Seriously Underweight, Flaking shell?

kaitbrennan

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Last night a friend informed me of a Russian in dire circumstances, and I immediately went and picked him up from an uneducated owner.

Still unnamed Tort has been in a 20G aquarium for his/her whole life (full grown now, so at least 5), eating banana peels, apple slices, and the tops of strawberries, etc., as well as pelleted tortoise food. Never had any type of UV or any lighting or heating for that matter.

I am taking him/her to the vet in an hour, but does anyone have any suggestions of things I can do As experienced owners and lovers yourselves? I most worried about the fact I think he or she is seriously underweight, and the shell looks awful and is flaking off in places.

I got a used ZooMed tortoise box from someone, and filled it with a mix of coconut and dirt, as well as a few rocks for ridiculously long nails. I put in a huge bowl of greens and a shallow bowl of water, and also put in some of the pellets it was on just in case, but so far chewing down on the greens!!!! I bought a UV bulb and the current temp in e open space is about 80, cooler in the covered area.

I'm hoping to work on a better enclosure soon, but am more focused on immediate medical concerns.

ImageUploadedByTortForum1383832996.811479.jpg

ImageUploadedByTortForum1383833008.786528.jpg
 
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kaitbrennan

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Update: he is a male and has been name Pancake. He was nice enough to provide a fecal sample for us to check, and seems healthy besides the obvious malnutrition and poor condition of his shell. However, there are no soft spots or irritated spots, so we may have been right in time. The vet recommended that I provide as many greens as he wants to eat, always keep some available.

I am still looking forward to any advice from experienced handlers, as I have only learned about tortoises in the last 15hrs or so to provide for Pancake.
 

abclements

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Yikes am I see it correctly? His shell is flat??!! Get that uv light (obviously not the coil type), get him outside If the weather allows, give home soaks at least once a day if not more often, and keep feeding him greens. He seems active by your post so that is a major plus!
 

Saleama

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I don't know about other people's experience, but my Russians LOVE new sprouts. I have a tub I plant red clover seeds in and after about a week, the sprouts are all over. I put the Russians in there and within an hour or so, no more sprouts! LOL... They also love big chunks of cactus and spring mix. Oh, and the one food they seem to love above all others is sweet potato leaves. You can find them at most Asian markets or what I did was buy some plants on sale at Home Depot.
The one thing I learned on here that helped my guys the most though, was to get them outside in a large area. My little dudes are so much happier in their garden. They still come out to sun even when it is 50 - 60 degrees out.
 

kaitbrennan

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Ok thanks, I was worried about temperature around low to mid 50s, but knowing that I will definitely take him outside. He LOVED the warm bath we gave him!!

What humidity would you recommend for him at the moment? Should I up it a bit to help with his shell?
 

WillTort2

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Yes, I would bump his humidity up to about 65% if you can. Keep feeding him greens with some dandelion leaves and flowers as well as other weeds. Add some radicchio and turnip greens to your mix. The key is variety.

With his condition, I would soak at least daily for the first 2 weeks. Add some of the vegetable baby foods to the soak.

Out doors is great for the UV, but beware:

Russians are masters of escape.

This time of the year they will want to dig into the earth and you may not be able to find them; with his condition I do not think he would survive hibernation. So, only put him out under "constant direct supervision".

Good luck.
 

kaitbrennan

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This may sound dumb, but what do you mean by add some vegetable baby foods to the soak? Do you mean include certain veggies in with him in the tub?


Here he is going to the vet this morningImageUploadedByTortForum1383855424.008660.jpg
 
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