Fussy eater with bad eyes.

[anthonyholmes]

Hiya, we have a hermanns tortoise, and he is a very fussy eater, we really struggle to get him to eat anything, so much so that his eyes began to close up due to a vitamin deficiency, we took him to the vets and he gave him some shots and his eye came back, but we still just cannot get him to eat, anyone got any ideas as we are a little stuck and want him eating right!

 

[jlb1077]

My torts love Mazuri. In general they are attracted to things of color! Good luck

 

[anthonyholmes]

Whats mazuri??

 

[jlb1077]

It's a dehydrated food for torts. People on here sell it. You can also get it at Petsmart, Petco & pet supermarket. One of the chains doesn't carry it but I can't remember which one.

 

[anthonyholmes]

Ah ok, yeah we have some dried pellets which we give him 2-3 times a week but were told not to give him that too many times as its not ideal, but he doesnt really eat anything. Are they ok just eating run of the mill garden grass? I know dandelions are ok and other weeds. Its just so hard as you read one thing and it says they mustnt eat one thing, you go on anothet and it says that same thing is ok for them!

 

[jlb1077]

Hermanni Chris on here is very knowledgeable. I feed mine lots of variety. Mazuri 2 times a week. Grassland tort food 2 times a week. Different lettuces and veggies. I have introduced new things to mine by chopping it real fine and mixing it wilts what they do like.

 

[anthonyholmes]

But he doesnt seem to like anything! :-(

 

[Yvonne G]

Please tell us how you have the tortoise set up - is he outside or in, what kind of light, where do you live, what is the temperature in his habitat, what kind of substrate...anything you can think of. Everything you tell us helps us give you better answers.

 

[anthonyholmes]

He is indoors, as we feel he is too small to go outside, he is about half the size of my palm, he had a dirt/sandy substrate now, used to have the wood shaving type stuff. He has a uv tortoise specific lamp (I forget the make) we live in England and I cant remember the temperate zones off the top of my head (im in bed) but they are both within the correct hot and cool zones if you get my meaning.

 

[mollydee]

He is indoors, as we feel he is too small to go outside, he is about half the size of my palm, he had a dirt/sandy substrate now, used to have the wood shaving type stuff. He has a uv tortoise specific lamp (I forget the make) we live in England and I cant remember the temperate zones off the top of my head (im in bed) but they are both within the correct hot and cool zones if you get my meaning.

I've never had a hermann but a sandy substrate could be causing the eye irritation

 

[Yvonne G]

Is your light the new coil-shaped compact fluorescent bulb? If so, that might be why his eyes are puffy. Those bulbs cause a problem similar to snow blindness. Its very painful and the tortoise won't eat when his eyes hurt. If you don't have that type of UVB bulb, then maybe your light is too close to the floor of the habitat causing painful eyes.

So, a couple things to think about - sand and light.

 

[jlb1077]

Are these ok?

 

[tellablue]

I believe that is one of the coil shaped bulbs that Yvonne was referring to as being bad for the tortoise's eyes. I have the ZooMed PowerSun UV, which seems to work well, and I have found it on Amazon.com.

 

[jlb1077]

Thanks for the info. I have a strip light for my other tort. I have this tort in a different set up so that won't work.

 

[ascott]

You will really want to turn that coil bulb off and get a replacement uva/uvb bulb, perhaps something like this;

http://www.petmountain.com/show_product/11442-107801

The tort will be find for a few days with only a heat bulb until you get a replacement style bulb for the uva/uvb....

What are the temps in the enclosure? I mean, I know you mention they are within the scale of acceptable temps--but what are yours at and how are you measuring those temps?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

No that coil light is what blinded a Sulcata yearling I had. Make sure your Hermanns is warm enough, get rid of that light and the sand and buy some kale and radicchio. Cut it up in smallish pieces, the kale smells real strong and the radicchio is red. I have a tortoise whose sinus are abscessed so he can't smell and that's what he eats a lot of.

 

[Yvonne G]

Let's don't mix up our posters. The light pictured by jlb1077 is not what the original poster has said they're using. We still haven't heard from AnthonyHolmes what light he's using.

 

[anthonyholmes]

Sorry, been at work, we use an arcadia d3uv basking lamp. Also, how often woulf you guys recommend replacing bulbs?

 

[Yvonne G]

I know they're pricey, but it really comes in handy to have a UV tester so you can know when to replace your bulb. Some only last about 3 months, others 6. So, even thought you are still getting light and heat, after a certain length of time, the UV is worn out.

 

[jlb1077]

Is this one ok?