Horsefield looks like hes pushing/wincing or flinching..

[Paranub]

I'm a little concerned with my George, the last two days, he's seemed off. He comes out in the morning, sits under his lamp to warm up (30-32C) but just doses there for most of the day, He will move to feed a little, but not as much as he normally would, we have left overs!! (Hes a greedy one normally doesn't leave a scrap of food) Then goes back to his lamp. Hes also started to retire for the night earlier than normal, his light is on a 12h cycle. 8am to 8pm. Tonight he came out of his burrow at 6pm, walked a little, fed and then went right back into his burrow.

The room temp is around 19-21C all day long. Night temps drop to 18C. I've sat and watched him, and as he is drifting off to sleep and he seems to pull his head and arms into his shell and screw his eyes up like he is bracing, or pushing. He doesn't raise his bottom, like he normally would to poop or pass urates. Then goes back to normal, He'll do this a few times before finally drifting to sleep.

Hes going to the toilet as normal. (Usually on his food tray... of all the places he could go!)
Hes still young, only 8mths to a year old. so i suppose like most babies, sleep is a common thing but its the bracing, and wincing that's got me worried.

It could be normal behavior, but i'm a noob at all this

 

[yillt]

I'm a little concerned with my George, the last two days, he's seemed off. He comes out in the morning, sits under his lamp to warm up (30-32C) but just doses there for most of the day, He will move to feed a little, but not as much as he normally would, we have left overs!! (Hes a greedy one normally doesn't leave a scrap of food) Then goes back to his lamp. Hes also started to retire for the night earlier than normal, his light is on a 12h cycle. 8am to 8pm. Tonight he came out of his burrow at 6pm, walked a little, fed and then went right back into his burrow.

The room temp is around 19-21C all day long. Night temps drop to 18C. I've sat and watched him, and as he is drifting off to sleep and he seems to pull his head and arms into his shell and screw his eyes up like he is bracing, or pushing. He doesn't raise his bottom, like he normally would to poop or pass urates. Then goes back to normal, He'll do this a few times before finally drifting to sleep.

Hes going to the toilet as normal. (Usually on his food tray... of all the places he could go!)
Hes still young, only 8mths to a year old. so i suppose like most babies, sleep is a common thing but its the bracing, and wincing that's got me worried.

It could be normal behavior, but i'm a noob at all this

Has he been to the loo. He could possibly have a blockage in his digestive system or he could have eaten some stones (especially white ones.) You need to soak him frequently and keep an eye on him
Is he pushing something like a small red ball out of his 'backside' and then it disappears back in again?

 

[Paranub]

Yes, he has been to the toilet he went with his last soak, not noticing anything unusual externally. when he normally pushes for a poo, he raises his bum, and his tail extends and becomes harder, which we dubbed "poo tail" he isn't doing that, to us, it looks like the tortoise equivalent of what humans do with stomach ache, withdrawing and bracing during the pain, and then coming back to normal as the pain subsides. when offered food, he will always take it, almost snapping back to normal, eating what is in-front of him, then back to drifting off to sleep. Which then leads to a few of these brace/tensing actions before actually sleeping.

If it continues today, i'll try to get a video of him doing it, for people to better see whats going on.

 

[Kori5]

Maybe he has gas?

 

[Paranub]

Maybe he has gas?

i laughed far more than i should at this simple solution, he has been farting a lot when hes soaking.. even my nephew commented "georgie farting" (hes 2 ) while he watched him soak.

 

[Kori5]

What have you been feeding him? Farting shouldn't be so often . Maybe he has some sort of gut flora imbalance or parasites. Have you checked his fecals at the vet? Also, maybe I'm wrong but is he in a open tortoise table? If yes, his day temperatures look a little too low for me. I tend to keep mine at 24 C for my Hermanni. Hope someone more experienced will help you .

 

[Paranub]

What have you been feeding him? Farting shouldn't be so often . Maybe he has some sort of gut flora imbalance or parasites. Have you checked his fecals at the vet? Also, maybe I'm wrong but is he in a open tortoise table? If yes, his day temperatures look a little too low for me. I tend to keep mine at 24 C for my Hermanni. Hope someone more experienced will help you .

Hes fed a mixture of dandelion and similar weeds (cant remember the exact name), kale, rocket, chard, Brussel sprout, cucumber (not often, and in very small amounts) we have had the living salad growing during the summer months. We sprinkle this with calcium powder and vitamin powder twice a week

Yes he is kept in an open top table.

We haven't had his poo checked for parasites yet unfortunately.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Any chance you could get a video of the motion? Is it just head and front legs pumping in and out? Regular tortoise breathing often takes people by surprise when they are new to tortoises.

 

[Paranub]

Any chance you could get a video of the motion? Is it just head and front legs pumping in and out? Regular tortoise breathing often takes people by surprise when they are new to tortoises.

i'll try to get a video if he is still doing it, it's definitely not his normal breathing motions, i've seen those. breathing looks like little hickups. This is him pulling his head in, tensing up and then relaxing again.

 

[Paranub]

This was a video i managed to grab while on my lunch break. It seems hes not flinching/or straining anymore before falling asleep. I was only there for 30 mins, but he didnt do it. Room temp was up at 23C, basking spot at 32C (we have had zero sunshine in about 2 months, so the room never really naturaly heated up. Today is the first day in months with sun...)

 

[Kori5]

Hope somebody here can help you. He is beautiful . In that video everything seems ok. But I don't know if farting is normal.

 

[Paranub]

Well tonight hes had a soak, everything seems as normal, whatever it was has looks to have passed hopefully. He was out and about the enclosure after i misted it, making sure everything was to his standards

 

[Kori5]

Mine does the same . Peeking under the lamp while I'm cleaning his enclousure and after I move he is marching really fast and inspecting everything . Don't worry so much about him, we owners tend to do that ( I'm guilty), just make sure the important things are taken care of ( temps, humidity, diet, soaks). They do the best when you let them be . I'm sure he is fine. But if things happen again and you're worried, the way to go is to find a good reptile vet and do a check up.

 

[Lyn W]

His breathing looks a little laboured to me compared to my tort, but having said that it may be normal for your tort. Check the care sheet for his species for advice on what the temps should be day and night for babies.

 

[Paranub]

His breathing looks a little laboured to me compared to my tort, but having said that it may be normal for your tort. Check the care sheet for his species for advice on what the temps should be day and night for babies.

He normally twitches a with a bit more effort when hes not falling asleep. Hes always been like that since we got him