My tort is out of sorts

[Tort-a-lishous81]

Hi. I'm a new tort moma. Had our tort for a year or so. He recently is having issues and I don't know whats wrong with him.
He is hiding all the time, never eating, won't bask, his eyes have now gone funny he won't/can't open one eye.. He's keeping the other closed but he can open it. He has a bath every day. He has a mixture of leafy greens even day and fruit on special occasions. He is in a viv (we bought him and viv together) 4ft long with heat lamp and uvb. Temps r between 70 at one end and 84 at the heated end. He has got a 40w bulb in at the moment with it being hot. Since he's been out of sorts iv tried changing the bulb to a 75w but he just went and stayed at the other end of viv (cool end) I don't know what eles to do. He's been like this now for about 3 weeks or more. Please help x

 

[Yvonne G]

If it's at all possible, get your tortoise out into the sun. Tortoises are wild animals and haven't gone through years and years of human intervention to make them domesticated. Being outside in the sun does wonders for them.

When a turtle or tortoise stops eating, the first symptom you see is swollen, closed eyes. This is because they are no longer getting the vitamin A they need.

Soak him daily in Gerber strained carrots mixed with a bit of warm water. Leave him in there for at least a half hour, but longer is even better. This is a stop-gap measure to get his eyes open. You will still need to try to figure out why it happened.

For us to help you and give you pointers on your care, we'll need to see pictures of your habitat, including the lights.

 

[BrianWI]

What is his current diet?

 

[JoesMum]

Hi

Please can you post pictures of your tort's enclosure, including the lighting, and also tell us the 4 important temperatures: warm side, cool side, directly under the basking lamp and overnight minimum.

We also need to know its diet.

Do you soak your tort? Does it have free access to water?

What does 'out of sorts' mean? Please could you expand on this?

 

[Tort-a-lishous81]

I will post pics of habitat as soon as I am home. And his diet is cabbage mixed lettuce leaf. Baby corns mushrooms. Dandelion leaf. And a portion of compleat tortoise food. And I ad calcium powder.

 

[Tort-a-lishous81]

Hi

Please can you post pictures of your tort's enclosure, including the lighting, and also tell us the 4 important temperatures: warm side, cool side, directly under the basking lamp and overnight minimum.

We also need to know its diet.

Do you soak your tort? Does it have free access to water?

What does 'out of sorts' mean? Please could you expand on this?

 

[Tort-a-lishous81]

Will post pic of

cool side 75 warm side 84 under bulb 86-90 and night time min is 68.

 

[Tort-a-lishous81]

If it's at all possible, get your tortoise out into the sun. Tortoises are wild animals and haven't gone through years and years of human intervention to make them domesticated. Being outside in the sun does wonders for them.

When a turtle or tortoise stops eating, the first symptom you see is swollen, closed eyes. This is because they are no longer getting the vitamin A they need.

Soak him daily in Gerber strained carrots mixed with a bit of warm water. Leave him in there for at least a half hour, but longer is even better. This is a stop-gap measure to get his eyes open. You will still need to try to figure out why it happened.

For us to help you and give you pointers on your care, we'll need to see pictures of your habitat, including the lights.

Sun is unheard-of round these parts lol. But very occasionally we do have a couple of days when the sun does make an appearance and he's outside when it happens and he usually loves it roaming about but last 3 weeks hes just not been bothered and just goes and tries to dig and hide.

 

[JoesMum]

That UVB tube looks far too low. Normally they should be around 15-18" above the substrate. Please check the bulb packaging (or website) for details.

You need to lower the basking bulb and get 95F under it. Use a temperature gun type thermometer to do it accurately (inexpensive from Amazon)

You also need to change those reptile bowls out. They are a tipping hazard and not suitable for torts. Use a terracotta plant saucer sunk into the substrate for water and a flat rock, tile or piece of slate for food which will also help with beak maintenance.

Russians do naturally spend a lot of time underground in the wild, but your temperatures are on the low side and that won't help.

How big is your tort now?

@Tom will hopefully be about and able to give you more detailed advice on your viv with respect to Russians.

 

[BrianWI]

Is that dry, pelleted bedding?
I see significant pyramiding.

 

[Yvonne G]

Is that dry, pelleted bedding?
I see significant pyramiding.

Smart alec. None of us mentioned that, you see?

 

[BrianWI]

Not a smart alec, just my 1970's vintage monitor at work. It is either pelleted bedding or a pile of 1952 Buicks. Hard to tell

 

[JoesMum]

Not a smart alec, just my 1970's vintage monitor at work. It is either pelleted bedding or a pile of 1952 Buicks. Hard to tell

A bigger screen than my iPhone

 

[Gillian M]

Welcome to the forum!

Please soak your tort in warm water daily: I noticed he/she is pyramiding.

Where do you live? You mentioned there's no sun back there-too bad.

 

[BrianWI]

A bigger screen than my iPhone

Yet lower resolution and I think I get 4 colors.

 

[BrianWI]

3 colors, the 4th actually is bad pixels.