Is he healthy?

Herbert Forever

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Hi guys I'm fairly new here but I have a question like most others, is he healthy? I've had My Russian tortoise for exactly a year now and I'm worried about a few things. Last year when I purchased Herbert from the pet store (and I know it's always a bad idea to purchase turtles or tortoises from pet stores but when I saw him I felt he was the one I needed in my life) he had fairly long nails and beak. Since I'm just a broke kid I haven't been able to take him to the vet and I wanted to know if there was anything I could do or anything that is needed to be done. Oh, I was also wondering if his eyes and shell looked okay.ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1436643680.838981.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1436643699.994397.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1436643763.080587.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1436643828.848926.jpg
 

johnsonnboswell

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He needs to be in a proper habitat that offers him a moist substrate and UVB rays. That's either the sun- not through the window- or a mvb bulb.

Walking around the house seems like it would be a great place to exercise, but it's not safe.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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leigti

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Welcome to the forum. You can feed him on a terra-cotta plate or piece of slate or even a flat rock. This will help where down the beak a little bit. Does he feel heavy or light when you pick him up? If he feels light then I would definitely suggest taking him to a vet to check for worms. Not uncommon in tortoises especially from the pet store to have worms. That would give you medication to help get rid of them. What type of enclosure do you have? If you have some pictures of the enclosure people can give you specific suggestions to make sure your tortoise stays healthy. The shell looks fine, they usually get a little beat up in the wild. Have you checked out the Russian tortoise care sheet? It has a lot of great information.
 

Herbert Forever

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Haha yes he has an enclosure his enclosure is 3 feet wide and 4 feet in length, though his enclosure is small I let him out everyday to roam in the yard or my house. His enclosure is equipped with one UVB light and heating light, a wooden hut for him to climb and sleep under, rocks for him to climb (climbing is his passion), a fairly deep water bowl for him to soak and drink from, and top soil mixed with sand. He eats a mix of weeds, flowers, and spring mix.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Not a good idea to let him roam the house, a bigger enclosure is better if you can manage it.
The house is full of hazards, one tortoise recently ate a pin, another a paper clip, some have eaten dust bunnies and become ill or died.
One had it's head crushed in a door.
Also the floor does not have the necessary controlled heat or humidity and is bad for the tortoise.
For the same reason sand is not good, it can be ingested and cause impaction which can seriously harm or kill a tortoise.
Top soil's fine if you're sure it's herbicide/pesticide and other chemical free.
Coco coir, orchid bark or cypress mulch are good alternatives that hold in the humidity if you can manage to get them.
 

Herbert Forever

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With my sand I barely mix in a cup of it with my 5 inches of top soil because I heard that the sand can get into their eyes but I also heard its a good idea, so I'll look into taking out the sand. I've tried several different soils for his enclosure and so far top soil has worked the best and is the cheapest, I also always make sure to get organic pesticide free soil. Yes I've heard of the tragedies of letting them roam around the house without supervision (it just breaks me heart), when I let him roam in the house I have him stay in the living room under my close supervision. He generally is only allowed a couple of feet away from me at a time and only stays in the living room for short amounts of time where he can at least get some energy out. He also has an outdoor enclosure for the summer that is four feet wide and five feet long with a chicken wire roof and my supervision. Thank you for putting your time into helping me, it means a lot.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Pleasure.
Make sure you read the care sheets, have a look at our Russian and Enclosures sections and feel free to ask if you have any questions, however trivial they may appear to be.
 

Lyn W

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Lovely tort.
Does he have night heat e.g a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) on a thermostat, which keeps temps even but gives no light as torts need darkness to sleep?
 

Herbert Forever

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Thank you, he doesn't have a night heat since it stays up around 80 degrees at night where we live but I may be getting him one for winter. Our winters are extremely cold.
 

WillTort2

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My Russians seem to be most active when their evening temperatures drop into the 60's and then they warm up under their lights during the fall and winter months. So, you probably don't have to use a CHE for Russians; but it's a good idea to have one in case you have a heat failure or a sickly tortoise that needs to be kept warmer than usual.
 

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