Poorly Horsefield Tortoise

[DaisyWill and Pro]

Hi,

My horsefield tortoise, Professor Green, has seemed really unhappy for a few weeks now. We recently moved house by i think it started before the move. His eyes are weepy and he is sluggish. He does not seem to be pooping as frequently as he used to and does not like attention as he used to. He is approx 2 1/2 years old. we did not hybernate him. He lives on soil (recently added sand to this and moss) and has straw in some corners. at the moment his lights are on from 10-6pm. Im such a newbie and dont know what to do! please help!

 

[Heliopteryx]

Have you tried taking him to the vet? This sounds quite bad.

 

[tortadise]

More sunlight. Are they UBB bulbs? 12-14 hours a day. Don't use any hay. Coco coir is best to keep humidity up. Also what's your diet your feeding him? Some photos of set up would be very helpful too. We will get you through this.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi DaisyWill and Pro:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

We'll need to know a bit more about him and your set up.

Is he indoors? Do you provide a UVB light? What are the temperatures all over the habitat? What are you feeding him? Do you ever soak him?

What would you like us to call you?

...and may we know appx. where in the world you are?

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

^^I agree with this. What are the temperatures? Humidity level? Lighting? What do you feed him? Does he get supplements? Does he get time outside?

Nevertheless, I will take a stab at diagnosing the problem, given the limited information in the OP.

His eyes are weepy

This could be due to irritation from compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which can blind reptiles (and probably us, too, if we stared at them all day). If you are using CFLs, best to switch to incandescent or strip light-type fluorescent lights, which are easier on the eyes.

Another possible issue is lack of vitamin A. What does this tortoise eat? If his diet is not varied enough, or if it is not supplemented with vitamins and minerals, he could develop eye problems, like dry-eye.

Finally, might your tortoise have some debris in his eyes? This seems unlikely, since both eyes are affected, and not just one, but it is possible. Which brings me to the next point...

and he is sluggish. He does not seem to be pooping as frequently as he used to and does not like attention as he used to. He is approx 2 1/2 years old. we did not hybernate him. He lives on soil (recently added sand to this and moss) and has straw in some corners.

If your tortoise is sluggish and not having bowel movements, he could be suffering from gut compaction, which happens when debris (usually sand) gets stuck in the gut, often in a dehydrated animal. Does your little guy have plenty to drink, and is he offered fresh greens with plenty of moisture in them? You said the substrate consists of soil and sand. Perhaps your tortoise ate some of this (either intentionally or accidentally), and now his gut may be compacted. If so, a trip to the vet would be in order.

Another option for substrate would be coconut coir or cypress mulch. I use 100% coco coir myself at this point, because it is clean of fungi and insects, resists mold, and does not promote gut compaction if ingested.

at the moment his lights are on from 10-6pm. Im such a newbie and dont know what to do! please help!

Doesn't sound like enough daytime lighting to me. My Russians' light is on from 7am until 9pm, for a total of 14 hours everyday.

Is any of this hitting the mark?

 

[ascott]

When he does poo.....is it a nice ooo or is it wet and no shape? Have you had a stool sample checked for parasite load?

May we see a pic of your Professor Green please...

 

[DaisyWill and Pro]

Hi, wow there's alot of questions for me to answer!

He eats mainly brocolli with calcium powder. Do feed his a little bit of strawberry at time as a treat. Unfortunately he does not get time outside as we dont have a garden. I am in Hull in England by the way! Hi poo seems the same as always. He has one UV bulb and a heat bulb. I'll try and get a picture of his set up. has the bulbs at one side with a little hut thing beneath them in an attempt to stop the heat/lighting getting too much for him. He has a water bowl constantly in there however he doesnt seem to be using it as much (i can tell because he gets soil stuck to his feet when he's been in it!). I literally put the sand in there on sunday so i don't think that is the cause. I do soak him but probably not as often as i should! Thanks for the help guys! I just want him to be happy again!!

 

[DaisyWill and Pro]

I have tried to attach some photos of Professor from a while back.. not sure if it will work! lol

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Cute little guy!

He eats mainly brocolli with calcium powder. Do feed his a little bit of strawberry at time as a treat.

This is not the best diet for him. Testudo species like the Russian should be eating mostly a variety of leafy greens, like endive, escarole, arugula, chicory, dandelion, lettuce, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, etc. Many of them also like flowers. You can also offer commercial tortoise foods, such as Mazuri Tortoise Diet. It is good to add a calcium/vitamin D3 powder 2-3 times per week. However, broccoli should only be offered as an occasional treat, if at all. The same for berries. It looks like the fruit in the photo is a raspberry, not a strawberry. Either way, berries should only be offered once a month. The reason for this is they have a high sugar content, which can cause indigestion if fed very often to an herbivorous animal like a tortoise, or a horse or cow for that matter.

Hi poo seems the same as always.

Which is what? Does he have firm or runny stools? A high-fiber diet is going to allow him to have firm stools. If he gets too much fruit, then his stool is going to be more like diarrhea. Is that what he has?

He has one UV bulb and a heat bulb. I'll try and get a picture of his set up. has the bulbs at one side with a little hut thing beneath them in an attempt to stop the heat/lighting getting too much for him.

It's the temperatures that matter. He should have ambient temperatures around 75*F (25*C), and a basking spot temperature around 95*F (35*C).

 

[Blakem]

Our Russian is VERY cute! Glad you found the forum, it is filled with people who will get you on the right track to having a happy and healthy tortoise.