Hatchling failure syndrome

[Leonardthetortoise!]

Hey everybody so I think my baby leopard tortoise has hatchling failure syndrome unfortunately and my question is is there anything I can do or is it just a waiting game for these guys?

his habitat temps are 40-80% humidity throughout the day and his cold temp never drops below 80 degrees and his hot side is around 90 to 95 he has a humid hide and his light is a 100 watt iridescent bulb and a t8 uvb strip light. I soak him everyday tokeep him hydrated and he does seem to eat some grass and flowers occasionally.

any advice would be great thank you

 

[KarenSoCal]

First, weigh him on a kitchen scale. Please weigh him in grams.

How old is he to the best of your knowledge?

He lives alone, right? Not with another tortoise?

When you soak, make a mixture...1/2 water, 1/2 unflavored pedialyte, and add some pureed or strained carrot baby food.
When he soaks, hopefully he will drink some to add more nutrition.

Be especially vigilant about those temps. Make sure you are measuring at tortoise height with a temp gun or probe thermometer, just not with a stick on one.

Why do you think he is failing? What are the signs and symptoms? How are his eyes?

Gosh! I hope he can pull through! How about a few pics? Include one from above him and one taken from below him.

 

[Leonardthetortoise!]

First, weigh him on a kitchen scale. Please weigh him in grams.

How old is he to the best of your knowledge?

He lives alone, right? Not with another tortoise?

When you soak, make a mixture...1/2 water, 1/2 unflavored pedialyte, and add some pureed or strained carrot baby food.
When he soaks, hopefully he will drink some to add more nutrition.

Be especially vigilant about those temps. Make sure you are measuring at tortoise height with a temp gun or probe thermometer, just not with a stick on one.

Why do you think he is failing? What are the signs and symptoms? How are his eyes?

Gosh! I hope he can pull through! How about a few pics? Include one from above him and one taken from below him.

First, weigh him on a kitchen scale. Please weigh him in grams.

How old is he to the best of your knowledge?

He lives alone, right? Not with another tortoise?

When you soak, make a mixture...1/2 water, 1/2 unflavored pedialyte, and add some pureed or strained carrot baby food.
When he soaks, hopefully he will drink some to add more nutrition.

Be especially vigilant about those temps. Make sure you are measuring at tortoise height with a temp gun or probe thermometer, just not with a stick on one.

Why do you think he is failing? What are the signs and symptoms? How are his eyes?

Gosh! I hope he can pull through! How about a few pics? Include one from above him and one taken from below him.

Hi, yes he lives alone. And I actually weighed him today he weighed 29 grams. He is around 8 or maybe 12 weeks. I took him to the vet a couple weeks ago and they gave him calcium shots and antibiotics because he was lethargic and his eye where staying shut and his shell was a little soft and after that he started getting a little better eating more his eyes were opened and stuff but just the last couple days he is back to not really eating and his eyes are staying shut. I will try the bath soaks I will add pics of him when I get home!
Thank you

 

[Tom]

Hi, yes he lives alone. And I actually weighed him today he weighed 29 grams. He is around 8 or maybe 12 weeks. I took him to the vet a couple weeks ago and they gave him calcium shots and antibiotics because he was lethargic and his eye where staying shut and his shell was a little soft and after that he started getting a little better eating more his eyes were opened and stuff but just the last couple days he is back to not really eating and his eyes are staying shut. I will try the bath soaks I will add pics of him when I get home!
Thank you

That sounds like the typical signs, unfortunately. Where did you buy him?

 

[Leonardthetortoise!]

That sounds like the typical signs, unfortunately. Where did you buy him?

Tortoise town

 

[Tom]

Tortoise town

Ouch. Sorry man.

This doesn't sound good, but you just never know. Some of them pull through. All you can do is try.

You'll know next time to find a breeder that starts them correctly. The proper start makes such a huge difference.

 

[KarenSoCal]

I'm so, so sorry. It probably is a waiting game.

But don't give up on him! Now and then one pulls through!

A vet won't be able to help him. His fate is already determined. He'll either make it or he won't. All you can do is support him and let him know he is loved.

 

[Leonardthetortoise!]

Tortoise town

And ever since we got him he hasn’t really been very active like I have seen other baby tortoises act

 

[Leonardthetortoise!]

