recently adopted a 22 year old male sulcata who was fed improper diet.

[dippermc]

I have had my sulcata for about 2 weeks now after adopting him from a woman who could no longer take care of him. She fed him an improper diet of dogfood and bananas for all 22 years of his life, so he has some deformation in his shell and is small for his age I believe.

I have tried fixing his diet slowly, to incorporate more grass, kale and hay, as well as almost no fruit except one apple every Sunday. Obviously I also wont be feeding him dog food either haha. He is a bit stubborn and won't eat any hay on its own though. That is my first problem, does anyone have any suggestions on how to get tortoises to eat more hay? I got him orchard grass hay in case that matters.

Next problem I have, I believe, comes from him not eating enough hay. He does not seem to be pooping regularly if at all. I have cleaned up a few white poops which I understand are his method of peeing? But I have not seen many regular hard brown poops. How long should I wait before calling a vet? I have been feeding him pumpkin to try and elicit healthy bowel movements but it doesn't seem to be working. I know soaking a Tortoise can help on this front, but he is so big I don't know if he will fit in my bathtub (also getting him upstairs seems impossible).

My last question is are there any guaranteed symptoms to watch out for respiratory illnesses in adult male sulcatas? His breathing never seems strained and he never has any mucous/discharge from his nostrils but I have noticed occasionally he does have irregular/shallow breaths.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, I want to give him the best life I possibly can since his first 22 years were less than ideal.

His name for anyone wondering is Sullieman The Magnificent!

 

[zolasmum]

Welcome - I don't know enough about sulcatas to help you, but I just wanted to thank you for taking him on, and for your determination to give him a good life.
Angie

 

[Yvonne G]

I think he's probably dehydrated. For a few days feed him wet things lke cucumber, cactus, watermelon, etc. and spritz water over his food. Make sure he has a tub of water with easy access that he can climb into.

 

[SuzanneZ]

I have had my sulcata for about 2 weeks now after adopting him from a woman who could no longer take care of him. She fed him an improper diet of dogfood and bananas for all 22 years of his life, so he has some deformation in his shell and is small for his age I believe.

I have tried fixing his diet slowly, to incorporate more grass, kale and hay, as well as almost no fruit except one apple every Sunday. Obviously I also wont be feeding him dog food either haha. He is a bit stubborn and won't eat any hay on its own though. That is my first problem, does anyone have any suggestions on how to get tortoises to eat more hay? I got him orchard grass hay in case that matters.

Next problem I have, I believe, comes from him not eating enough hay. He does not seem to be pooping regularly if at all. I have cleaned up a few white poops which I understand are his method of peeing? But I have not seen many regular hard brown poops. How long should I wait before calling a vet? I have been feeding him pumpkin to try and elicit healthy bowel movements but it doesn't seem to be working. I know soaking a Tortoise can help on this front, but he is so big I don't know if he will fit in my bathtub (also getting him upstairs seems impossible).

My last question is are there any guaranteed symptoms to watch out for respiratory illnesses in adult male sulcatas? His breathing never seems strained and he never has any mucous/discharge from his nostrils but I have noticed occasionally he does have irregular/shallow breaths.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, I want to give him the best life I possibly can since his first 22 years were less than ideal.

His name for anyone wondering is Sullieman The Magnificent!

Congratulations on your S. T. Magnificent. He's fortunate to have you. About the hay. I'm new and have two small Russians and can tell you they reject Timothy hay that smells very good. I can imagine what STM would think about it after so long a life on dog food. Do you know if it was wet food or dry? Just curious. You could try wetting the hay with water or maybe watermelon juice. See what he says.

 

[dippermc]

Congratulations on your S. T. Magnificent. He's fortunate to have you. About the hay. I'm new and have two small Russians and can tell you they reject Timothy hay that smells very good. I can imagine what STM would think about it after so long a life on dog food. Do you know if it was wet food or dry? Just curious. You could try wetting the hay with water or maybe watermelon juice. See what he says.

I'm gonna try feed him some more water, I think it was dey food. But he has access to a pond and I thought the greens/veg/fruit he eats on occasion would give him water. I am getting the vibe I should def hydrate his food though so thank you for the advice. Any ideas on how to supply calcium supplements if the food is wet?

 

[Len B]

Don't stress about hay. In the pics he is surrounded by some of the best food items you can offer him. Different grasses, narrow leaf plantain, different fall chickweeds, dandelion, clover and other things that he can eat. In fact he looks pretty good except for a little pyramiding from when he was very young everything looks good. Clear eye and very nice beak. I have four sulcatas and none eat hay, but during winter they eat dried and then rehydrated grasses and weeds from the yard. My oldest is 27 years old. But like Yvonne said internal hydration is very important especially during the winter months.

 

[SuzanneZ]

I'm gonna try feed him some more water, I think it was dey food. But he has access to a pond and I thought the greens/veg/fruit he eats on occasion would give him water. I am getting the vibe I should def hydrate his food though so thank you for the advice. Any ideas on how to supply calcium supplements if the food is wet?

