Help! tortoise only sleeps

[Cowboy_Ken]

Update: he's been eating all of the dandilion leaves I've been giving him! So happy now all I have to figure out is why he's sleeping so much :/

I like your update. He needs more variety than dandelions though to stay healthy. When you soak him, is he crapping while in the water? And while I'm on a crappy topic, have you been able to find a Vetinerian that will do a fair priced fecal for you? You want a vet that has experience with tortoises not just reptiles.

 

[Tchaikovsky]

I like your update. He needs more variety than dandelions though to stay healthy. When you soak him, is he crapping while in the water? And while I'm on a crappy topic, have you been able to find a Vetinerian that will do a fair priced fecal for you? You want a vet that has experience with tortoises not just reptiles.

He hasn't been popping while I've been bathing him. I think he mostly just sleeps until the water gets too cold. We only have one veterinarian in my town that does reptiles so I don't think I get to be picky with it :/ I haven't taken him to the vet yet and I was hoping that I wouldn't need to....

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

We only have one veterinarian in my town that does reptiles so I don't think I get to be picky with it :/ I haven't taken him to the vet yet and I was hoping that I wouldn't need to....

With a store bought russian, the odds are more likely than not its a wild caught one. The wild caught ones typically are full of internal parasites. These not only are bad for helping a tortoise do well, they rob your tortoise of important nutrients from the food its eating, draining the poor guy of the nourishment he needs to thrive and grow healthy.
If memory serves me properly, pin worms are common in wild caught russian tortoises. These are easy to transfer to other animals and easy to treat as well. There are anti worming meds that are no good for tortoises yet they are regularly prescribed for them by inexperienced vetinerians. Always double check the recommendations of the vetinerian and the dosage recommended.
Well done you in asking questions and wanting to do all you can to help your tortoise and yourself have a long, wonderful life together.

 

[Tchaikovsky]

With a store bought russian, the odds are more likely than not its a wild caught one. The wild caught ones typically are full of internal parasites. These not only are bad for helping a tortoise do well, they rob your tortoise of important nutrients from the food its eating, draining the poor guy of the nourishment he needs to thrive and grow healthy.
If memory serves me properly, pin worms are common in wild caught russian tortoises. These are easy to transfer to other animals and easy to treat as well. There are anti worming meds that are no good for tortoises yet they are regularly prescribed for them by inexperienced vetinerians. Always double check the recommendations of the vetinerian and the dosage recommended.
Well done you in asking questions and wanting to do all you can to help your tortoise and yourself have a long, wonderful life together.

So do you think I should still take him to the vet? It would probably be a bit spends but if it's needed then I'll do it...

 

[leigti]

I would take him to the vet and get a fecal test done. That way you're also established with the vet in case there is an emergency in the future. He probably won't have to visit the vet very often but it is a good place to start when you first get your tortoise.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Or…just take a "vent" poop swab to collect a sample of your tortoises crap. Take that in and it should be enough for a sample to check for internals. This way you likely can avoid paying a visit fee. Maybe negotiate a 10 minute meeting with the vet to meet them and get to know them. That should be significantly cheaper than s full visit with the tortoise as well.
Have you found any plantain yet growing wild? If not, I've found organic seeds on eBay and I could give you the link. Let me know if you need it.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

If you're able to make a short visit with the vet. make a list laying out your daily care routine and everything it does that concerns you. List what you feed and how much. If you have a gram scale, weigh him everyday at the same time or at least within an hour or so, so it's a regular weight. If you don't have a scale, take an empty box to the post office and weigh it. Then come back with the tortoise in it and weigh it. Then, using the science of mathematics, subtract the one from the other and you'll have his weight. The vet. will want the weight as well as the size,(length and width) to help figure out the health.

 

[Tchaikovsky]

The only plantains that I know that grow around here are dandilions. Even if there was more, the frost will start to come within the next week or two so nothing will be growing :/ it'll start snowing before another month comes around. South Dakota is great isn't it? Ugh...

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Yup on South Dakota. Make a cheap greenhouse and grow your own. That's what lots of keepers do here. I'm in Oregon and we don't get the feet of snow you do, or the steady wind pushing it around all winter, but in theory we get on average 48+ inches of rain each year. Cold and wet is almost as bad as just cold. The most recent good amount of snow we had was 2 years ago and that was about 7"-9" up here at the house. Less in town, but still not fun to be in. We do have a a pretty active member living in Nebraska and they get real winter weather as well, right?

 

[Tchaikovsky]

Yup on South Dakota. Make a cheap greenhouse and grow your own. That's what lots of keepers do here. I'm in Oregon and we don't get the feet of snow you do, or the steady wind pushing it around all winter, but in theory we get on average 48+ inches of rain each year. Cold and wet is almost as bad as just cold. The most recent good amount of snow we had was 2 years ago and that was about 7"-9" up here at the house. Less in town, but still not fun to be in. We do have a a pretty active member living in Nebraska and they get real winter weather as well, right?

How well do these plants grow? Unfortunately, there's a rule against greenhouses in my neighborhood (we can't even have a fence) so that really wouldn't be an option. However, I do grow some plants on the windowsill in my living room. Maybe it'll survive? I'm kind of lousy at growing things in the winter since my house faces south, so the sun doesn't get to the plants much. Do you know if the store bought organic kale I've been getting is good for him? He hasn't really been eating it but I saw on a few different websites (including here) that it they like it. I just want to double check.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Kale, in and of itself is ok to feed. Ideally organic kale. Keep in mind though that store bought greens are not a very healthy source of food for a tortoise. Kale is a "SuperFood" for us humans. The vitamin/mineral content is outstanding compared to the other leafy greens available for us. But for a tortoise, it's a low end food option for them. It's higher and way better than romaine lettuce, but it's still a poor choice for them.
As far as growing weeds on your windowsill during the winter, that should work. You could even setup a grow light station for them. Also removing the planters from the window at night to help keep them warm will help lots.
If I were you, I'd focus on making an indoor grow rack for the plants. Using the long, fluorescent tubes will help keep the electric bill lower as well. If your local police department is successful at raiding indoor pot growers, you might be able to get the units at a good price as well. Just be aware what the new price is so you don't overspend. This is the time of year when most home gardening centers, knowing that people are unable to garden outdoors so they have on sale many of the items needed to do so. As a business, their job is to make money off of you, the buying public. Sure, compared to the regular price of these items, it's cheaper. But they are thinking of themselves not you.
Keep it up. You're making me use my brain. "Insert HAPPY FACE here"

 

[dmmj]

if your tortoise is wild card he's probably loaded with parasites. I would at the very least get a fecal test done to see.