My Sovi has a swollen tail and yellowish brown urates

[T33's Torts]

Well done!
Being that Luke just hit every point I would've, I don't have much left to say. BUT, its not OK to have a dog and cat having access to the tortoise.

 

[Tiff]

I don't know why it keeps doing that.

Anyways. I am not an expert on tortoise care since I only just fell into caring for my little pal Lou a couple months ago. I do however spend more time than I like to admit reading threads of all types on this forum. Some things that I have seen stressed over and and over again are these. Every species of tortoise has it's own environment and climate types. Even if two species can be found in relatively close proximity in the wild they still have unique sub climates. Also as a general rule of thumb tortoises are solitary creatures they do not need companions or friends like so many think. Even I would not have known that if I hadn't read about it here. Because of these reasons and I'm sure many more it is very ill advised to keep different species in the same enclosure. Each of your torts needs their own space and their own domain to be queen/king of. I have also seen it stressed that anytime a new tortoise is brought into the house they should be quarantined for 3-6 months. A new tort no matter where they are purchased or rescued or picked up from have the potential to carry parasites viruses and other nasties that can harm your existing torts. Another reason it is important to keep different species separated is that one may carry somehing that the other would never naturally encounter and I could potentially kill it. Again I am no where close to anyone with any sort of substantial knowledge of tortoise care I just take the advice of those who have experience to heart and spend time reading an rereading threads and other information i have found on this forum. No one wants to discourage you or push you away everyone here only wants to help you and you little friends achieve the best life possible.


Luke&Lou

I was thinking because my basement is a large room the would not have a problem with one another. I feed from separate food bowls.

 

[Tiff]

I was thinking because my basement is a large room the would not have a problem with one another. I feed from separate food bowls.

I'm not sure what to do now because they have been together for a month.

 

[Tiff]

Pic

 

[Tiff]

Pic 2

 

[Tiff]

Pic 3

 

[Yvonne G]

This is a good example as to why you should not mix species. We'll never know for sure, but in my opinion, having two different species sharing the same space is a good reason why one of them is now sick. You need to take the tortoise to the vet and have blood work done.

 

[Tiff]

Pic4

 

[Tiff]

Pic5

 

[taza]

That is a basement the floor must be cold! They need to be on a substrate for traction and warmth its not natural for them to be running around on tile.
PLEASE look in the enclosure section of this forum there are some fantastic examples of enclosures there. You could build good size enclosures and stack them if space is an issue.

 

[Tiff]

soaking in the wash sink.

 

[Tiff]

Pic of her tail and legs. She looks overweight in a way or swollen. Her tail looks swollen.

 

[taza]

Hope this link works but this is a great idea for a small room to have multiple enclosures. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/tortoise-room-finished.69409/#post-653721

 

[Tiff]

Hope this link works but this is a great idea for a small room to have multiple enclosures. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/tortoise-room-finished.69409/#post-653721

Thank you. ..you just gave me a great idea!

 

[Tiff]

Thank you. ..you just gave me a great idea!

I can build it but it will be 2 ft x 6.5' long. Would they be comfortably in it?

When the weather warms up a bit the will each have one outdoors too.

 

[taza]

Yes I am sure they would be more comfortable in their own enclosures. They would feel more secure.

 

[Tiff]

Yes I am sure they would be more comfortable in their own enclosures. They would feel more secure.

My russian is very territorial.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Your thinking of an old musty basement. ...no, it's a room just like any other part of the house that is used daily. I have had sovi since 2011.

I do think you are putting yourself off this way because you think I don't care about my tortoise. ....I would not be on the forum asking for help if I didn't care. I seem to bring the worse out in people.

