Russian turtle is less active than 1 month ago

[Desabuse]

Good afternoon,

i have one question, how give vitamines nekton msa and nekton rep, if my russian turtle smell it and don't eat it. I powder vitamines on apples, salads...but when turtle smells it, GAME OVER....I worry about, because i saw, that brown pattern decreases....

Sorry for my poor english.

 

[Desabuse]

Good afternoon,

i had no answer in my question, so i write my question again (it's very important to me).
How can i give vitamines Nekton MSA and Nekton rep for my russian turtle, if she doesn't eat food with these vitamines, because she smells it?
I know, tha MSA is not soluble in water, but maybe i can throw it to water.
Sorry for my poor english.

 

[Earth Mama]

Hmmm...torts can be kind of picky sometimes. When I worm one of my Russians I have that same problem. I have to mix it with a fruit that I can mash into an almost liquid form. I usually use nectarines. The problem is, Russians really shouldn't eat fruit. Since I only worm them once a year (if needed) the one or two servings of fruit aren't a problem. Vitamin supplements are usually given more often so I'm not sure fruit is always the right answer. Maybe try mashing the pulp of the Apple up so you can mix the powder in more. Maybe you can sneak it into him. I wish I could be of more help.

 

[Tom]

It is normal for them to have decreased appetite this time of year. In the wild they would either be already hibernating, or getting very close to it. If you don't want yours to hibernate, you need to warm things up a bit and add some more brightness to the enclosure. Good UV will help too. I'm still not sure what UV bulb you are using there. What is the length of your tube? Is it the 5.0 model? What is the distance from the tube to the tortoise?

You are too worried about the supplements. With a good diet, you really don't need any at all. If you do want to use some, you only need a tiny little pinch. I would finely mince up some of your tortoises favorite foods, like romaine possibly, sprinkle a tiny little pinch of the supplement and mix it all up thoroughly. If your tortoise doesn't eat it, keep offering a fresh batch of the same thing every day until he does eat it. Might take a few days. A hungry tortoise is not a picky tortoise.

 

[Earth Mama]

I went back and read the entire thread and I really think you are trying to feed too many vitamins. I was thinking it was just an occasional thing in my previous answer but several times a week is just too much. He should be getting his nutrient from his regular food. I almost never give supplemental vitamins to my torts but their diets have a lot of variety. Also at this time of year my Russians slow down too. It's normal. They only eat every two or three days. I put fresh food in their enclosure daily though. I think you don't need to worry so much

 

[Desabuse]

Good afternoon.

I have one trouble......My russian turtle doesn't eat food with vitamines and calcium suypplement. It last 3 weeks. I use Nektopn MSA and Nekton Rep, Vit. D for children, cuttlebone. Turtles eats normal.
So, how can i fix this trouble? Thanks for answers.

 

[Desabuse]

Good evening. My russian turtle (female) doesn't eat 4 days. Temp. of terrariums is about 30 degrees, I use UVB lamp 5 perc. 8 - 22 h, heat cables 8 - 22 h, warm water 1 hour.
Despite this, my turtle doesn't eat and she is less active than 2 months ago. When i take her in my hands, she looks at me.
Vet gave me vit. b and c....But no reaction.
What can I do for this trouble? Can be this like hibernate?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi A.:

I don't think you're reading the responses. Earth Mama gave you some good advice up above. Please read post #25

 

[Desabuse]

Thank you for answers...But, maybe i will look like a fool, but is it very good, that turtle doesn't eat 4 days and is sleepy?

 

[Yvonne G]

No, you don't look foolish at all. We've all been where you are.

Your tortoise wants to hibernate. Just make sure the habitat is warm enough. Check the temperature all over the whole floor. It should be from 75F to 85F. And take him out and sit him in front of the food everytime you walk by his habitat. Soak him in warm water daily.

 

[Desabuse]

If she wants hibernate, isn't very dangerous, if will take her from terrarium and bring to bath (for soaking)....Can I move her (like exersise)...
How long can last this situation?....
I worry about, because i have read, that hibernation is very dangerous....

 

[Tom]

Hibernation is not dangerous at all. Tortoises have been doing it all over the world for millions of years. What is dangerous is human error. If some simple principles are observed it is totally safe, easy, and good for the tortoise.

Here is a response I typed up for someone in a similar situation to yours:

"They will not be able to hibernate at room temp. Its too warm. You will need to decide to either keep them up, or hibernate them properly. Right now they are in a bit of a "limbo", and that is not good. I've used the following methods for dozens of DTs from babies to adults, as well as many other tortoise and reptile species that come from areas with a natural hibernation period.

