Health questions about my sulcata baby :(

[NgocLan19]

Hello everybody, I am a new member. Nice to meet u
I had 2 sulcatas since 4 month, at they was hatching.
When I checked "Dark", the sulcatas i mean in this post, i saw his shell is very soft, like if I flick off the shell it can be broke.
I grow them in a plastic container, with the UV light. When I feed them, i saw " Dark" always lazy, and never open his eyes if I dont soak him until now. With 1 posture, he can sleep 24h/24h. That's make me worry. And before that, i think he had the trouble with his eyes when he try to eat the piece of salad in front of him, he missed his bites, difficult to eat but his eyes look like very normal, so he smaller than "Light", the another one i have.
Different with "Light" , he always strong and snappy.
I have some question about "Dark":
1. What should i do now to help " Dark" can eat normally?
2. How to help his soft shell, it's make me worry?

 

[lismar79]

Seperate them and make sure you are giving them calcium and keeping them warm and humid.

 

[lismar79]

Please post a picture of what his uv light looks like.

 

[NgocLan19]

Seperate them and make sure you are giving them calcium and keeping them warm and humid.

How often I give them calcium? 3 times 1 week?
Separate its really need?
Thanks for answering my questions

 

[NgocLan19]

Please post a picture of what his uv light looks like.

 

[lismar79]

I give a small pinch 2 times a week. This is a likely reason why shell would be soft
I would seperate them and see f dark starts moving more. Torts do not like to be in pairs. They like to be alone. He may not be moving because he is trying not to get in the others way.
A picture of your house for them would also help us to tell you what you could do to make things better for him.
Please read this link:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
A lot of information you need is in that care link

 

[lismar79]

From you picture I can see a problem. Hay or straw are not good bedding for these tortoises. They need something to hold moisture. Humidity is very important. You need to change to something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Compressed-Coconut-Substrate/dp/B0010OSIHW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1413600179&sr=1-1&keywords=coconut coir

You soak it in water till it expands then hand pack it in to your enclosure.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

welcome to the forum! ask as many questions as you want. please read the entire forum that Lismar has provided

 

[Tom]

They need real sunshine when possible. That bulb does not provide any UV. Just heat and light.

Try reading these and the one above and see what needs to change:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Also, do you know how this tortoise was started in its first few weeks before you got it? Try reading this one:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

 

[NgocLan19]

They need real sunshine when possible. That bulb does not provide any UV. Just heat and light.

Try reading these and the one above and see what needs to change:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Also, do you know how this tortoise was started in its first few weeks before you got it? Try reading this one:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

welcome to the forum! ask as many questions as you want. please read the entire forum that Lismar has provided

From you picture I can see a problem. Hay or straw are not good bedding for these tortoises. They need something to hold moisture. Humidity is very important. You need to change to something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Compressed-Coconut-Substrate/dp/B0010OSIHW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1413600179&sr=1-1&keywords=coconut coir

You soak it in water till it expands then hand pack it in to your enclosure.

Thank you so much everybody That all i need

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

remember to soak him every day and keep his cage humidity at 80%

 

[NgocLan19]

I noticed that his eyes seemed a little diffrent.(they seemed blank)..So I brought him in here with me, I sat him down and moved my hands infront of his face, right up to his eyes....he didnt even flinch. I shifted it back & forth between both eyes...still nothing.
I keep trying to get him 2 flinch...nothing worked. But when we touched him on his nose on on his arms....he went right into his shell. I did this for awhile and it was like he could not see our fingers right up unfront of his face no matter what move we made...but if I touched him right into his shell he would go... ~cfn-uhh
I donno what brought this on...I looked at his eyes no cuts or marks or anything like that.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

he seems fine remember he's baby! if you look really closely you can see a pupil in his eye, as he gets older you will be able to see it better.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Your baby needs calcium and UVB (either from the sun or from a good UVB light). The UVB helps the calcium to work and without it the calcium just gets excreted in the urine. Lack of calcium is why the shell is soft. Lack of calcium is painful and this is probably why the eyes are closed. Do you have a good tortoise vet in your area?

 

[NgocLan19]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Your baby needs calcium and UVB (either from the sun or from a good UVB light). The UVB helps the calcium to work and without it the calcium just gets excreted in the urine. Lack of calcium is why the shell is soft. Lack of calcium is painful and this is probably why the eyes are closed. Do you have a good tortoise vet in your area?

This is the good UV light for him? I am using it. We need to light 24/24 ?
My area doesn't have tortoise vet. I just do the best at home
Thank for helping,"Staff Member"

 

[Tom]

This is the good UV light for him? I am using it. We need to light 24/24 ?
My area doesn't have tortoise vet. I just do the best at home
Thank for helping,"Staff Member"

No. That bulb gives off no UVB. Do a search for PowerSun. Or you can use long florescent tubes. Do NOT use coil type cfl florescent bulbs.

Real sunshine is best. In a large safe enclosure with shade available too.

You cannot leave the lights on 24/7. They need it dark at night, but still warm.

This is all explained in the links posted above. Please read that care sheet. It explains all the heating and lighting for day and night.

 

[lismar79]

No uvb is a big part of your problems... do you live somewhere warm enough to take him out in the sun. This would help a lot

 

[NgocLan19]

I live at apartment, just have public garden. That's dangerous for them.
But i will try to take them out in the sun.
Thank you so much

 

[lismar79]

If they treat the garden with any chemicals, do not put them on the ground. But if you have a plastic container you can sit with them in it for a half hour or so it would do them some good

 

[NgocLan19]

If they treat the garden with any chemicals, do not put them on the ground. But if you have a plastic container you can sit with them in it for a half hour or so it would do them some good

I am sitting next to them with a plastic container. Just a half hour/one day, that okay?