Redfoot Yearling

[tangale]

Hi there,

Can use some help.

My yearling redfoot has been very inactive lately. Seems like it started only recently since the weather got cooler. He/she stays indoor with a larger redfoot who is super active. The younger seems to just sleep all day, but eats / drinks when food / water is provided.

No real unusual symptoms like runny nose that I see.

I'm away most of the day for work, so maybe it does move around during the day. But doubt it only b/c it seems to be in the same spot all the time.

Any help or tips you can provide?

Thanks,
Alex

 

[HarleyK]

Hi what are the temperatures? Do you keep the two together? How long have you had the yearling for because some young ones do hide all day.....like mine :]

 

[Madkins007]

We would need more info to really help. Habitat setup, temps and humidity at the tort level, diet, etc.

I would bet, however, that the key phrase is 'since the weather turned cooler'- smaller torts are less tolerant of cold than bigger torts are.

 

[tangale]

Day time temp is 80's, prob 90 plus under the mv lamp.
Humidity outside is about 50%, but I would guess more humid inside the rubbermaid case that they sleep in. I try to keep the substrate wet and spray every once in awhile.
Diet consists of dandelion leaves, spring mix, and zoo med tortoise food (meant for forest tortoises).
Yes, they live together. I've had the younger rf for about 6 months.

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Night time temp is about 70.

 

[tangale]

Night time temp is about 70.

 

[Madkins007]

Where are the temps being taken? The lows sound a bit coolish- and I often find that temps like this are even cooler on the actual ground. It may just want more warmth overall- just a guess.

 

[tangale]

Temps are taken via probes. One inside the hide and one outside, closest to the MV lamp.
It's pretty near the floor already.

Any suggestions?

 

[Madkins007]

Inactivity can be a lot of things- environmental or disease. Do you see any actual disease symptoms?

If not, I'd go environmental. Is there a chance the bigger one is subtly bullying the little one by blocking access to good light or heat, good food, etc.? I saw my big guys do that a lot in the indoor habitat.

Do you know the actual humidity in the habitat or hide? Depending on where you are, misting may not be enough, especially if the tub is open topped or if the room humidity is low enough to suck it all away.

Sorry to be guessing here- I cannot really visualize your situation well with what we've been told.

 

[tangale]

I've moved the little one in it's own space now. It's half covered to ensure a higher humidity as well.
What other information can I provide that would help?

The little guy didn't eat today, but did poo after soaking. It kept bopping its head around the food, but didn't quite go for it.

Pictures coming up...

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Advice needed please...

 

[tangale]

Sad to say, but I lost the little guy today =(

I still don't understand what went wrong. In about one weeks time, he went from healthy and eating...to this.
I'm definitely going to give the older one more TLC than ever.

That said, does anyone know what I can do with the body. Unfortunately, I do not have a yard to bury it and simply putting it in the garbage seems wrong. Any suggestions? Does anyone know if vets would take them?

 

[Madkins007]

Hmmm, this is frustrating. I am sorry for your loss, but we seem to be getting a flurry of 'failure to thrive' young Red-foots here lately.

If this was about Red-ear Sliders or Box Turtles at this time of year, a lot of the issues we are seeing would usually be hibernation related, But Red-foots don't hibernate.

I feel like there is some question that is not getting asked, or some information that is not getting to the right place in the right time, but I'll be danged if I can think of what it is.

Good luck with the other, and let us know if we can try to help.

 

[tangale]

Mark, I'm all for providing the best for these tortoises.
Is there other information that I can provide to make things right, if not already?
Pictures of the habitat perhaps?
Judging by those pictures, can you see anything wrong with the little one?

 

[Skyler Nell]

im so sorry about your loss

 

[Balboa]

Mark brings up a good point.... there's been alot of this. May I ask where you got him? I haven't made the official anouncement yet, but I took in another sick redfoot the other day. I think there's bad things going on in supply land. This young one is barely the 4 inch min and pyramided with shell rot! He's very lethargic like so many other younguns out there. THere's probably some farm somewhere where they're feeding wild caught baby redfoots dogfood and keeping them in mud pits.

I'm starting to get really riled up about redfoots.

 

[tangale]

Got him/her from a forum member here about 5 months ago. Not sure where he got it from though.
Have to say though, the tort was never the aggressive eater the other one was. Always slower and less alert in my opinion.
Not to say he wasn't healthy (by look), but just never was that active.