While I have kept hibernating species awake through winter and I know others have successfully done it too, it is my opinion that species that hibernate in the wild should also hibernate in captivity. It just needs to be done correctly. Leaving them outside to figure it out and deal with the rigors of winter in the small spaces (like backyards) that we stick them in, is not my idea of doing it "correctly". I know far too many that have died this way. Don't let these horror stories from people who did not properly prepare, or hibernate their animals in a safe, controlled way, scare you. Hibernation is totally natural and totally safe when a few simple guidelines are observed. Simple Guidelines:
1. Bring them down, and up, gradually.
2. Make sure their gut is empty before dropping temps. Two weeks of no food with the normal warm temps should do it.
3. Make sure they are well hydrated by soaking them, before and after hibernation.
4. Make sure the temperature is consistent and cold enough for the entire hibernation time.
5. Don't let them do it in a self dug burrow in your backyard. NOT safe!

To keep them up: You will need to keep them warm, day and night. The enclosure needs to be nice and bright too, so add a 6500K florescent tube, if need be. I set lights to come on an hour or two before the sun comes up and stay on for a good two hours after the sun goes down. Daily warm soaks, or every other day, seems to help convince their brains that its not sleepy time. I would still give them outside time all winter long as long as its sunny and warm-ish. The sun really helps and we have such nice mild winters here in SoCal.

To hibernate them: The dangerous parts of hibernation (flooding, burrow collapse, rodents, temperature extremes, etc..) can all be eliminated by bringing them inside into controlled conditions and prepping them correctly. While they have adapted to survive these conditions out in the wild for millennia, our back yards are not the wild. Not even close. The shallow burrows they construct in our yards are not enough to protect them from the whims of a cruel mother nature, and as Yvonne adeptly pointed out, many of them don't survive hibernation in the wild, or outdoors in captivity either. I have hibernated all ages of DTs using the following methods: It is often said that "tortoises do better outside". True some of the time in some instances, but not all of the time in all instances. Most babies actually do better inside most of the time. As such, when night temps really start to drop, as they did about two weeks ago, I bring small hibernating species of tortoises inside to their indoor set ups every evening. I feed them up for a good two or three weeks, and soak them daily or every other day. Then I leave the timers and heat and everything on and running, but I quit feeding them. I give them around two weeks with no food, daily soaks, and warm day time temps, as usual. After those two weeks, I start adjusting the light timers down and raise the fixtures a bit to lower basking temps. I let night temps drop as low as is practical for indoors. I'll do this for another week or two. Then I put them into their individual hibernacula. I use plastic shoe boxes, or something similar, with a couple of inches of substrate on the bottom. I keep them dry at this time. In the past I've used non-functioning fridges or freezers laid on their backs in a cool area to keep the shoe boxes in. Currently the floor of my garage stays around 50-55 all winter and I've used that for the last few years. The problem is that we keep having these weird warm winters with daily highs in the 80s or 90s sometimes, for days or weeks on end. Good for my non-hibernating species, but not so good for the hibernators. This year I'm getting them a dedicated fridge, so I don't have to worry about the weather and I won't have to try to fight the temperature outside. I'll set it to around 45 degrees F. I let first timers go for 8-10 weeks under these controlled conditions. Older ones will go for 12-16 weeks. I watch the temps, but I don't mess with them during hibernation. When the weather starts to warm up, I gradually warm up the fridge and let warmer air into the hibernation area, and at some point after a few days, I pull them out, soak them in shallow room temp water, and put them back into their indoor enclosures with no heat. Just room temp. I soak daily for a bout two weeks. After a few days, I will turn the lights on. I leave the fixtures at their higher adjustment at first and gradually, over the course of a few days, lower them back down to get the right basking temps. After the tortoises activity level comes up, and they start moving around more, I will begin offering food, and letting them run around in their outdoor pens on warmer days, but I still bring them in to escape the cold nights. For older/bigger tortoises that can't come back inside, I simply use an outdoor heated night box to do just about the same thing. The night box more or less takes the place of the indoor enclosure and gives me a way to keep them warmer at night while preparing for hibernation or coming out of it.

The above methods have worked perfectly for me for many years with a wide variety of reptile species. The only time I ever lost an animal during hibernation is when I took the advice of a very knowledgeable man, who didn't understand our climate, and let my tegus hibernate outside as he did in his climate. I lost two out of three that year. It was heartbreaking.

