I think Yoshi (RT) is ill? I'M WORRIED

Bambam1989

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Ok I'm going to reply here instead of our PM conversation so that we can get multiple opinions.
The flaking isn't normal, it looks like the after effects of "slow burn" when the heat lamp is too close to the shell. Could have possibly happened during your previous setup that you have pictured as your avatar?
Slow burn doesn't show up immediately.
 

Bambam1989

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And you probably have been asked and answered this, but are you still using the little dial thermometer/hygrometer?
 

cheerios586

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And you probably have been asked and answered this, but are you still using the little dial thermometer/hygrometer?
Oh no! I have the little dial thermometer/hygrometer in there, but I go buy my infrared gun now for the actual temp. OMG, what can I do to correct this? Could this be why she's not doing well? Am I cooking her? OMG
 

Bambam1989

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IF it is slow burn then any damaged areas of shell will flake off over time. Don't try to assist it by peeling them off, they need to do so in their own time. Those areas that have been burned will never look as they did before.
The main thing is to go back through your set up. You have probably already corrected the problem when you removed the red heat lamp but it's best to make sure.
@Yvonne G can give you more advice. Once again, IF it is slow burn.
I recommend getting a digital hygrometer though. Those dials are known for being inaccurate, your humidity might not be what you thought.
 

cheerios586

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IF it is slow burn then any damaged areas of shell will flake off over time. Don't try to assist it by peeling them off, they need to do so in their own time. Those areas that have been burned will never look as they did before.
The main thing is to go back through your set up. You have probably already corrected the problem when you removed the red heat lamp but it's best to make sure.
@Yvonne G can give you more advice. Once again, IF it is slow burn.
I recommend getting a digital hygrometer though. Those dials are known for being inaccurate, your humidity might not be what you thought.
I'm ordering one now from Amazon and should get it by Friday. I just can't or don't want to believe I've been cooking her, I feel so bad. But probably not as bad as she does. *sniff* *sniff*
 

Bambam1989

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I'm ordering one now from Amazon and should get it by Friday. I just can't or don't want to believe I've been cooking her, I feel so bad. But probably not as bad as she does. *sniff* *sniff*
It's a very common mistake. Please don't beat yourself up and I could be wrong. That's why I always prefer multiple opinions..
 

cheerios586

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It's a very common mistake. Please don't beat yourself up and I could be wrong. That's why I always prefer multiple opinions..
I'm trying not to beat myself up, I just thought I was saving her from the conditions at the PetSmart here. When I got her she was loaded with 3 different types of worms...tape worm, pin, and round worms. She seemed so small and afraid of everything. Anyway, I think I will try and find a vet for her and take her in for a check-up. It has been more than a year since I had her checked out, I just would hate for them to give her some sort of injection I've heard so many bad things about them with tortoises. The nearest vet I found is in Covington, where do you go and is it closer to us?
 

Bambam1989

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I'm trying not to beat myself up, I just thought I was saving her from the conditions at the PetSmart here. When I got her she was loaded with 3 different types of worms...tape worm, pin, and round worms. She seemed so small and afraid of everything. Anyway, I think I will try and find a vet for her and take her in for a check-up. It has been more than a year since I had her checked out, I just would hate for them to give her some sort of injection I've heard so many bad things about them with tortoises. The nearest vet I found is in Covington, where do you go and is it closer to us?
I haven't needed to use a vet yet, so I can't make a recommendation. Unless there is a reason, I only plan on doing a yearly fecal exam.
If you decide to take her in for an exam, make it very clear that your not interested in any vitamin injections and that they have to have your approval before ANYTHING is given. You might even insist that they make a note of it on your torts chart at the front desk.
 

cheerios586

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Update on Yoshi: She's now in addition to her not eating and now not pooping, she won't come out of her cave. I've made an appointment with a vet and they can see her Saturday. I sure hope it's an easy fix and not something serious. I'm still very concerned it's her kidney's.
 

creepy-crawler

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honestly i do not understand why people keep their russian so warm, i live in California and their choice weather is 75-80, anything above and they go ape shiiiit! start burying themselves into the dirt to escape the heat. sorry i have no clue what is up with your russian but the fact that it stopped eating is not going to be easy to fix, whatever it is prepare your self for months of recovery. torts get sick fast - recover - for a long time, it is because of the bone nature of their body, it is hard to get the sickness out of something this dense once it is in there, so let us hope for the best but usually when a ferocious eater like russian stops eating - it is a big problem. keep us posted, vets are usually not always helpful, unless you are better than them at diagnosis, best of luck, give her soaks in v8 and or tomato juice, she will at least absorb some nutrition from it, make it warm, sometimes it really helps :)
 