I'm so, so sorry. It probably is a waiting game.

But don't give up on him! Now and then one pulls through!

A vet won't be able to help him. His fate is already determined. He'll either make it or he won't. All you can do is support him and let him know he is loved.

Thank you for the tips and I will do everything I can to give him a fighting chance

 

[Leonardthetortoise!]

Ouch. Sorry man.

This doesn't sound good, but you just never know. Some of them pull through. All you can do is try.

You'll know next time to find a breeder that starts them correctly. The proper start makes such a huge difference.

Thank you I will just keep trying with him and hope he pulls through and buy from better breeders next time now that I know how they are started is so important

 

[Leonardthetortoise!]

First, weigh him on a kitchen scale. Please weigh him in grams.

How old is he to the best of your knowledge?

He lives alone, right? Not with another tortoise?

When you soak, make a mixture...1/2 water, 1/2 unflavored pedialyte, and add some pureed or strained carrot baby food.
When he soaks, hopefully he will drink some to add more nutrition.

Be especially vigilant about those temps. Make sure you are measuring at tortoise height with a temp gun or probe thermometer, just not with a stick on one.

Why do you think he is failing? What are the signs and symptoms? How are his eyes?

Gosh! I hope he can pull through! How about a few pics? Include one from above him and one taken from below him.

Hey I just wanted to hop on here and give you an update!! I know he isn’t out of the woods by any mean but I have been giving him those soaks in the Pedialyte and baby food carrots and just in the last three to four days I have seen a huge improvement he is active his eyes are open he is eating his food and he has gain weight as well. I know he isn’t out of the woods yet but at least he is feeling better Thank you!!! And here is some pics of him

 

[haydog_99]

Hey I just wanted to hop on here and give you an update!! I know he isn’t out of the woods by any mean but I have been giving him those soaks in the Pedialyte and baby food carrots and just in the last three to four days I have seen a huge improvement he is active his eyes are open he is eating his food and he has gain weight as well. I know he isn’t out of the woods yet but at least he is feeling better Thank you!!! And here is some pics of him

View attachment 294747View attachment 294748

Have you tried feeding him some mixed greens and dandelion greens? Babies won't eat grass a lot of the time, mine is a year and just starting to eat grass, he wouldn't touch it when he was younger.

 

[Leonardthetortoise!]

Have you tried feeding him some mixed greens and dandelion greens? Babies won't eat grass a lot of the time, mine is a year and just starting to eat grass, he wouldn't touch it when he was younger.

Yes he is eating all of that!

 

[Tom]

Hey I just wanted to hop on here and give you an update!! I know he isn’t out of the woods by any mean but I have been giving him those soaks in the Pedialyte and baby food carrots and just in the last three to four days I have seen a huge improvement he is active his eyes are open he is eating his food and he has gain weight as well. I know he isn’t out of the woods yet but at least he is feeling better Thank you!!! And here is some pics of him

That is good news. Are you weighing him weekly? This will be your best indicator of how things are going. Steady gain and passing that 50 gram mark will be a great sign that things are okay.

 

[haydog_99]

Yes he is eating all of that!

Keep feeding him that and add some Mazuri three times a week. Has he gained any weight?

 

[Leonardthetortoise!]

That is good news. Are you weighing him weekly? This will be your best indicator of how things are going. Steady gain and passing that 50 gram mark will be a great sign that things are okay.

I have been weighing him like twice a week and so far he has gained three grams since the last time I weighed him

 

[haydog_99]

Sounds like he has turned a corner, how active is he?

 

[Ink]

I gave my new to me 4 or 5 year old Eastern Hermann carrot soaks. He was slow and didn't seem right. Now he is doing great!! I have jars of carrots in my pantry just in case one of my tortoises falls ill. Thanks @Yvonne G !

 

[Leonardthetortoise!]

Sounds like he has turned a corner, how active is he?
[/QUOTE
I can tell he is moving around his enclosure and using his humid hide and when I soak him he walks around a lot he use to just sit there!!

 

[Fish Breath]

Hmmm...you’ve done a good thing mate! Keep him healthy! Weigh him more! I’ll look forward to more posts! Btw, he might actually behave differently, which is good, sometimes. He might already be trained because of this!!!!! Nice job!