My Tortoise isn't acting normal.

Alphonse's Owner

New Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2018
Messages
4
Location (City and/or State)
Sylacauga, AL
Alphonse was hatched and then sent to me. I've now had him for 2 months & 10 days. He wasn't super active at first, but I assumed it was because he wasn't used to me. He wouldn't open his eyes much except for when I washed him. Now he's almost comepletely stopped moving, he still moves every now and then, though. He hasn't opened his eyes in a month. He won't eat. His shell is soft where his egg sack use to be and on the ridge of his carapace and plastron. His anal scute on his plastron also cracked a bit (nothing serious) there was a little blood under the scute. I've put antibiotic ointment on it since it cracked. This crack happened two days ago. Its also very cold outside this winter. His heat has been stuck at 83-85. Is there anything I should be worried about with his behaviour?
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Yes, you should worry. What is the basking temp? He needs a spot to warm up under and that area should read 95-100. What type uvb bulb are you using? The coil type bulbs cause eye problems and shouldn't be used. What's the humidity?
Give us all the info you can on temp humidity type of heat diet etc, etc.
also read our caresheet. Sounds like a lot needs to be changed.
 

Alphonse's Owner

New Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2018
Messages
4
Location (City and/or State)
Sylacauga, AL
This is the crack (it lools dirty because I havnt washed him yet this morning.)
 

Attachments

  • 1515002246610926621850.jpg
    1515002246610926621850.jpg
    934.9 KB · Views: 28

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
You should keep the crack clean at all times until healed. For now, put him on plain white paper towel as his substrate. Keep his over all day and night temps at 85 and the basking spot of 95-100
 

Alphonse's Owner

New Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2018
Messages
4
Location (City and/or State)
Sylacauga, AL
I don't have anything to read humidity because I still havnt found one. It should be good though, I pour water into the enclosure to keep the layer under the top nice and moist and in his hide I have sphagnum moss that I keep wet to add to the humidity. I was soking him 3 times a day, but now to keep his crack clean I soak him every day and reapply ointment and a small bandaid that is his size. I feed him tortoise pellets, spineless prickelly pear, red bell pepperd, another type of tortoise food, collard greens, and romain lettuce (all cut into pieces he can bite at without choking). I have a T5 H0 reptisun terrarium hood a 150 watt heating bulb (its not coiled, red, ceramic, or anything. I was told I could get the simple bulb) his basking temp is around 95-98f. He's been like this since I got him. I thought that even if he had been sick right out of the egg I could help him.
 

Via Infinito

Active Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2017
Messages
115
Location (City and/or State)
Viet Nam
So stressful to own a baby sulcata, I would never recommend anyone to take care of a baby sulcata especially when it's plastron is still soft.
You never know if it's gonna make it
Keep trying and up on calcium
Also maybe do the baby carrot soak
 

TammyJ

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2016
Messages
7,119
Location (City and/or State)
Jamaica
He needs to be taken to a good reptile vet, can you do that? If he has not opened his eyes in a month and won't eat, he is probably dying. This would not be your fault, so don't blame yourself, just see what you can do and maybe he will make it, some do, with the right treatment and a good vet!
 

New Posts

Top