cheerios586

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honestly i do not understand why people keep their russian so warm, i live in California and their choice weather is 75-80, anything above and they go ape shiiiit! start burying themselves into the dirt to escape the heat. sorry i have no clue what is up with your russian but the fact that it stopped eating is not going to be easy to fix, whatever it is prepare your self for months of recovery. torts get sick fast - recover - for a long time, it is because of the bone nature of their body, it is hard to get the sickness out of something this dense once it is in there, so let us hope for the best but usually when a ferocious eater like russian stops eating - it is a big problem. keep us posted, vets are usually not always helpful, unless you are better than them at diagnosis, best of luck, give her soaks in v8 and or tomato juice, she will at least absorb some nutrition from it, make it warm, sometimes it really helps :)
Hi,
BAMBAM came and gave me some plants and a variety of food for her to try, so far no luck. She has only urinated in her bath water this morning and then goes to a dark place and stays there. This morning it was nice out so I put her in her outside pen and she went straight to her box and has been hiding there since. She did smell her food, but not a nibble. It's like she doesn't like it to be bright. I'm keeping it in the 80's for her with her heat emitter and lowered her UVB light down until I get her new one and my reader. Received a call from the doctor today and her stool sample came back negative for parasites. The Dr also said she looked well hydrated and since she pooped all over not constipated. He says I was keeping her too cold and she maybe trying to hibernate and I'm to watch her for the next couple of weeks to see if she improves with the husbandry changes I've made. If she's not better or gets worse we'll do blood work and x-rays. Since we don't know how old she is exactly he said there is always the possibility of her being egg bound, but she's not straining. I'm at a loss and worried sick.
 

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Bambam1989

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Hi,
BAMBAM came and gave me some plants and a variety of food for her to try, so far no luck. She has only urinated in her bath water this morning and then goes to a dark place and stays there. This morning it was nice out so I put her in her outside pen and she went straight to her box and has been hiding there since. She did smell her food, but not a nibble. It's like she doesn't like it to be bright. I'm keeping it in the 80's for her with her heat emitter and lowered her UVB light down until I get her new one and my reader. Received a call from the doctor today and her stool sample came back negative for parasites. The Dr also said she looked well hydrated and since she pooped all over not constipated. He says I was keeping her too cold and she maybe trying to hibernate and I'm to watch her for the next couple of weeks to see if she improves with the husbandry changes I've made. If she's not better or gets worse we'll do blood work and x-rays. Since we don't know how old she is exactly he said there is always the possibility of her being egg bound, but she's not straining. I'm at a loss and worried sick.
I hope that the nice weather we are having helps perk her up. I'm hoping to hear some good news in a day or two.
 

cheerios586

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UPDATE: OMG! I was desperate so I went and bought some strawberries and layed one down in front of her and after a few minutes she started chowing down on it. Could she just be acting finicky and she won? I'm hoping her eating the small strawberry will encourage her to eat other things as well. :)
 

creepy-crawler

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outstanding, she has a sweet tooth:) as for the weather, i am not surprised, the weather this year was changing so much drastically from crazy hot to crazy cold all my torts are exhausted going in and out of weather stupor, they are super sensitive to weather conditions, this weather weakens them, damn weather!
 

cheerios586

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outstanding, she has a sweet tooth:) as for the weather, i am not surprised, the weather this year was changing so much drastically from crazy hot to crazy cold all my torts are exhausted going in and out of weather stupor, they are super sensitive to weather conditions, this weather weakens them, damn weather!
What kind of tortoises do you have? Any Russians? How long have you had them?
 

katieandiggy

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UPDATE: OMG! I was desperate so I went and bought some strawberries and layed one down in front of her and after a few minutes she started chowing down on it. Could she just be acting finicky and she won? I'm hoping her eating the small strawberry will encourage her to eat other things as well. :)

I would maybe cut the strawberry into tiny tiny pieces and rub it over the greens so the taste of the strawberry is on them, it might get her started on them again ?
 

Yvonne G

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I would maybe cut the strawberry into tiny tiny pieces and rub it over the greens so the taste of the strawberry is on them, it might get her started on them again ?
Or mash up a strawberry, or put it in the blender, then mix the strawberry mush into the chopped up greens until the greens are all coated with strawberry.
 

Bambam1989

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Or mash up a strawberry, or put it in the blender, then mix the strawberry mush into the chopped up greens until the greens are all coated with strawberry.
I just recommended something very similar in a PM we have going.
If she is being a picky eater then this trick usually works. If she chows down start slowly reducing the fruit that is smeared on the greens over the next few days.
Let us know if it works.
 

cheerios586

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I just recommended something very similar in a PM we have going.
If she is being a picky eater then this trick usually works. If she chows down start slowly reducing the fruit that is smeared on the greens over the next few days.
Let us know if it works.
I blended up her food so it's chopped with a smidgen of strawberry w/top and she smelled it and went into her cave. Will keep trying tho
 

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