I think I may just suck at this.

BrookeB

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I don’t think I can do this anymore, I wake up every morning hoping for improvement with my babies but every day it’s the same. They don’t eat, they barely move and they don’t open their eyes. According to everything on here the enclosures are perfect and their diet is perfect. I still go through the motions of “helping” them, weight, soak, eye drops, food, but it’s starting to feel hopeless. I feel like I’m just waiting for them to die. I really wanted to raise some babies but apparently I just suck at this.
 

Tom

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So far your only mistake has been the source, as far as I can tell. Buy a leopard from Will or a sulcata from Mark and you'll have an entirely different experience.

It pains me to see people go through this, and that pain motivates me to speak up and sometimes argue when it would be far easier to just sit quietly or walk away.
 

method89

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You say the enclosure and the diet are perfect but didn't say what either is. How about heat/temp? everything ive read says slow/lethargic animals are usually because its not hot enough
 

BrookeB

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You say the enclosure and the diet are perfect but didn't say what either is. How about heat/temp? everything ive read says slow/lethargic animals are usually because its not hot enough
Because I’ve already been through the enclosures, diet and literally everything with a microscope with this forum on a earlier post. Even talked to Tom, and a few of the other great breeders/keepers on here. I tried adjustments and different products that was recommended. We found small issues, and fixed them but nothing that would cause permanent damage.
 

BrookeB

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How/why does anyone stay in this hobby? When the animals die like this... It’s just breaking my spirit. I’ve literally had an easier time rehabilitating wild injured babies animals, then raising Any baby tortoise past 6 months. I feel like I literally bought them to watch them die.
 

method89

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Because I’ve already been through the enclosures, diet and literally everything with a microscope with this forum on a earlier post. Even talked to Tom, and a few of the other great breeders/keepers on here. I tried adjustments and different products that was recommended. We found small issues, and fixed them but nothing that would cause permanent damage.
sorry, I was unaware.
 

wellington

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How/why does anyone stay in this hobby? When the animals die like this... It’s just breaking my spirit. I’ve literally had an easier time rehabilitating wild injured babies animals, then raising Any baby tortoise past 6 months. I feel like I literally bought them to watch them die.
From what Tom said, it sounds like you may have purchased them from an unreliable source. I'm I correct on this?
For now the best you can do is keep up the baby food soaks, add pedialyte also to the soaks and do this twice daily. One soak with carrot the next with the pedialyte. Be sure temps and humidity is correct and keep trying to get them too eat. Sorry for your hard time with this. If they were started out wrong your fighting an uphill battle but some of them can be won. Keep at it.
 

Tom

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How/why does anyone stay in this hobby? When the animals die like this... It’s just breaking my spirit. I’ve literally had an easier time rehabilitating wild injured babies animals, then raising Any baby tortoise past 6 months. I feel like I literally bought them to watch them die.
Because this doesn't happen when you buy babies from a source that starts them correctly. When breeders or sellers keep them too dry initially and don't soak enough, there is nothing the new buyer can do to save them. This is not your fault, and this doesn't happen to people when they buy well started babies. Have you not seen posts from people that have bought tortoises from Lance, Will, Me, MarkW, Elohi, Carol S, and so many others? All success stories. We are trying like hell to spread the word, but the majority of breeders and sellers are still doing things the old wrong way.

Remind me in about 4 months and I'll send you a free sulcata baby so you can see the difference for yourself. You know how to care for them and have all the right equipment. You'd be a great home for a baby.
 

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I’ll just chime in here with a positive story. I purchased a hatchling Sully from @Lancecham I guess 5 years ago. Never raised a baby tort before, but always grew up with misc torts in my care. Before our Sully arrived, I read, re-read and read again all the Sully Care Sheet info that Tom & others have provided. I followed the info to a T. Sully arrived safe n sound and placed into our already warm, humid enclosure with a lid etc. Ive never had one issue. It’s grown from a tiny hatchling to our Little Monster. No issues, no concerns, never a vet visit.

Don’t give up. Get a properly started hatchling, follow the info here on TFO and all will be good.

Best of Luck & take Tom up on his offer.
 

