Russian Tortoise hasn't eaten, drank, pooped, or peed since I got him a week ago!

ewalke14

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Help! My Russian tortoise has not eaten, drank, pooped, or peed since we got him 8 days ago! He has a large enclosure with proper light/heat with a cool spot. I have offered various foods mainly greens (collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens). I have also tried pellets from the pet store, vegetables such as carrots, cucumber. I soak him for 20-30 minutes a day. I watch him closely and have yet to see him drink. I am very concerned ?. I have done extensive research on enclosures so I know there are no issues there. I know it can take them a while to warm up to their new environment but I feel that he should have done something by now. He is very active and looks completely healthy. I will be getting him into a vet asap but wanted to see if anyone had any advice in the mean time. Thanks in advance!
 

nicoleann2214

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Help! My Russian tortoise has not eaten, drank, pooped, or peed since we got him 8 days ago! He has a large enclosure with proper light/heat with a cool spot. I have offered various foods mainly greens (collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens). I have also tried pellets from the pet store, vegetables such as carrots, cucumber. I soak him for 20-30 minutes a day. I watch him closely and have yet to see him drink. I am very concerned ?. I have done extensive research on enclosures so I know there are no issues there. I know it can take them a while to warm up to their new environment but I feel that he should have done something by now. He is very active and looks completely healthy. I will be getting him into a vet asap but wanted to see if anyone had any advice in the mean time. Thanks in advance!
What are your temps? Can we see the enclosure.
 

Maro2Bear

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No reason for an “ASAP“ vet visit.....you just need need to relax and let your tort settle in. Eight days is really a snapshot in the long term life of a tort just settling in.

You have soaked him....so he has had a chance to absorb water...

Give your tort time to settle in and feel settled and safe.
 

ewalke14

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No reason for an “ASAP“ vet visit.....you just need need to relax and let your tort settle in. Eight days is really a snapshot in the long term life of a tort just settling in.

You have soaked him....so he has had a chance to absorb water...

Give your tort time to settle in and feel settled and safe.
Thank you! You made a great point! Being new to owning a tortoise I wasn't sure how worried I should be. I appreciate your advice :)
 

Hutsie B

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I am glad you wrote your post because my new Russian is not eating either. I have had him three days. He is walking around and basking, but not eating a variety of foods I have given him. I hope he is just getting used to his new digs. Good luck with yours I hope it eats soon and gets used to it's new home.
 

Tom

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Help! My Russian tortoise has not eaten, drank, pooped, or peed since we got him 8 days ago! He has a large enclosure with proper light/heat with a cool spot. I have offered various foods mainly greens (collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens). I have also tried pellets from the pet store, vegetables such as carrots, cucumber. I soak him for 20-30 minutes a day. I watch him closely and have yet to see him drink. I am very concerned ?. I have done extensive research on enclosures so I know there are no issues there. I know it can take them a while to warm up to their new environment but I feel that he should have done something by now. He is very active and looks completely healthy. I will be getting him into a vet asap but wanted to see if anyone had any advice in the mean time. Thanks in advance!
Most of what you read on the internet is wrong. Most of what a pet shop tells you and sells you is wrong. 8 days is plenty long to settle in and start eating and behaving normally. Something is wrong.

We need to know how you are housing this tortoise. What substrate? What are your four temps? What sort of heating and lighting? What type of bulbs? Where did you get the tortoise?
 

Hutsie B

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Is your tortoise eating yet?
 

ewalke14

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He did start eating clover flower while I had him in the yard for outside time the other day. He has not yet ate anything I have offered him.
 

Hutsie B

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my new Russian is not eating yet either. I decided maybe it was too hot for him so I cooled his habitat down to 80, but he has yet to eat and it has been 8 days. IT is good yours ate some clover. That is hopeful. I will take mine outside in the sun and hope he eats some clover. Keep me posted.
 

Sleppo

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Hi guys, I keep Russians and have for a few years. They usually are very voracious eaters, like they are hunting me down for food every morning. Just some friendly advice - as much as you think you have the enclosure and temps nailed down go back and take a very thorough look. Temperature and lighting are both directly related to them having an appetite. They are programed (like most living things) to revolve around the amount of light they recieve in a day etc. They need proper temps to be able to digest their food as well. Please post some pics of your enclosure, most of us have been through these kinds of issues before and can save you some headaches. Given that this is a new to you tort perhaps you can call the pet store and have them tell you what they were feeding it. You could then offer those same items for now just to get it to eat, then incorporate better options as you go along. Please read the care sheets for Russians on this forum they were super helpful to me. Anyway, more assistance can be provided if we can see your enclosure.
 

Hutsie B

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I read the care sheets with care and determined that my Russian could be estivating due to too much heat. So I have cooled down his enclosure and he is more active. I had him outside for more UV light for an hour today and he nibbled, not much, on some weeds. He then dug into the grass and went to sleep. I have a big outdoor enclosure but it is in the shade originally for a forest type turtle and my husband does not want to move it. So I am going to set up a dog x-pen for putting my Russian out in the mornings before it gets too hot here in NC. I am technically challenged so I can't put a photo of my set up, but it stays in the 80's except under the basking lamp which is 95-100. He has a hide he uses, but he also digs in under the basking light. I think where I got him from had him wild caught even though they said not, and he is having to get used to captivity as well as eating a different diet from his wild diet and a different enclosure. thanks for your help.
 

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