I am sorry you feel that way. I repeat, I am NOT trying to be mean, but you asked for advice and then you argue about it. LoutheRussian has given you some excellent advice and so has tiffnytorts, and Yvonne too, everybody is trying to help and you argue about it.
The bottom line is you think you have a sick tortoise and we have all tried to tell you why and what we think, but it simply made you defensive. So this is what I think, you have not set the animals up as good as you think.
1. Different species should not be kept together. They each have different pathogens and one could make the other sick or dead. I already said that. You did not quarantine that Greek for the required 4 to 6 months either.
2. The floor is cold and there's things you might not see that the tort could eat and again be sick. Bird poop is seriously bad and can kill a tortoise. A loose bird? Bad news. Cat hair can impact a tortoise (causing a swollen tail etc). Paper clips, dust mites, tacks, push pins, nails, anything on that COLD floor and the tort could eat it and oops done...
3. Dogs are the biggest predator of captive tortoises. Anybody on this forum will tell you that dogs and tortoises DO NOT MIX. I say again Dogs and tortoises do not mix, period.
I will tell you the story about Mildred a 20 year old Gopherus agassizii...she lived in the same house with a dog for 18 years. EIGHTEEN YEARS. Then one day the keeper came home from work to find that Mildred was missing her left front leg. It was never found, dog must have eaten it. He also licked the wound good enough that it wasn't even bleeding. So the keeper paid a Vet to fix the wound and decided that she no longer wanted to keep this beautiful endangered species and I ended up with her, she kept the dog. Why did that dog do that to Mildred after so many years together? We'll never know.
Some place on this forum Tom, who is a dog trainer and supplies exotic animals to the movies, has a thread about a dog eating one of his many tortoises, in just a few minutes. The idea of a dog having access to a tortoise is seriously scary to me. It's not my nature, but my experience. My sister has been involved in turtle and tortoise rescue for 35 years, me, not quite that long. We have learned something in that time. Ya think?
Oh and 4. a tortoises insides need to be about 75 or 80 degrees for them to digest their food properly and that can't happen on a cold floor. Get naked and lay on that floor, you'll see it is not the 80 degrees they need.
You are not, in my opinion, keeping those tortoises like the exotic animals they are. You are keeping them like a pet dog or cat and making excuses for it. If it was really working for you, Sovi would not be sick and you would not have asked for advice.
So I am done with you, I think you are not going to take my (or anybody else's advice anyway). Let some one you haven't insulted try and help your sick tortoise.

 

[Tiff]

I am sorry you feel that way. I repeat, I am NOT trying to be mean, but you asked for advice and then you argue about it. LoutheRussian has given you some excellent advice and so has tiffnytorts, and Yvonne too, everybody is trying to help and you argue about it.
The bottom line is you think you have a sick tortoise and we have all tried to tell you why and what we think, but it simply made you defensive. So this is what I think, you have not set the animals up as good as you think.
1. Different species should not be kept together. They each have different pathogens and one could make the other sick or dead. I already said that. You did not quarantine that Greek for the required 4 to 6 months either.
2. The floor is cold and there's things you might not see that the tort could eat and again be sick. Bird poop is seriously bad and can kill a tortoise. A loose bird? Bad news. Cat hair can impact a tortoise (causing a swollen tail etc). Paper clips, dust mites, tacks, push pins, nails, anything on that COLD floor and the tort could eat it and oops done...
3. Dogs are the biggest predator of captive tortoises. Anybody on this forum will tell you that dogs and tortoises DO NOT MIX. I say again Dogs and tortoises do not mix, period.
I will tell you the story about Mildred a 20 year old Gopherus agassizii...she lived in the same house with a dog for 18 years. EIGHTEEN YEARS. Then one day the keeper came home from work to find that Mildred was missing her left front leg. It was never found, dog must have eaten it. He also licked the wound good enough that it wasn't even bleeding. So the keeper paid a Vet to fix the wound and decided that she no longer wanted to keep this beautiful endangered species and I ended up with her, she kept the dog. Why did that dog do that to Mildred after so many years together? We'll never know.
Some place on this forum Tom, who is a dog trainer and supplies exotic animals to the movies, has a thread about a dog eating one of his many tortoises, in just a few minutes. The idea of a dog having access to a tortoise is seriously scary to me. It's not my nature, but my experience. My sister has been involved in turtle and tortoise rescue for 35 years, me, not quite that long. We have learned something in that time. Ya think?
Oh and 4. a tortoises insides need to be about 75 or 80 degrees for them to digest their food properly and that can't happen on a cold floor. Get naked and lay on that floor, you'll see it is not the 80 degrees they need.
You are not, in my opinion, keeping those tortoises like the exotic animals they are. You are keeping them like a pet dog or cat and making excuses for it. If it was really working for you, Sovi would not be sick and you would not have asked for advice.
So I am done with you, I think you are not going to take my (or anybody else's advice anyway). Let some one you haven't insulted try and help your sick tortoise.

Actually I am taking ever ones advice, look on page 3. Sorry, but I was not arguing with anyone all I said was it's not a old musty basement and I bring the worse out in people. Sorry I don't like conflict. I was just taking things said to heart, and then I was defensive. I'm kind of sensitive. ..I had a lot of losses in my family lately. I came on here for advice, and am taking the advice. I appreciate the advice.

There is a link of a tortoise room that has two tortoise tables stacked vertically, I am able to build this, but it can only be 2.75' wide x 6.5' long. I have aready cleared the space. My greek is up off the floor and in a separate temporary enclosure. Sovi is outside enjoy some sun. I found out my all in one bulb had expired. I'm planning to have the tortoise table complete by this weekend. Thank you for the help I really do appreciate it!

 

[taza]

Hi Tiff, Keep asking questions if you need to thats how we all learned. I am sure as soon as you build your enclosures put in the proper substrate and get your heat and humidity at proper levels you'll be thrilled at the results. Your torts will be happier and safer.