I have 2 russian tortoises that I believe are about a year old. They've been in good health since I got them in July but one has grown substantially larger than the other. In fact, the smaller tortoise was the larger tortoise in December but has since been left in the dust. I had some concerns about the differing growth rates and over the last several weeks I was noticing a decreased appetite in the smaller one as well. It also seemed to be a bit less active. I thought there might be some dominance issues going on between the two and I had actually seen the larger one bite the other when food was involved. I'd started separating them during feeding and it seemed to help with the appetite but I thought it would be a good idea to take them both to the vet just to be on the safe side. I'd never taken them and I know it is recommended to do so right after you get them anyway. Just before I brought them to the vet I saw the smaller tortoise sneeze or cough (not sure which).
The vet that we saw was very experienced and knowledgeable about tortoises but his focus is on desert tortoises. He suggested that mine were both underweight at 54 and 86 grams, showing me a 9 month old desert tortoise for comparison. He also said I should start feeding them more than they can eat everyday, though I've read differing opinions on limiting the diet of russians. As far as their diet goes, I've been using Trader Joe's spring mix as a base and adding random other things here and there like cactus, grape leaves, dandelion, mustard greens, etc. He told me I should avoid anything with lettuce in the name as a rule but that's just not practical way for me to give them a varied diet given the small size of my tortoises, the large size and cost of grocery store greens, and my inability to grow my own at this point in time. He also told me that UV A/B lights are not the best and that I should be using flourescents.
He put the smaller tortoise on an atibiotic injection that I have to administor every 3 days for a month (10 injections). They also did a fecal exam and found a large infestation of Strongyle. They told me I should be using newspaper as bedding because the coconut core/cypress mulch mix I'm using is a breeding ground for parasites and bacteria. They said unless you change it every week it's not healthy to use.
I would just like to hear your opinions on the information I received. I feel like much of it goes against some of what I've read and I'd like to make sure I'm doing the right things.
Thanks!
Patrick
The vet that we saw was very experienced and knowledgeable about tortoises but his focus is on desert tortoises. He suggested that mine were both underweight at 54 and 86 grams, showing me a 9 month old desert tortoise for comparison. He also said I should start feeding them more than they can eat everyday, though I've read differing opinions on limiting the diet of russians. As far as their diet goes, I've been using Trader Joe's spring mix as a base and adding random other things here and there like cactus, grape leaves, dandelion, mustard greens, etc. He told me I should avoid anything with lettuce in the name as a rule but that's just not practical way for me to give them a varied diet given the small size of my tortoises, the large size and cost of grocery store greens, and my inability to grow my own at this point in time. He also told me that UV A/B lights are not the best and that I should be using flourescents.
He put the smaller tortoise on an atibiotic injection that I have to administor every 3 days for a month (10 injections). They also did a fecal exam and found a large infestation of Strongyle. They told me I should be using newspaper as bedding because the coconut core/cypress mulch mix I'm using is a breeding ground for parasites and bacteria. They said unless you change it every week it's not healthy to use.
I would just like to hear your opinions on the information I received. I feel like much of it goes against some of what I've read and I'd like to make sure I'm doing the right things.
Thanks!
Patrick
