Help with my sulcata please

[Biemold]

Hello and welcome Deborah. In addition to all of the above, are you doing daily warm water soaks in a tub of some sort? In your case I'd shoot for 30 minutes a day for a while.

Also, temps are critical for reptiles. What are your four temps? Cool side, warm side, basking spot and night? The behavior you describe sounds typical of a tortoise that is getting cool at night. Are you using some night heat for this warmth loving species? How are you measuring those temps. The little stick on thermometers that are sold in most pet shops are not usually adequate for the job.

Lastly, how big is she? Weight and length? Metric is fine, btw.

hi
Thanks for this....when she came home from the vets she had a hot water bottle that she could perch on if she wanted to and she did so I have kept that up. She has one in her hide that I put in before I go to bed. I leave the 100w infrared glo lamp on all the time and switch off the day light that is currently above her soaking part when she goes to bed. We have now put a heater in the room so the temeratures are as follow:

room temp 25 deg
basking spot 30 deg
warm spot near to her hide 35 deg currently but drops to around 30 deg at night
cool spot 25 deg


she is 7 inches long by 5 inches wide roughly and sorry dont have scales to measure her weight ...will get some

Thank you so much!!

 

[Biemold]

thank you all very much! Hug

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum...

 

[Nay]

I would love to see a drip in a torts leg,
I am good at placing them (in dogs and cats) but wow not that good!
Welcome!
Nay

 

[Biemold]

RE: Sulcata toilet habits

Hi Deborah:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

You are feeding quite a bit of the brassica family, and brassicas have been known to cause goiter and could be harmful to the thyroid.

Here's a nice list of foods to avoid:

http://www.turtlestuff.com/avoidthese.html

Also, your tortoise might be a bit happier if you give him some sort of dirt for substrate instead of the hay.

Hi
i am so sorry just seen this, new to the forum and finding my way around. Thanks for the list

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Have u tried soaking her in the bath with warm water for 20 or 30 minutes? I soak mine in about 90-95 degree water. Also sully's are known to eat their own poo so watch out for that as well. Good luck! And a vet visit will be a good thing as well!

Thanks, just seen this! posted another thread not realising this one had landed!!

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Welcome! I bet she ill poop when you take her to the vet - mine almost always do! That has become the joke around here when we have a constipated tortoise - we take them for a ride and it usually does the trick! I would go easy on the cabbage ...

Hi sorry just seen this, new to forum and didnt realise anyone had replied
She did ...several times but shes being shy again, hence the second post

Thanks!

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

Welcome!

 

[Tom]

Your night temps sound fine, but your basking spot is just a little low. 30 is generally agreed on as a minimum where they can just barely begin to function normally. I recommend a 12 hour basking spot of around 38. This way at any hour of the day, she can warm up to her preferred "operating" temperature and then move out of the warm spot when she wants to.

 

[pryncesssc]

When I brought my turtle home, she did not poo for 2 weeks and i was really nervous also. But once she got a little more comfortable and into a routine she was ok !! Good luck and WELCOME !!!

 

[Biemold]

Your night temps sound fine, but your basking spot is just a little low. 30 is generally agreed on as a minimum where they can just barely begin to function normally. I recommend a 12 hour basking spot of around 38. This way at any hour of the day, she can warm up to her preferred "operating" temperature and then move out of the warm spot when she wants to.

Thanks a lot...will sort it today

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When I brought my turtle home, she did not poo for 2 weeks and i was really nervous also. But once she got a little more comfortable and into a routine she was ok !! Good luck and WELCOME !!!

Thanks, but how often is a normal routine?? She pooped for Portugal at the vets and in the 2 weeks since only once...is this normal? I am beginning to think I am neurotic...!!!