Please help my sick tort?

Status
Not open for further replies.

The Adjustor

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2011
Messages
64
Location (City and/or State)
Tucson, Az
Hello everyone. I haven't been active on this forum for quite a while, but I have returned because I am very worried about my baby golden greek tortoise. Lately he has not been eating, and he also will not move around at all. If anyone could give me some advice I would appreciate it so much!

Last week I don't think he left his burrow once. Every day when I came home from work his food looked like it hadn't been touched. After a few days of noticing this I decided to remove him from his burrow before leaving for work and placed him in front of his food dish. He didn't show any interest in the food right away so I cut up a small piece of apple to try and entice him and he took a couple bites of it from my hand so I left for work hoping he would start chowing... Well, when I got home from work I noticed he hadn't moved one bit from where I put him 8 hours earlier. All his food was still in the dish right in front of him untouched. I have been watching him very closely over the weekend and he is completely refusing to move. He can move his legs when I touch them, but he will not walk anywhere :(. Every time I come to check on him he just looks miserable. He will have his front legs sprawled out and his head just resting on the ground. It's really heartbreaking. I think he's really in trouble and I feel like it's all my fault (which it obviously must be).

I'm not exactly sure what the problem is, but I have an idea. I think he has not been getting adequate exposure to his UVB. He spends so much time down in his burrow that he only actually gets under his UVB tube a couple times a week. I also have been neglecting to take him outside as much as I should because I don't like pulling him out of his burrow where he is most of the time. I probably get him out in the sunshine once a week if not less :(.

He has a basking spot at 90-92 degrees, and the cool part of his enclosure depends on the room temperature but it's usually around 80 during the day. Substrate is about 6" of eco-earth mixed with organic potting soil. The enclosure is kept pretty dry, but I soak him and spray his carapace down several times a week. His diet is mostly collard, mustard, and turnip greens. Sometimes he gets spring mix too. I also mix in some finely chopped green beans, bell peppers, carrots and squash etc. a couple times a week.

I am going to get him a new enclosure that will hopefully give him better access to UVB. His current enclosure measures 30" x 30" and has the UVB in the back section only. I want to build a more rectangular enclosure (prob. 4' x 2')which can provide UVB to the entire thing. I also have started bringing him outside a lot more this past weekend and I will continue to do so, but so far I havn't seen any improvement. Is there anything else I can do to help him? I really don't want to lose him I've had him for almost a year now and he has really grown on me. I feel terrible for letting it get to this point. It really doesn't seem like he has a lot of time left.

Thanks in advance for your replies!
 

Eweezyfosheezy

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2009
Messages
2,365
Location (City and/or State)
Peoria, Arizona
Sounds like your doing everything right. Only thing I would change up is the diet a little. Are you able to grow any seeds to get him a more natural diet. Also have you ever tried mazuri?
 

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
19,695
Location (City and/or State)
CA
You have had him for a year, have you replaced the UVB light? they often lose their effectiveness after 6 months or so.
 

colatoise

Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Mar 29, 2012
Messages
206
Location (City and/or State)
South Carolina
Yeah sounds like you're doing everything right except a little more variety on diet. How old is your tort? Mine is not quite a juvenile and I try to keep the humidity around 65-70% and give daily soakings. Where are you? There is a link on here for local vets. May be time for a checkup based on how he's acting. Good luck and I hope he gets better.
 

The Adjustor

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2011
Messages
64
Location (City and/or State)
Tucson, Az
Sounds like your doing everything right. Only thing I would change up is the diet a little. Are you able to grow any seeds to get him a more natural diet. Also have you ever tried mazuri?

This winter I had a bunch of dandelions growing in my yard so I was offering those while they lasted. I am about to move to a new house on the first and I think I could try growing some stuff there. What would you recommend? And I havn't tried mazuri, but I am familiar with it. Where do you get it from though?

You have had him for a year, have you replaced the UVB light? they often lose their effectiveness after 6 months or so.

Actually I got his current bulb back in January so it is a little old. I will get a new one in a couple days hopefully.

Yeah sounds like you're doing everything right except a little more variety on diet. How old is your tort? Mine is not quite a juvenile and I try to keep the humidity around 65-70% and give daily soakings. Where are you? There is a link on here for local vets. May be time for a checkup based on how he's acting. Good luck and I hope he gets better.

Hercules was born in either May or June of last year according to the breeder I got him from. My humidity is closer to 40-50%, but I could probably bump it up a little if you think it will help. I have a good vet who has seen my iguana a couple times. I'll try and get him in there, but money is a little tight right now with all my moving expenses.
 

ascott

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
16,138
Location (City and/or State)
Apple Valley, California
http://www.chelonia.org/articles/tiberagoldengreekcare.htm

Just a helpful reference to make sure you are hitting all the important items on your checklist....also, you may want to take care in the amount of sugar items you are offering as food....:D

http://www.chelonia.org/articles/tiberagoldengreekcare.htm

Just a helpful reference compiling information helpful to make sure you are hitting all the important items on your checklist....also, you may want to take care in the amount of sugar items you are offering as food....:D
 

CactusVinnie

Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Oct 13, 2011
Messages
300
Location (City and/or State)
Bucharest, Romania z6
Why not an outdoor enclosure, with well-shaded cool hides, patched shade and sun? The best natural mood boosters: fresh air, temperature swings and sunlight!
I find the diet quite wrong... the staples you offer should be fed on occasion. Try Opuntia- cleaned of spines and glochids, dandelions, cichory, related Asteraceae, Lactuca serriola, virosa, Malvaceae etc... I am sure that most of these weeds are already naturalised in the US.
 

lynnedit

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 25, 2011
Messages
5,730
Location (City and/or State)
Southwest Washington
To summarize the above:
1. new bulb. make sure you are measuring temps with an accurate thermometer.
2. daily soaks for now, even consider adding pureed carrot or butternut squash baby food to the soaks
3. Unfortunately his diet is too restrictive; there needs to be more variety in the diet: more weeds as suggested.
Optunia cactus is one of the best sources for calcium.
4. get him outside (definitely with partial shade, especially in Az). Even a kiddie pool with holes drilled in the bottom (if needed for drainage) and a plank over one end for shade. A couple of plants in pot embedded in the substrate.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Cheap-Easy-Simple-Sunning-Enclosure#axzz22ArEKSL7

However, if he does not improve in the next week or so, you really will need to find a reptile vet.

You obviously care a lot for your little guy, so we know you can do this!
 

The Adjustor

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2011
Messages
64
Location (City and/or State)
Tucson, Az
Thank you for your replies. Unfortunately though he passed away this morning. He was staying at a friends house while I was moving into my new house. He actually got him to eat some and he became more active walking around his temporary enclosure, but when I went over to pick him up he was gone. :(
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top