Lethargic Russian Tortoise (Any good vet clinics in Portland, OR that do reptiles??)

[inside_tobys_mind]

Soo.. I have had Tobias, my Russian tortoise, for about ten months now. He was gifted to me on my 18th birthday last year in June. He was really active, great appetite, used to wait for me to feed him (that's how I would know he was hungry) He lived in a glass tank (30 x 12 x 13).
In February of 2014, I decided to upgrade his space and I bought him a bigger glass tank (36 x 18 x 18.5) I bought him bark chips for substrate, a hide log, a feeding/water dish (I wanted to use it for a water bowl so that he could have access to water inside of his tank), some rocks, a purple night heat lamp.
I know that they are supposed to have a UVB bulb because the radiation is replicating the suns radiation. But he sort of lived without one for about a month (I know, probably really bad. I couldn't afford to buy him one) He lived in the dark for quite some time. He didn't eat anything and I was really worried about him. I tried to feed him but he just wouldn't eat.
When I finally had the money to buy him some new bulbs, I went to Animal House Pet Shop and there someone gave me advice on which kind of UVB bulb to buy. I bought it and installed it in his tank and waited to see if his appetite would come back. Well, he did start eating a little bit. But only a little bit. It's been about a month now since I installed the new UVB bulb.
I was just really wondering if there is anything that I could do to possibly improve his appetite..
Any suggestions as to what to feed him?
I have collard greens, green leaf lettuce, and kale currently. Calcium powder. Occasional dandelions. He'll eat most of the dandelions and take a couple bites of green leaf lettuce. Is he just really picky?
Do soaks in water help?
I forget to soak him sometimes. I've heard you should about 2 - 3 times per week. I don't even do it once a week. Should I do it more often? Will it help him?
Maybe he needs to go to the vet?
Maybe he is sick and I don't know it? I can't seem to find a good veterinary clinic in Portland, OR that works with reptiles.. Anyone in the area know a place so I can take Toby to see a vet?? I don't know what to do anymore..

I probably sound like someone who shouldn't even have a tortoise. Like I said, he was a surprise present from my best friend, totally unexpected. I don't want to give him to anyone because I want to learn to care for this animal properly myself. I'm hoping someone very knowledgable out here can help me.
So thank you in advance for any helpful advice!!

Here are some pictures of Toby
And then his tank layout.

 

[lynnedit]

Look at this web site; care sheet, diet, etc. Read as much as you can.
http://russiantortoise.net/care_sheet.htm

Your enclosure looks very promising.
Yes, they need UV. What kind of bulb do you have?
Yes, they need a warm side and a cool side. What are the temps under the basking light? On the opposite cool side? What do you use to measure them? A tortoise cannot digest his food if he can't warm up enough under a basking light of about 95f.
Yes, a tortoise kept inside needs to be soaked. You can't forget; they need regular care. Shallow, warm water for about 15 minutes at least 2x per week. Do it daily for a few days to help him recover.
I would suggest you use untreated garden dirt, or topsoil (ACE brand topsoil is great: no chemical additives or fertilizers), instead of reptile bark.

Being kept in a dark enclosure for a month may have caused your tortoise to be ill. And who knows what his situation before that was.
He should be checked by a vet.
I live in Vancouver, Wa. We have a very good reptile vet here, one of the best in our general area.
http://www.vcahospitals.com/east-mill-plain/our-team/veterinarians/kelly-flaminio/30706

 

[inside_tobys_mind]

I've actually used http://russiantortoise.net/care_sheet.htm to see which greens to feed him. I've read most of what is on that Russian tortoise website and I've used.http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp for other plants. I've found both to be very useful.

-- The UVB radiation bulb I have in his tank for now is in an attached image.
-- In the image of the profile view of his tank (in the previous post) I have a warm side with a thermometer for temp/humidity. The other side of his tank is cooler. I don't know what temp., but it should be about room temp.
-- Under the purple light it is usually about 90f, 95f on hotter days. He should be warm enough..
-- As for the soaking, I should just probably devoted specific days of the week for daily soaking. (ex: Tues. & Thurs.) Maybe putting it on a calendar will help me remember better, I tend to use my calendar a lot! And I'll try doing it daily for a few days . The thing is, he doesn't really like water. I mean most of them don't like it..
-- Where can I get some untreated garden dirt or topsoil? or that ACE brand that you mentioned?

