Not eating much

[EKLC]

Hi, I posted a similar thread a few weeks back in the heath subforum,

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Year-old-tortoise-with-small-appetite-not-growing#axzz1gkcYlgcl

But the issue has not been resolved and I'm very stressed. My 14 month leopard tortoise has not gained any weight in the past 4 months. In August he was 54g, now he is 55g.

Here are the cliffs from other thread:

1. Runny nose in August, treated with 2 weeks of ceftazidime. Cleared on recheck, runny nose came back, cleared after 2 more apointments.
2. Appetite was weak after antibiotics.
3. In november he stopped eating for a week
4. Started up again, but just takes bites and is very picky. Pretty much only will eat cactus, mazuri, and pumpkin. He will also graze, but none of this enough to gain weight.
5. Stool sample came out clear.

Husbandry info:
Temps: 100 to 80
UVB: reptisun tube
Humidity: 75-80%, daily soaks
Substrate: coir, changed regularly
hides available, lights on timers, box is 2' x 3'
Pooping: every 1-4 days
Outdoor access when its sunny and 70+, which is often in FL.

Is it strange for a tortoise his age to only want to eat a few bites a day, when his peers are 5 times the size? Is he just in a lull after the antibiotics and will eventually pick up the pace? I appreciate any advice or personal accounts.

-Evan

 

[Laura]

he might just have something not right with him. :-( failure to Thrive..
Keep trying.. do you ahve him seperate from others?

 

[EKLC]

he might just have something not right with him. :-( failure to Thrive..
Keep trying.. do you ahve him seperate from others?

He's the only

 

[Kvoigt]

that does seem really tiny.. mine is 18months and is over 500grams.... it might be failure to thrive or it could be lag from the meds... i would dry spring mix or whatever mix of greens/weeds u have and powder it up into the pumkin or mazuri? might help get a lil more nutrition in him but some fiber would be nice.... hmmm just a thought ive never had to do that but i would if i had to good luck.

 

[EKLC]

that does seem really tiny.. mine is 18months and is over 500grams.... it might be failure to thrive or it could be lag from the meds... i would dry spring mix or whatever mix of greens/weeds u have and powder it up into the pumkin or mazuri? might help get a lil more nutrition in him but some fiber would be nice.... hmmm just a thought ive never had to do that but i would if i had to good luck.

That's a good idea, since he doesn't like salads. I'm sure I could sneak powder in. What's strange is that he will graze pretty well outside, but once the food is in his enclosure, or even growing in his enclosure, he doesn't want any part of the greens. I would take him out to graze, but there's nothing for him at my apartment I'm stuck at for another 6 months. I used to take him to a field to graze everyday, but I think the stress of the daily car ride led to his sickness.

Here's a vid from august of him in action

I would hope that he doesn't look like a failure to thrive tortoise, especially since he made it this far and is still active. Failure to thrive has to be my least favorite phrase in the world

 

[Kvoigt]

that does seem really tiny.. mine is 18months and is over 500grams.... it might be failure to thrive or it could be lag from the meds... i would dry spring mix or whatever mix of greens/weeds u have and powder it up into the pumkin or mazuri? might help get a lil more nutrition in him but some fiber would be nice.... hmmm just a thought ive never had to do that but i would if i had to good luck.

That's a good idea, since he doesn't like salads. I'm sure I could sneak powder in. What's strange is that he will graze pretty well outside, but once the food is in his enclosure, or even growing in his enclosure, he doesn't want any part of the greens. I would take him out to graze, but there's nothing for him at my apartment I'm stuck at for another 6 months. I used to take him to a field to graze everyday, but I think the stress of the daily car ride led to his sickness.

Here's a vid from august of him in action

I would hope that he doesn't look like a failure to thrive tortoise, especially since he made it this far and is still active. Failure to thrive has to be my least favorite phrase in the world

or the feild was sprayed with somthing?!? pesticide or other chemical.... plant some wild bird seed thats what im doing right now just got some started and should be good to go in in a cple weeks its cheap and efficiant

 

[EKLC]

field was in a nature preserve, which i am lucky to be near. Just not near enough, I hate this apartment living as a tortoise parent. I'll try planting a spread of birdseed, though he doesn't like to graze in his enclosure for some reason, at least not on the grassland tortoise mix I bought from carolina pet supply. thanks for the advice

 

[Tony the tank]

I gave my lg sulcata that same antibiotic..every 72hrs..she lost all interest in food.. Even after I stopped it..the appetite wasn't 100%.. I gave him some probiotics every time he would eat...seemed to really stimulate his appetite...I was told its pretty common for animals to loose there appetite do to the loss of gut fauna from antibiotics..

