Opo?

[Ray--Opo]

Hi all, I will start 6 days ago. The first 3 days were to cold for Opo. So he stayed in his box. The 4th day good weather but Opo wouldn't come out. Was awake but just facing in the corner. I pulled him out and he walked the backyard grazed a little, fed him alot of cactus and right back to bed.5th day 80° weather and still not coming out. So I pulled him out and he turned to go back in. So I blocked it off and he went to one of his hides in the bushes. Thinking maybe dehydration I filled his area with 2 inches of water. Every hour I would refill. Then in the late afternoon I knew he needed to come in. So I put the hose on him. He just sat there for a hr. I finally lured him out with food and he went home. Today he won't come out and it is beautiful outside. Hasn't went poop in 5 days. Temperature in box is 82° to 88°.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Hi all, I will start 6 days ago. The first 3 days were to cold for Opo. So he stayed in his box. The 4th day good weather but Opo wouldn't come out. Was awake but just facing in the corner. I pulled him out and he walked the backyard grazed a little, fed him alot of cactus and right back to bed.5th day 80° weather and still not coming out. So I pulled him out and he turned to go back in. So I blocked it off and he went to one of his hides in the bushes. Thinking maybe dehydration I filled his area with 2 inches of water. Every hour I would refill. Then in the late afternoon I knew he needed to come in. So I put the hose on him. He just sat there for a hr. I finally lured him out with food and he went home. Today he won't come out and it is beautiful outside. Hasn't went poop in 5 days. Temperature in box is 82° to 88°.

I've had tortoises that got into a "funk" like that and then was perfect days later. But it could also be a more serious issue.
I'm at a loss for advice except to monitor him closely.
Do you have access to a trusted tort vet?

 

[Ray--Opo]

I've had tortoises that got into a "funk" like that and then was perfect days later. But it could also be a more serious issue.
I'm at a loss for advice except to monitor him closely.
Do you have access to a trusted tort vet?

Yes, I have a good vet. Seems very knowledgeable. The last time I was there she had a sully in there that she had to reconstruct the side of the shell from a car tire. The sully seemed healthy and had been recovering well. I also did some checking around before going with her.
I have 2 doctors appointments today for myself. So I didn't pull him out. I will be getting home to late.

 

[Yvonne G]

I know he's a bit on the large size, but my go to 'cure' for whatever ails 'em is soaking in a receptical that the can't climb out of, and leaving them in there for a good long time.

 

[Len B]

When any of mine do what Opo is doing (and they have) I load them up with wet food items. Mostly lettuce and cucumbers, My cactus this time of year have dehydrated for winter so not as beneficial for moisture content. I know you shouldn't feed iceberg lettuce normally but it has worked out for me and the tortoise. And it doesn't harm a healthy tortoise to pig out on lettuces and other high in moisture food items for a few days. Good Luck, he should be fine.

 

[Ray--Opo]

I know he's a bit on the large size, but my go to 'cure' for whatever ails 'em is soaking in a receptical that the can't climb out of, and leaving them in there for a good long time.

Thanks Yvonne, yesterday where one of Opo's hides is. The ground is bowled out so it holds a few inches of water for about 1/2 hr. Yesterday I would lay the hose out in the sun. The sun would warm the water up in the 100ft hose. About every hr I would fill his hide up again. I have no time today for him. So I will start tomorrow to see what I can do.

 

[Ray--Opo]

When any of mine do what Opo is doing (and they have) I load them up with wet food items. Mostly lettuce and cucumbers, My cactus this time of year have dehydrated for winter so not as beneficial for moisture content. I know you shouldn't feed iceberg lettuce normally but it has worked out for me and the tortoise. And it doesn't harm a healthy tortoise to pig out on lettuces and other high in moisture food items for a few days. Good Luck, he should be fine.

About 3 days ago I fed a bunch of cactus and some mushy mazuri. I have been using romaine also. When he was eating it wasn't aggressive. It was more like ok I will eat because I am a tortoise. But I really don't want to.
Thanks for the advice.

 

[TammyJ]

You said he has not pooped in 5 days. Would you always find it if he did? How often does he usually poop?

 

[Ray--Opo]

You said he has not pooped in 5 days. Would you always find it if he did? How often does he usually poop?

Usually every morning, he has a certain area in the yard he prefers. Maybe once a week in his box. Yes every afternoon my wife will pick up Opo's 💩 and putter in the backyard. She keeps me up to date on how his 💩 looks. 😁

 

[Ray--Opo]

When any of mine do what Opo is doing (and they have) I load them up with wet food items. Mostly lettuce and cucumbers, My cactus this time of year have dehydrated for winter so not as beneficial for moisture content. I know you shouldn't feed iceberg lettuce normally but it has worked out for me and the tortoise. And it doesn't harm a healthy tortoise to pig out on lettuces and other high in moisture food items for a few days. Good Luck, he should be fine.

Do your cactus survive the winter outside?

 

[Len B]

About 3 days ago I fed a bunch of cactus and some mushy mazuri. I have been using romaine also. When he was eating it wasn't aggressive. It was more like ok I will eat because I am a tortoise. But I really don't want to.
Thanks for the advice.

Do your cactus survive the winter outside?

Yes they do. I grow about a dozen different types of opuntia that survive our cold and wet winters. I haven't seen any damage to the plants from the single digit temps and high winds we had Christmas week.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Yes they do. I grow about a dozen different types of opuntia that survive our cold and wet winters. I haven't seen any damage to the plants from the single digit temps and high winds we had Christmas week.