I sprinkle a pinch of calcium D3 for humans on their meals 2 or 3 times a week. It's human grade tablets that I crush. The food is usually damp and the powder sticks to it. I have no idea how much to give your big tort. My Russians weigh maybe 2 pounds each. I also read to put a cuttlebone in the pen with them for calcium if they want it. A cuttlebone is in the bird section of pet stores or big chain stores. It is oval, thin, and white and does not cost much.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I'm gonna try feed him some more water, I think it was dey food. But he has access to a pond and I thought the greens/veg/fruit he eats on occasion would give him water. I am getting the vibe I should def hydrate his food though so thank you for the advice. Any ideas on how to supply calcium supplements if the food is wet?

1. You can offer one "dry" bowl of food sprinkled with a pinch of calcium. Supplements are usually needed once or twice a week.
2. Tortoise food pellets contain calcium as well. They can be feed as part of varied diet. Mazuri (non-LS) is usually way to go.
3. Cuttlefish bone, mentioned above.
4. Plants rich in calcium and low in oxalates (hibiscus or mulberry leaves, cactus pads, wish I have more examples, but it's advanced topic for me).

 

[TammyJ]

It's hard to believe that this good looking tortoise grew up on dog food and bananas entirely. Something else must have been going on! Anyway, just a word about the cuttlebone. With a tortoise this size, he might choke on it. Grater it on his greens and other food twice per week.

 

[SarahJoy]

Get him the kiddie sandbox (comes with lid) that is sold at toy stores. Looks like a big greenvturtle do it will attract him😆You can float some colorful food in it. Most big torts can get in and out no prob, or you can make a ramp with rocks. Water will need to be warm mine likes it 86-88. I think he is going to have a wonderful life❤️

 

[Tom]

I have tried fixing his diet slowly, to incorporate more grass, kale and hay, as well as almost no fruit except one apple every Sunday. Obviously I also wont be feeding him dog food either haha. He is a bit stubborn and won't eat any hay on its own though. That is my first problem, does anyone have any suggestions on how to get tortoises to eat more hay? I got him orchard grass hay in case that matters.

If you are going to use grocery store produce, skip the kale most of the time and offer endive, escarole, arugula, and even romain. Its okay to mix in some kale once in a while, but not as a staple. Also look for dandelion greens, cilantro, collard turnip and mustard greens, etc... Skip the fruit entirely. Apples are not good for them.

Hay is a life saver for big tortoises of grass eating species. First, use the right type of hay. You need orchard grass hay or Bermuda hay. For some reason everyone seems to end up with Timothy and its too stemmy.

I introduce hay in two ways:
1. Chop it up with scissors and then soak it in warm water to rehydrate it. Then mix the rehydrated hay thoroughly with the chopped up greens for the day. Start with just a tiny amount of hay. Almost none, so that it is hardly noticeable. Over time mix in more and more.
2. Feed them everything they eat on a bed of hay on a plastic tray of some sort. In time, the hay will get eaten too along with the "food".

You can use both methods at once if you want. You can also get horse hay pellets, soak them until they are mush, and mix those in. Cubes work too for larger tortoises like yours, but it can be tough to find the right types of cubes. Most of them are alfalfa or half alfalfa. Some alfalfa once in a while is okay, but not every day. Whatever you use, start small. Only use a tiny bit at first. If the pile is half hay, your tortoise isn't going to eat it. If there are a few tiny flecks of hay here and there on an otherwise "normal" pile of food, your tortoise should eat it up.

Next problem I have, I believe, comes from him not eating enough hay. He does not seem to be pooping regularly if at all. I have cleaned up a few white poops which I understand are his method of peeing? But I have not seen many regular hard brown poops. How long should I wait before calling a vet? I have been feeding him pumpkin to try and elicit healthy bowel movements but it doesn't seem to be working. I know soaking a Tortoise can help on this front, but he is so big I don't know if he will fit in my bathtub (also getting him upstairs seems impossible).

Urates are a sign of dehydration. Get him soaking. Get a large stock tub from a feed store and get warm water to the tub. I'd soak him for an hour every day for a couple of weeks and then cut back to a couple of times a week. If the urates build up and don't pass, which is common when they are confined to winter quarters in the frozen north, they can form bladder stones which are often fatal. Exercise, hydration and the correct diet will help with this.

My last question is are there any guaranteed symptoms to watch out for respiratory illnesses in adult male sulcatas? His breathing never seems strained and he never has any mucous/discharge from his nostrils but I have noticed occasionally he does have irregular/shallow breaths.

Noisy breathing/wheezing, excessive yawning, and nasal discharge are the signs, along with lethargy and lack of appetite. Prevent this by keeping the temperatures high. Never let it drop below 80, and there should be a way to warm up into the 90s every day.

Good luck.