Leopard stopped eating..

[CarterEvan]

i got a leopard tortoise around 5 months ago. he hasn't grown hardly at all and is still around 28 grams. unfortunately now he has now slowed his eating down to where he barely eats at all. I feed him romain, carrots, dandelion leaves, and various grasses on top. His humidity is around 50-60% and themes vary from 80-95. i bathe him daily and this behavior is very new. with his halted eating he doesn't poop during his baths anymore.

Is there anything i can do to help him? or any recommendations on what to feed him?

I have bought spring mix, romaine, dandelions, zoomed grassland and for the past few days he has barely touched it. Also for the first few months he was kept under a coil bulb instead of a MVB like he is now. Could this play a part in his stunted growth?

I can provide pictures or any other details if needed.

 

[dmmj]

80 to 95 degrees is quite a big range difference. is that the basking temperature, overall, cold or warm?

 

[CarterEvan]

80 to 95 degrees is quite a big range difference. is that the basking temperature, overall, cold or warm?

80 ambient temperature during night and then 95 on the basking spot

 

[Jodie]

Where did you get your baby, and was he started dry or humid?

 

[CarterEvan]

Where did you get your baby, and was he started dry or humid?

i got him from tortoise supply.com so I'm fairly certain he was cared for well due to the high reputation of the site. If it's anyones fault its probably mine, I'm just not sure where i went wrong with his care.

 

[Jodie]

I am reasonably sure they start them right. You might try baby food soaks. Mix a container of baby food carrots with warm water in a small, high sides dish. My babies will not eat grassland. You might try Mazuri.
Your temps sound ok. I would bump them up 5 degrees to get him going again. Pictures of your set up will help us identify any other adjustments you may need to make.

 

[CarterEvan]

I am reasonably sure they start them right. You might try baby food soaks. Mix a container of baby food carrots with warm water in a small, high sides dish. My babies will not eat grassland. You might try Mazuri.
Your temps sound ok. I would bump them up 5 degrees to get him going again. Pictures of your set up will help us identify any other adjustments you may need to make.

I have just ordered some Mazuri so i will try that when it comes in. Also i will try the warm baths and try and bump the temps up. These are the pictures of his enclosure. I moved him into a smaller enclosure to better regulate the temperatures and humidity when i noticed him getting sick.

also just another note, i didn't want to wake him by moving him but i believe i can begin to see what looks like his spine through his shell, or at least its a ridge on his shell. its most prominent at the front towards his head. I can wake him if you think it would be helpful to see it

 

[Markw84]

What type cover do you have on the enclosure? Humidity should be up to 80% minimum What are you using for night heat?

 

[CarterEvan]

What type cover do you have on the enclosure? Humidity should be up to 80% minimum What are you using for night heat?

i have a shower curtain laying on top of the bin. even with the humidifier in the bin i can't seem to get it up to 80% while the MVB is on. it gets up to 80% at night with just the Ceramic Heat Emitter on.

 

[CarterEvan]

Also i failed to mention before, after i got him for the first 2 months he wasn't kept nearly as wet as he should've been. humidity was in the 30s up to 40.

 

[Jodie]

I have just ordered some Mazuri so i will try that when it comes in. Also i will try the warm baths and try and bump the temps up. These are the pictures of his enclosure. I moved him into a smaller enclosure to better regulate the temperatures and humidity when i noticed him getting sick.

also just another note, i didn't want to wake him by moving him but i believe i can begin to see what looks like his spine through his shell, or at least its a ridge on his shell. its most prominent at the front towards his head. I can wake him if you think it would be helpful to see it

View attachment 163402

those high sides and a cover I would expect better humidity. Is the substrate moist? I dump a couple cups of hot water into my substrate a day. I would definitely start the baby food soaks.

 

[CarterEvan]

those high sides and a cover I would expect better humidity. Is the substrate moist? I dump a couple cups of hot water into my substrate a day. I would definitely start the baby food soaks.

no i never dump anything in the substrate. i will definitely try that. do you have any idea what might be wrong with him? and what should i do about him not eating? also thanks so much for your help!

 

[Jodie]

A vet, a good tortoise vet, might be able to identify a respiratory infection or something else. Don't go to a vet that doesn't know tortoises. The baby food soaks will get him some nourishment. Honestly it sound like hatchling failure. The damage that causes it is from dehydration. Usually in the first couple of weeks at the breeders. Previously I lost 2 from this. There may be nothing you can do, but don't give up.

 

[dmmj]

is the shell translucent?

 

[CarterEvan]

A vet, a good tortoise vet, might be able to identify a respiratory infection or something else. Don't go to a vet that doesn't know tortoises. The baby food soaks will get him some nourishment. Honestly it sound like hatchling failure. The damage that causes it is from dehydration. Usually in the first couple of weeks at the breeders. Previously I lost 2 from this. There may be nothing you can do, but don't give up.

alright thanks so much for your help. ill care for him as long as i can and locate a vet near me. hopefully he gets better

 

[CarterEvan]

is the shell translucent?

no i don't believe so. there is a tiny spot towards his head on his shell that is a little gray but thats about it.

 

[Jodie]

Here is some more information.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

 

[CarterEvan]

Here is some more information.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

thanks so much for all your help

 

[Jodie]

thanks so much for all your help

Best of luck. Keep us updated.

 

[dmmj]

one more question if you please does the shell feel softer spongy?