to hibernate. You have to bump up the temps and the humidity and the lenght of the day to simulate your tort that it is summer.
Please keep on with the soaks. Twice a day for 30 min with baby carrot food in the water. The soaking water must stay warm during the soaks.
night temps our 70. lights our on 13 hours a day. i am going to change the substrate to cypress mulch and eco earth instead of just eco earth.
 

Bee62

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
11,981
Location (City and/or State)
Germany
night temps our 70. lights our on 13 hours a day. i am going to change the substrate to cypress mulch and eco earth instead of just eco earth.
I would not use cypress mulch because tortoises sometimes eat it and could die. When eco earth is too messy cover it with fine orchid bark. The orchid bark keeps humidity fine.
I would increase the night temps for your baby tort too.
 

EE torts

Active Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
205
Location (City and/or State)
USA
I would not use cypress mulch because tortoises sometimes eat it and could die. When eco earth is too messy cover it with fine orchid bark. The orchid bark keeps humidity fine.
I would increase the night temps for your baby tort too.
is it okay to use if i watch him the first day to make sure he does not eat it?
 

New Posts

Top