Eugene The Uninterested Tortoise

[Blastoise]

I've had Eugene since February. He was very very active for the first month or two, ate as much food as I gave him, and would run to the food whenever I fed him. Then he got a really bad case of pinworms and one other parasite I can't remember. After a week of him acting strange I noticed worms in his feces and took him in to the vet. After two panacur treatments he was parasite free.

Fast forward several months to now. Eugene doesn't wake up early like he used to. He's never up when I leave for school at ten a.m. He never walks around exploring his cage. If I dig him up and put him next to the food he will eat a little, then bask for a bit, and then go back to sleep. I had him in his own 6x3 cage, and thought he might perk up a little if I put him with my female russian, no change in his behavior, he didn't even notice her (although she followed him around and would go sleep by him) Even when he goes outside he sleeps almost the whole time. He is inactive 20 hours of the day probably. By inactive I mean buried. I've tried leaving him outside for a week in nice weather, he is still extremely inactive. His temps, cage, food, lighting are all good.

He is healthy. His weight has not fluctuated from around 17 oz and hes 4.5 inches scl. Could he still be healing from a really bad worm infestation? Will he return to his former food pile destroying self?

 

[pugsandkids]

Poor guy, poor you. I don't have much experience, but have you tried warm water soaks? Maybe even with baby food? I'm sure you'll get lots of help here!

 

[Masin]

When did he start acting this way exactly?
Is he pooping? Soaking? Your husbandry is spot on? Dunno if you've posted it before but how about pictures of his enclosure? I'm sure you'll be getting lots of great advice in no time!

 

[lynnedit]

It can take them awhile to recover after worming, but he should have rebounded by now.

It would be helpful for you to list what kind of lighting you have, and what the temps are.
Do you soak them?
Nose and eyes clear? Peeing and pooping?

If your set up is OK, then it may be time for a visit to the Reptile vet, and get a fecal checked again for parasites.

 

[AustinASU]

Have you soaked him in warmish wateR?

 

[Blastoise]

I soak him at least twice a week. He poops what little food he's eaten every soak and I see urates in the water reqularly. Nose and eyes are clear. He walks with his shell off the ground. Right when I got him he would eat tons, maybe because they weren't feeding him properly in the crappy pet store where I got him. I have a repti-glow 10.0 UV tube light and a 100 watt basking light. He has been outside a lot this summer in an outdoor enclosure I built, and a couple times a week the food is dusted with calcium and vitamin D.

I feed a mixture of about ten different kinds of organic greens from a local co-op. Temps outside vary by weather, as long as it wasn't storming really bad I would leave him out. It gets kind of cold and wet now so he's in every night, out when its sunny. He's been really inactive about two to three weeks now, maybe he's just getting ready to hibernate, as he is a wild caught tortoise, but it worries me that he doesn't eat much. I know different tortoises have different activity levels, but my female is active so much more than Eugene. I'll keep soaking him and keeping him from hibernating this winter to make sure he's healty. I'm also gonna schedule a vet check-up JIC

 

[shellysmom]

He kind of just sounds like a sleepy little guy, especially since you mention he's wild-caught, but it definitely wouldn't hurt to have a vet look at him again.

 

[mercurysmom]

He might just be in winter mode. My sulcatas can be pretty boring during the winter, and extremely active during summer. Maybe your tortoise is just a little backwards, and he'll snap out of it soon. Maybe you can lower the heat lamp or make sure he sleeps under it? As long as he's still eating and pooping, even if its just a little, he's still working.