Got the two Ornate girls

[LIttleGreys]

So I brought home the 2 Ornate girls that I posted about before. The bigger of the two seems in good shape, she is alert, curious about everything, and ate last night. The smaller has me concerned a bit. I was told she was shy. She seems quite lethargic, stayed under the basking light with her eyes closed for quite some time. I decided to get her out and soak her, I added some VitaSol to the water as some suggested they may have a vitamin A deficiency. She seemed to perk up. I turned the light off for the night, as the room stays in the mid 60s. This morning she had her eyes open and seemed interested in her worms, but she didn't eat any before I left for work. She seems very thin to me, she feels like picking up an empty shell. Hopefully she will be seeing the vet on Thursday.
I seem to be reading conflicting advice about humidity. Some say they are a more arid species, other say they get swollen eyes from being kept to dry. So, I'm not sure which way to go. My plan, I guess, for now, is to keep them in the 40-50% range and adjust from there.
Any other advice??

 

[Yvonne G]

I would continue to soak her in the vitamin water every day. And keep offering "wiggling" food. Whatever you do, don't allow the vet to give her an injection of a,d,e. They use that to stimulate the appetite, but the vit.a causes the skin to slough off when they're given too high a dose. And keep her a little warmer. Put a heat light over the habitat at night so it stays above 60. That's a little cool for a sick turtle. I'm sure you already know this, but I'm going to mention it anyway. Never allow a sick (or new-to-you) turtle to hibernate the first year you have them.

Yvonne

 

[Itort]

The info you've seen about them coming from a drier enviornment is true but they do retreat to a more humid (burrows, ect) at night and during the heat of the day, so they do need a humid hide. As Yvonne says don't allow the temps to drop below mid 60s for her. I've had good luck with sick boxies by giving them vitamin A rich foods such as melons. The vit A injections are very tricky and dangerous so stay away.

 

[LIttleGreys]

Thanks for the advice. Their previous owner said they will not eat fruits or veggies, only live food, but I am certainly going to do my best to try to change that. I bought a canteloupe and am going to try that. On their first day here, I didn't know if they would eat just due to the stress of moving, so wanted to give them a day or so to adjust before I throw too many new things at them. I did put a bit of squash in there, and they ignored it.

 

[Yvonne G]

One way to get the box turtles to try other foods is to chop them up really small...you might even grate them (the other foods, not the box turtles!!). Cantaloupe, yellow squash, zucchini, strawberries, etc. Place a pile of the really small fruit/veggie mixture on the feeding platform them put either meal worms or night crawlers (something that wiggles) on top of the pile. They eat the worm and get a taste for the other foods and eventually they are eating everything you place in front of them. Once they start to eat fruits and veggies, you don't have to chop it up so small. Its good for their beaks to have to bite off pieces of the food.

Yvonne

 

[egyptiandan]

It sounds like the small one has gotten stressed out from being together with the other Ornate and hasn't eaten in quite a while.
If she's not eating than Flagyl is probably in order, which can be given in a large dose once or in a smaller dose once a day for 3 days. I had one stressed female that I gave Flagyl to that stayed on a hunger strike for 5 months. I just left her alone and kept offering live food. She's doing great now and is outside about to be hibernating for the first time in 2 years.
I would definately keep them alone. My Ornates love to be just as humid as my Gulf Coasts and Three-toeds. They didn't do well dry.

Danny

 

[LIttleGreys]

Thanks everyone. Little Girl ate a few waxworms this evening after her soak. She looks much better today.

 

[Yvonne G]

Thanks everyone. Little Girl ate a few waxworms this evening after her soak. She looks much better today.

That's just great! Anorexia is a big problem when it occurs in turtles and tortoises. Once they become anorexic it is VERY difficult to get them started eating again. So a few of those stinky waxworms is a wonderful step in the right direction.

Is it possible for you to have the two separated like Danny suggests? It is way better for a weak turtle to be alone. And try to notice if the turtle poops. If the poop looks like St. Bernard Saliva, more than likely Danny's other suggestion about the Flagyl is in order too.

Yvonne