-- I have a VCA Hospital really close to where I live. Are they just generally great for all kinds of animals? Or should I actually make a trip out to Vancouver? I looked it up and the Clackamas VCA looks like they only see cats, dogs, pocket pets, and rabbits.. no reptiles. So to answer my own question, probably yes, I should make the trip to Vancouver. It's less than an hour away from where I live anyway..

Do you think that, once it is significantly warmer here in Portland, it will help him get better if he roams around outside? I have a nice little area in my back yard for him to graze on weeds. I let him out last summer and I'm planning on making him an outdoor enclosure for the warmer days coming soon.

 

[CrystalsFamily]

I have only been a Tortoise Mama for about 6 weeks now, but I have learned a lot fast, and gotten a lot of feedback from this forum, because our guy fell ill and stopped eating after about 2 weeks at home. (After a long saga, he's doing better now, after pooping something very strange-looking.)

I notice a couple of things from your pics. One is the compact fluorescent bulb, which many people will tell you can hurt their eyes. The other is the analog thermometer/humidometer you are using, which is the same one we started out with. The best advice I've gotten was to get something better to measure temps, and when I did, I found out that thing was off by about 10 degrees. We got an infrared gun ($30 at Home Depot), which is awesome because it can spot measure the temp anywhere in the tank, on the substrate, to make sure you really have your temp range available. I know you said budget was tight, but I would urge you to at least get a digital thermometer for each end of the tank. I was advised that being too cool is the most common cause of not eating. Perhaps the time without the UVB slowed down Toby's metabolism because he wasn't able to warm up enough.

Our Russian's favorite thing is zucchini pieces. People have also suggested other types of squash, canned pumpkin, blueberry, strawberry, watermelon (the only fruit he's gone for so far), tomato to entice them.

Good luck!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

That just isn't a good bulb. Get a non compact Powersun 100 watt basking bulb. They look like a flood light. Next time you need a bulb for him and you can't afford a good UVB bulb just use a 100 or 75 watt incandescent bulb until you can get the right kind. He should only be in the dark at night. If Portland is into Spring fix him a place outside as long as the 'warm' sun is shining. I live in Corvallis and we have the best exotic Vet around. You are welcome to come here and meet my tortoises and I'll take you to Julianne Vickstrom, at West Hills Animal Hospital. Bring him in at night until summer gets here. It is still too cold for him outside at night. I personally think that an incandescent bulb is much better for him then that Reptisun. I had a Sulcata yearling get blinded by a bad bulb. A good bulb will cost you around $49, but is much better for him. As long as he is in the sun during the day for a few hours a regular bulb won't hurt him for a while...HTH

 

[CrystalsFamily]

That just isn't a good bulb. Get a non compact Powersun 100 watt basking bulb. They look like a flood light. Next time you need a bulb for him and you can't afford a good UVB bulb just use a 100 or 75 watt incandescent bulb until you can get the right kind. He should only be in the dark at night. If Portland is into Spring fix him a place outside as long as the 'warm' sun is shining. I live in Corvallis and we have the best exotic Vet around. You are welcome to come here and meet my tortoises and I'll take you to Julianne Vickstrom, at West Hills Animal Hospital. Bring him in at night until summer gets here. It is still too cold for him outside at night. I personally think that an incandescent bulb is much better for him then that Reptisun. I had a Sulcata yearling get blinded by a bad bulb. A good bulb will cost you around $49, but is much better for him. As long as he is in the sun during the day for a few hours a regular bulb won't hurt him for a while...HTH

Also, while the powersun is more expensive, it also lasts considerably longer, so may cost less in the long run.

 

[lynnedit]

Agreed! Take Maggie up on her offer! Then you could see Bob!
I have been to a couple of the so called Reptile vets listed in some Herp sites. One identified my two females as males. So you have to be really careful with clinics that say they have 'reptile' vets.

Her advice about bulbs is spot on. There is a tube Reptisun (longer), but you need the 10.0. No compact bulbs. Then you would need an incandescent bulb for heat. OR, the Powersun 100w. If you get the Powersun, get the light fixture at Home Depot or a feed store that has a ceramic base and can handle higher wattages. (about $12 at Home Depot).

Also, the suggestion about the type of thermometer is good.
Get a digital thermometer with a wire probe that you can move around (Walmart/Home Depot, etc.), or the Infared thermometer that Crystalsfamily mentions. I like the latter myself.
If your basking temps are not warm enough (90f, IF it is accurate isn't warm enough), then your tortoise won't be able to digest, and thus eat.

A schedule for soaking sounds like a very good idea.