Markw84

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How/why does anyone stay in this hobby? When the animals die like this... It’s just breaking my spirit. I’ve literally had an easier time rehabilitating wild injured babies animals, then raising Any baby tortoise past 6 months. I feel like I literally bought them to watch them die.
I will echo what @Tom has said, but add an example.
I purchased a few baby leopard tortoises 3-4 years ago from a breeder I thought started them correctly, but in later discussions I found doesn't like the "high humidity thing" as he had issues with that. I have literally raised over 1000 baby tortoise over the years. Not one has died. I struggled with pyramiding for years and that struggle encouraged me to continue various methods to try to figure that out. I did always, however, use a brooder box style enclosure for babies to transition them from hatching to their first enclosure. Maybe just lucky there, but I always started them properly as I now understand it.

With success in finally raising smooth sulcatas, I wanted to raise a few leopards as they seemed a stubborn pyramiding species. I had no breeders so decided to purchase the ones mentioned above. For over a year, no growth at all! At 14 months, one died, never getting above 45g. The other two took off finally and started to grow. By 2 years old they finally looked like healthy thriving tortoises - and nice and smooth! (Picture of one below at just over 2 yrs old.)

Moral of story - I certainly don't think I "Suck at This". Quite the contrary. However, when a tortoise is not started properly there seems to be a lack of organ and metabolic capacity. They look normal, but simply don't grow. There is nothing you can do. Some can start to grow, but many will die no matter what you do.IMG_5184.JPG
 

BrookeB

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Unfortunately at this point I feel bad trying to force them to stay alive. They literally move 2-3 inches a Day. It was easier to save Frank from MBD when he was flat as a board and squishy.. I feel horrible watching this. Only one leopard is even trying to survive and he still can’t even move around, it makes me feel like crap. Please excuse my language.
 

BrookeB

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Because this doesn't happen when you buy babies from a source that starts them correctly. When breeders or sellers keep them too dry initially and don't soak enough, there is nothing the new buyer can do to save them. This is not your fault, and this doesn't happen to people when they buy well started babies. Have you not seen posts from people that have bought tortoises from Lance, Will, Me, MarkW, Elohi, Carol S, and so many others? All success stories. We are trying like hell to spread the word, but the majority of breeders and sellers are still doing things the old wrong way.

Remind me in about 4 months and I'll send you a free sulcata baby so you can see the difference for yourself. You know how to care for them and have all the right equipment. You'd be a great home for a baby.

Thank you Tom, I wish I checked the source more than I did. I did check reviews on here and I thought they started them right but I should have known to actually contact them.
 

BrookeB

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From what Tom said, it sounds like you may have purchased them from an unreliable source. I'm I correct on this?
For now the best you can do is keep up the baby food soaks, add pedialyte also to the soaks and do this twice daily. One soak with carrot the next with the pedialyte. Be sure temps and humidity is correct and keep trying to get them too eat. Sorry for your hard time with this. If they were started out wrong your fighting an uphill battle but some of them can be won. Keep at it.
I thought it was a reliable source, I even checked reviews on her. Unfortunately I was wrong. I should have bought directly from a breeder.
 

Tom

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Thank you Tom, I wish I checked the source more than I did. I did check reviews on here and I thought they started them right but I should have known to actually contact them.
I'm always sorry to see anyone go through this, and even more sorry that so many baby tortoises have to go through this. All we can do is try to tell people, and stop buying from these people who start them wrong.

My sympathy is with you. I wish I could snap my fingers and fix this, but I can't. Only the breeders doing it can fix this. Tell them.
 

wellington

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I thought it was a reliable source, I even checked reviews on her. Unfortunately I was wrong. I should have bought directly from a breeder.
Its possible she is a good breeder and this is just a genetics thing. However, if they were not started right by her, well then that's the problem.
 

BrookeB

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Its possible she is a good breeder and this is just a genetics thing. However, if they were not started right by her, well then that's the problem.
I meant I checked reviews on here*... it was a reptile store not a breeder.
 

BrookeB

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I just lost one of my leopards, his name was Spots, this really hurts.
 

BrookeB

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Both leopards died today, only a hour apart. RIP Leo and Spots
 

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