I don't have set dates for any of this, and I sort of go by "feel" and the weather on either end of hibernation. If we have a long summer with a warm fall, I wait longer to put them down. If we have an early spring, I wake them up sooner. Generally I try to get them down by December, and get them up sometime in March.


I know that is a lot to read. Please feel free to ask lots of questions. We will help you, whichever way you decide to go."

 

[Desabuse]

Thanks for answers....
I choose no hibernation, because i have no possibilities..
How long will be my turtle sleepy and how long will be her appetite poor........I worry about this......How can i increase her appetite?
I am living in Eastern Europe.......Sunshine 8 h, sunset 16 h

 

[Tom]

How can i increase her appetite?

Make it warmer, brighter and leave the lights on for around 14 hours a day. Keep it warm (but still dark) at night too. Soak daily and keep offering food. Basically you need to fool the tortoises body and mind into thinking its still summer.

 

[Desabuse]

I use UVB lamp 5 perc. 8 - 22 h, i soak every day 30 min. - 45 min. I offer fresh food, but she doesn't react....But thanks for answers...
How long can last this situation (until spring?).....
How long could turtle be hungry? I have read, that 90 days, then anorexia.
Vet. told me, that if vit. b anc d will not help until 2day, i should use forced feeding.....
Could be not hibernation but illness?

 

[Tom]

I use UVB lamp 5 perc. 8 - 22 h, i soak every day 30 min. - 45 min. I offer fresh food, but she doesn't react....But thanks for answers...
How long can last this situation (until spring?).....
How long could turtle be hungry? I have read, that 90 days, then anorexia.
Vet. told me, that if vit. b anc d will not help until 2day, i should use forced feeding.....
Could be not hibernation but illness?

1. 5% might be too low. I use 12% when they are indoors. And its not just UV. The whole enclosure needs to be brighter, like daylight. Try adding another regular florescent tube in the 6500K color range over the top. This will add some needed brightness. Depending on the size of your enclosure, you might need more than one. I would not run lights for 22 hours. 14 is enough. They need dark nights. This is also a function of heat. What are your four temps? Warm side, cool side, basking area and over night low? You might need a another basking lamp and some night heat. You need to simulate summer temps and brightness if you wish to prevent hibernation.
2. I would try to do this for around a month before giving up, but you must do all these things right for it to work. If I didn't see results within a few days or a week, I would go brighter and warmer. If I still don't see results, then I would mix it up and keep trying. If I failed for a month, then I would simply cool it back down, darken it up, and proceed with a "mini" hibernation. You'll have to follow all the right steps for hibernation. Sometimes their instincts are stronger than our wishes and will.
3. Your tortoise is not hungry. I wouldn't want one to go more than a month or two without eating.
4. I would not force feed in this situation. It is not called for yet.
5. Yes. This could be illness and not a drive to hibernate. Are you seeing any symptoms of illness?

 

[Desabuse]

Good afternoon,

first thank you for answers.
1. Temp. in warm side is about 25 - 30 Celsius, cool side 19 - 24 Celsius, basking areas — 25 - 30, at night — 19 - 24. I turned on heat cables in warm, cool sides and basking area all night.....Maybe it is not very good, but it was two nights, when my turtle went to cool side and she was like a stone. Maybe it was one of hibernation cause.......I don't use UVB 10 - 12, because i worry about injuries of turtle's eyes and skin.
2. About illness.......well i don't see running nose, difficult breathing and so on....I will show my turtle tommorow to vet....Maybe she will do X ray image...

What best temp. should be in cool side, warm side, basking area, at night?

 

[Desabuse]

about fluorescent tube lamp. I use system for UVB tube lamps, but there are only two „pockets“......Well, i will look, how to fix this trouble....or maybe can i use spot fluorescent lamp?
Can i use vitamines b and c (in muscles) for increasing of her appetite?

 

[Desabuse]

I have found, that there is this tube lamp in my country:
JBL Solar Reptil Sun (6000k), 74.2cm, 25w, 8 perc. UVB, 36 perc. UVA. So, can i use this lamp or do i need search exactly fluorescent tube lamp?

 

[lismar79]

My russian also slowed down on eating. It lasted for over a month. Every day I got her up and soaked her under her uv lamp for 20 mins then I hand feed her. After a while she started getting up on her own. She is back to normal now. Just tales time for them to get out of hibernation mode.