Sick Tort

[DrSpurred]

So my Sulcata has been not right lately. He has had a soft bottom shell like a plastic lid, he is ignoring most of his food, sleeping most of the day and being active only to change the spot he sleeps in. He is not refusing to open his eyes or only opening one a centimeter. Around his eyes are very white?

 

[TechnoCheese]

So my Sulcata has been not right lately. He has had a soft bottom shell like a plastic lid, he is ignoring most of his food, sleeping most of the day and being active only to change the spot he sleeps in. He is not refusing to open his eyes or only opening one a centimeter. Around his eyes are very white?

What are your four temps? Basking, warm side, cool side, and night?
Where did you get your tort?

 

[DrSpurred]

What are your four temps? Basking, warm side, cool side, and night?
Where did you get your tort?

Basking is 90-94 Warm is 86-89 and cool side is 82-85 and at night it is around 83-85. I got him from Underground Reptiles im currentlt in the process of requestion a new sulcata.

 

[Bee62]

Basking is 90-94 Warm is 86-89 and cool side is 82-85 and at night it is around 83-85. I got him from Underground Reptiles im currentlt in the process of requestion a new sulcata.

How about the humidity in the enclosure of your baby ? How high is it ? Do you soak your baby ?
Baby tortoises can quick be dehydrated when humidity is low and they are not soaked. The dehydration damage the kidneys and often baby torts die.

 

[DrSpurred]

How about the humidity in the enclosure of your baby ? How high is it ? Do you soak your baby ?
Baby tortoises can quick be dehydrated when humidity is low and they are not soaked. The dehydration damage the kidneys and often baby torts die.

80% humidity. I do try to soak him as often has I can. How long does it take for it to do damage?

 

[Bee62]

80% humidity. I do try to soak him as often has I can. How long does it take for it to do damage?

When the breeder started the babies too dry the damage could be done before you bought him. Sorry to say that but it`s true.
When kidneys are damaged the tort will be slowly poisened by his or her own metabolic waste. Have you heard from the Hatchling failure syndrome ?
Please read this:

Hachling Failure Syndrome

Noelia Perez·Mittwoch, 26. Juli 2017

Symptoms of Hatchling Failure Syndrome

• Loss of appetite
  
  
• Lethargy
  
  
• Swollen eyes/swollen shut
  
  
• Constant sitting in water bowl
  
  
• Soft shell
  
  
• Partial paralysis
  
  
• Edema
  

The tortoise's kidneys are no longer working properly usually due to chronic dehydration. Small tortoises can become dehydrated overnight if kept in dry conditions without access to a burrow that allows them to maintain proper hydration status. Over time, if they do not get sufficient water back into their systems, they experience chronic dehydration, which can cause kidney failure.

What can I do?
The early stages of kidney failure can be treated successfully. Treatment requires taking the tortoise to a reptile vet so it can receive fluids to reverse the dehydration. The vet may also draw blood, the results will help the vet determine how acute the kidney failure is. Be aware that by the time your tortoise is showing the symptoms listed above, it may already be too late.



One of the main jobs of the kidneys is to filter the blood and remove the toxins and acidic byproducts of normal cellular processes. As the kidneys fail, they are less effective at filtering the bloodstream, so those toxins and acidic compounds begin to build up. To neutralize the rising acid levels in the blood, the tortoise's body begins to remove calcium from its bones and shell -- leading to the softening of the shell, limp limbs, and the lethargy. The tortoise's internal organs can also suffer damage from the rising acidity and toxins. When tortoises reach this stage, no amount of fluids will make the kidneys restart or undo the damage to the tortoise's bones and organs.

Why Does This Happen?
Misinformed pet stores or vets may tell new owners that these species are desert animals, they cannot tolerate any humidity and should be kept at very high temperatures. THIS IS WRONG and it shows a real lack of understanding about how tortoises and many other desert animals actually deal with their environment! The natural behavior of desert species in the wild is to come out of their burrow in the early morning (when temperatures are cooler) to bask and eat. When the temperatures start to rise, they disappear back down into their burrows. They simply do not stay out in the heat of the day for any length of time if they can avoid it by finding shade or a burrow.The relative humidity inside tortoise burrows in the wild has been measured at 40 to 60 percent, which is typically much higher than the above-ground humidity. Air temperatures inside a burrow are also much cooler, lower than above-ground temperatures. This cooler, (cooler than the desert heat, but not cold) more humid micro-environment prevents small tortoises from getting overheated and dehydrated, since they can move either higher or lower in the burrow as needed to remain comfortable.

How do I prevent Hatchling Failure Syndrome?
The only real way to treat Hatchling Failure Syndrome is to keep your tortoise from becoming dehydrated in the first place. The best way to accomplish this is to establish a lower-temperature, higher-humidity micro-habitat in your tortoise enclosure, one that mimics the conditions found inside a tortoise burrow.

To prevent dehydration and establish this kind of micro-habitat in your enclosure, we suggest these steps:

• Continue to soak your hatchling or small tortoise regularly and provide a shallow water bowl for it to drink from.
  
  
• Provide a substrate that holds moisture, such as a 50/50 mixture cococoir and topsoil, and make sure that the substrate is deep enough to allow your tortoise to dig a nightly burrow or scrape (a shallow burrow excavated on top of the soil). New Zealand Sphagnum moss is also recommended, this will ensure that your humidity levels stay where they need to be. A tortoise will usually choose a dark corner away from any light or heat lamps to sleep in, so pile the substrate deeper in that area.
  
  
• Provide an appropriately-sized hide box with a cellulose sponge attached to the inside, and keep the sponge damp. This hide box can be in the sleeping corner or a different one. Observe your tortoise and see what it prefers.
  

Humid Hide

• Monitor the humidity in your enclosure. Purchase a hygrometer and find a way to place it in the enclosure near where your tortoise sleeps. Try to maintain a humidity level as directed on our reference guide, in whatever area your tortoise sleeps in.
  
  
• Buy a spray bottle, a pump sprayer, or a watering can and use it to moisten the substrate regularly to maintain a higher humidity level in the tortoise's sleeping area.
  
  
• Provide a closed chamber environment, this will ensure the adequate levels are provided.