Good luck..

 

[EKLC]

I gave my lg sulcata that same antibiotic..every 72hrs..she lost all interest in food.. Even after I stopped it..the appetite wasn't 100%.. I gave him some probiotics every time he would eat...seemed to really stimulate his appetite...I was told its pretty common for animals to loose there appetite do to the loss of gut fauna from antibiotics..

Good luck..

I would like to try that, what product did you buy?

Otherwise, I will place a bounty for babcocki poop on this forum

Thanks

 

[Tony the tank]

I gave my lg sulcata that same antibiotic..every 72hrs..she lost all interest in food.. Even after I stopped it..the appetite wasn't 100%.. I gave him some probiotics every time he would eat...seemed to really stimulate his appetite...I was told its pretty common for animals to loose there appetite do to the loss of gut fauna from antibiotics..

Good luck..

I would like to try that, what product did you buy?

Otherwise, I will place a bounty for babcocki poop on this forum

Thanks

First I went with Bene-Bac bird probiotic..brought at petco... Then a buddy gave me some Nutribac..... I believe they work the same....

 

[EKLC]

tricked him into eating a nice glob of benebac amongst his excitement for hand fed pumpkin

 

[Laura]

good trick.
can you spread pumpkin on greens? Have you tried the Red Sticks from coastal? sometimes color gets them to eat..

 

[EKLC]

good trick.
can you spread pumpkin on greens? Have you tried the Red Sticks from coastal? sometimes color gets them to eat..

Lol, he will pick out the pumpkin, and spit out the greens if hes not feeling greens. Those red sticks seem like a great idea, since he loves red food (red leaf lettuce, hibiscus flowers). I am hopeful for the probiotics, seems sterile gut is exacty what happened

 

[Neal]

I would just concentrate on getting as much of the food he will eat into his system as you can. Not all tortoises are born equally, some just do not do as well as others for no apparent reason.

 

[lynnedit]

Sounds like you are on the right track with the probiotics. Both antibiotics and worm treatments can really set them back, especially the younger torts, even though they are necessary.
As I recall, Carolina Pet supply makes a nice supplement of ground weeds: TNT. Click on it and you can order it w/ or w/o probiotics. Get the smaller amount as it lasts. Keep in fridge to stay fresh. Very fine powder, so I put it on their favorite foods periodically like Radicchio.
http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=24&products_id=261
Good luck!

 

[EKLC]

Thanks guys for the help.

Sounds like you are on the right track with the probiotics. Both antibiotics and worm treatments can really set them back, especially the younger torts, even though they are necessary.
As I recall, Carolina Pet supply makes a nice supplement of ground weeds: TNT. Click on it and you can order it w/ or w/o probiotics. Get the smaller amount as it lasts. Keep in fridge to stay fresh. Very fine powder, so I put it on their favorite foods periodically like Radicchio.
http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=24&products_id=261
Good luck!

I ordered the TNT seems like a great product.

Just an update, I think the bene-bac must've worked. For the past two weeks, he's been eating ferociously every day, and indiscriminately. Cactus, purslane, puncturevine, spring mix, dandelions, carrot tops, lippia, dichondra, mazuri, he's taking no prisoners

 

[Kvoigt]

yay!! hope he takes off!!! and grows a bunch n gets super healthy

 

[Tony the tank]

Glad to hear he's eating better...

 

[Vlad]

You should thy feeding youre tortois some kale my tortois is the same age and he loves it.

 

[DesertGrandma]

Evan I have been following this thread and hoping your tort would come around. I am so very happy for you that he has. Will be anxious to hear when he has started to gain weight again, which sounds like it will happen very soon now. Thanks for posting too,, because now there is some hope for others with this problem that probiotics will jump start a poor appetite. The TNT information was great too.