That's great, have you ever had to deal with a mealybug infestation on your cactus?

 

[Ray--Opo]

Well late afternoon yesterday I got home and Opo was at the plastic strips of his opening. All sprawled out head up, alert. I lured him out with cactus and he ate a bunch of cactus and mazuri. Turned around and went back in the box. The only difference in his actions was he acted confused how to get through the plastic strips. He finally figured it out. Today I opened up his box and he was waiting for me right up to the plastic. I could smell Opo left me something in his box. The other days he just stayed in the back corner. I fed him 6 cactus pads,mazuri and he grazed for a hr. All the time very timid almost like being cautious. He peed a bunch and it was milky. So everything seems fine there. When he went to bed he acted like he didn't know how to get thru the plastic strips. I guess it is a tortoise being a tortoise. 5 1/2 yrs into this adventure and still learning. Someday I will not worry so quickly. 😁

 

[Len B]

That's great, have you ever had to deal with a mealybug infestation on your cactus?

No, never seen one.

 

[Cathie G]

Well late afternoon yesterday I got home and Opo was at the plastic strips of his opening. All sprawled out head up, alert. I lured him out with cactus and he ate a bunch of cactus and mazuri. Turned around and went back in the box. The only difference in his actions was he acted confused how to get through the plastic strips. He finally figured it out. Today I opened up his box and he was waiting for me right up to the plastic. I could smell Opo left me something in his box. The other days he just stayed in the back corner. I fed him 6 cactus pads,mazuri and he grazed for a hr. All the time very timid almost like being cautious. He peed a bunch and it was milky. So everything seems fine there. When he went to bed he acted like he didn't know how to get thru the plastic strips. I guess it is a tortoise being a tortoise. 5 1/2 yrs into this adventure and still learning. Someday I will not worry so quickly. 😁

Sapphire, my little Russian, did something similar around that age. When I first got him, I had his little hide box almost done. I was waiting to finish it completely and make it cuter. Like a little hacienda. He was using it until the day I made it cuter 😉 he sat and stared at it for an hour or more. Head stuck out just looking at it. Then he walked past it and wouldn't use it until I made it look like it used to 😂 Maybe Opo decided he doesn't like the plastic. They do have their opinions and it takes a while for them to make up their mind.😁

 

[TammyJ]

Have you closely examined his eyes? Could he not be seeing properly?

 

[Len B]

Well late afternoon yesterday I got home and Opo was at the plastic strips of his opening. All sprawled out head up, alert. I lured him out with cactus and he ate a bunch of cactus and mazuri. Turned around and went back in the box. The only difference in his actions was he acted confused how to get through the plastic strips. He finally figured it out. Today I opened up his box and he was waiting for me right up to the plastic. I could smell Opo left me something in his box. The other days he just stayed in the back corner. I fed him 6 cactus pads,mazuri and he grazed for a hr. All the time very timid almost like being cautious. He peed a bunch and it was milky. So everything seems fine there. When he went to bed he acted like he didn't know how to get thru the plastic strips. I guess it is a tortoise being a tortoise. 5 1/2 yrs into this adventure and still learning. Someday I will not worry so quickly. 😁

I wouldn't worry to much about that. Walker has lived in his house since 2008 and he will sometimes miss judge when going back in for the night. In fact tonight it took him two times to get it right. Granted I have the winter setup with a smaller door opening with the extra insulated panel and more vinyl flaps to help keep the heat in. I'm not sure about a tortoises eye sight and how they see things but I do know that if it's directly under their head they don't miss it. But if something is directly in front of them they may miss seeing it. Walker taught me this by watching him for almost 27 years. When I was keeping mountain tortoises I never could figure out their how their vision worked but it was different than that of the sulcatas.

 

[Ray--Opo]

I wouldn't worry to much about that. Walker has lived in his house since 2008 and he will sometimes miss judge when going back in for the night. In fact tonight it took him two times to get it right. Granted I have the winter setup with a smaller door opening with the extra insulated panel and more vinyl flaps to help keep the heat in. I'm not sure about a tortoises eye sight and how they see things but I do know that if it's directly under their head they don't miss it. But if something is directly in front of them they may miss seeing it. Walker taught me this by watching him for almost 27 years. When I was keeping mountain tortoises I never could figure out their how their vision worked but it was different than that of the sulcatas.

Thanks for your input. I am learning little by little, year after year.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Have you closely examined his eyes? Could he not be seeing properly?

His eyes are big and black. I don't see any cloudiness on the surface. Like T Len said, anything straight forward to Opo up close. It's like he doesn't see it. But to the side or below or above things seem alright.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Sapphire, my little Russian, did something similar around that age. When I first got him, I had his little hide box almost done. I was waiting to finish it completely and make it cuter. Like a little hacienda. He was using it until the day I made it cuter 😉 he sat and stared at it for an hour or more. Head stuck out just looking at it. Then he walked past it and wouldn't use it until I made it look like it used to 😂 Maybe Opo decided he doesn't like the plastic. They do have their opinions and it takes a while for them to make up their mind.😁

You might be on to something. I changed his plastic about 2 months ago. I tried something different how I hung the plastic. Since then the plastic strips have curled long ways a little bit. I was going to rehang the plastic. Just haven't got it done. Maybe the curled edge is bothering him.???????