- Joined
- Feb 23, 2010
- Messages
- 45
My baby isn't eating. I hope I'm worrying unnecessarily.
Last week, feeding time was usually 14-20 good mouthfuls. Day before yesterday it dropped off to 3-4 mouthfuls. Yesterday, nothing (I even left it in the old tank, and kept an eye on it to check for signs of being touched). Today, I only saw 4 nibbles (nothing at first, and only a few small chunks taken out of a wild lettuce leaf over a few hours).
They seem to be hiccuping a lot if I pick them up (not sure if that's what it is, but that's what I think it looks like... they do a sort of 'shrug' with a slight neck extension). Over the last few days, its been acting like it has an itch on its nose, as it keeps rubbing its face on its leg. I've tried the 'poke test' (my own term) which I've seen referenced in various places, checking for give, and their shell doesn't have any places of give (other than a slight whole-segment give on their belly, which is supposed to be there according to what I've read).
Its been napping in the basking spot alot the last few days as well, and since it got its new setup yesterday, has been getting restless if the CHE is turned off. If I leave it on, they have been staying in the edge of the hottest part, and shell level is registering around 95F. If I move them away, then run back there.
I was initially giving every other day soaks of 10-15 minutes, but switched to daily soaks of 5-10 minutes. It did pass stool day before yesterday while in soak. It looked like a slimy, dark brown colored, -tiny- piece of alfalfa pellet (which is not on their menu, noted here for shape).. and it could have been in the water up to 5 minutes since I had last checked on the little one. No visible trace of coir 'strings'. I switch to fresh lukewarm water after 5 minutes, so its not too cool... while they soak is when I usually try preparing food, which is offered after they soak. They passed a stool 3 days before that, and it looked about the same. I give the baby a quick 'shower' under slow running lukewarm water so they are free of dirt before going in their soak. They do have a small water dish they can climb into, but they normally just walk through it to get to the other side when they do go for a romp.
Diet has been a mix of fresh Bermuda grass (primary diet), coastal hay (which is dried Bermuda grass, I've been mincing it at adding to the food so it gets a taste for the stuff), wild lettuce, thistle sprouts, a rose petal, a rose leaf, a bit of hibiscus leaf, and a bit of tortoise dry formula crushed up and added on top of meals (comes as colored pellets, main ingredient is oats, then oat hulls, does not list alfalfa or animal products as ingredients, does contain a vitamin assortment, and has very low protein and high fiber). I've tried offering all of this over the last 2 days, with little luck. The -one- day the weather permitted so far, last week, they were outside in a makeshift playpen (under direct supervision) and they spent most of their time munching on grass. Our yard is 90% untreated Bermuda grass, with 10% of some other grass type that was thrown on a few years back in some of the patchy areas. The area they got to play in was only Bermuda grass and a few weeds (our most prevalent weed in the yard is wild lettuce right now, though the purslane is beginning to come up.. I grew up in the country in Indiana, and have been selective about which 'weeds' I remove, and which I 'just happen' to miss... and am responsible for introducing a few weeds to our yard from seeds brought back from Indiana... for adding to salads).
The enclosure is presently a large coat box (I scrapped the aquarium I mentioned in a previous post). It's about 4 feet by 1.5 feet and 5 inches tall. Substrate is topsoil. Basking spot is provided by a CHE and UVB bulb, shell height is right at about 100F. Water, food, hide, and a rock to lay on while basking are provided. Using an under-container heating mat to keep the warm zone around 80F. The cold zone is room temp, which is currently around 70F. It got this setup yesterday, after feeding time happened. My camera battery needs charged, so no pics until tomorrow (assuming I can find my charger).
Old setup was a wide base 5.5 gallon aquarium, fine coir substrate mixed with some coastal hay. The tort never visibly tried eating the hay in the substrate, and I only saw them nip at the substrate once or twice (usually followed by a quick 'get it out of my mouth' wipe on fore leg). The warm side stayed 85F, with 90F basking, and cold was room temp.
Since they have the 'hiccups' when I pick them up, is that an issue? Since they are trying to stay in the warmth, is it possibly the beginnings of a cold? Could they be impacted even if they just passed a stool two days ago, even though they seem pass them only every 3-4 days?
Side note, my cat has been acting very jealous of all the attention the tort is getting.
Last week, feeding time was usually 14-20 good mouthfuls. Day before yesterday it dropped off to 3-4 mouthfuls. Yesterday, nothing (I even left it in the old tank, and kept an eye on it to check for signs of being touched). Today, I only saw 4 nibbles (nothing at first, and only a few small chunks taken out of a wild lettuce leaf over a few hours).
They seem to be hiccuping a lot if I pick them up (not sure if that's what it is, but that's what I think it looks like... they do a sort of 'shrug' with a slight neck extension). Over the last few days, its been acting like it has an itch on its nose, as it keeps rubbing its face on its leg. I've tried the 'poke test' (my own term) which I've seen referenced in various places, checking for give, and their shell doesn't have any places of give (other than a slight whole-segment give on their belly, which is supposed to be there according to what I've read).
Its been napping in the basking spot alot the last few days as well, and since it got its new setup yesterday, has been getting restless if the CHE is turned off. If I leave it on, they have been staying in the edge of the hottest part, and shell level is registering around 95F. If I move them away, then run back there.
I was initially giving every other day soaks of 10-15 minutes, but switched to daily soaks of 5-10 minutes. It did pass stool day before yesterday while in soak. It looked like a slimy, dark brown colored, -tiny- piece of alfalfa pellet (which is not on their menu, noted here for shape).. and it could have been in the water up to 5 minutes since I had last checked on the little one. No visible trace of coir 'strings'. I switch to fresh lukewarm water after 5 minutes, so its not too cool... while they soak is when I usually try preparing food, which is offered after they soak. They passed a stool 3 days before that, and it looked about the same. I give the baby a quick 'shower' under slow running lukewarm water so they are free of dirt before going in their soak. They do have a small water dish they can climb into, but they normally just walk through it to get to the other side when they do go for a romp.
Diet has been a mix of fresh Bermuda grass (primary diet), coastal hay (which is dried Bermuda grass, I've been mincing it at adding to the food so it gets a taste for the stuff), wild lettuce, thistle sprouts, a rose petal, a rose leaf, a bit of hibiscus leaf, and a bit of tortoise dry formula crushed up and added on top of meals (comes as colored pellets, main ingredient is oats, then oat hulls, does not list alfalfa or animal products as ingredients, does contain a vitamin assortment, and has very low protein and high fiber). I've tried offering all of this over the last 2 days, with little luck. The -one- day the weather permitted so far, last week, they were outside in a makeshift playpen (under direct supervision) and they spent most of their time munching on grass. Our yard is 90% untreated Bermuda grass, with 10% of some other grass type that was thrown on a few years back in some of the patchy areas. The area they got to play in was only Bermuda grass and a few weeds (our most prevalent weed in the yard is wild lettuce right now, though the purslane is beginning to come up.. I grew up in the country in Indiana, and have been selective about which 'weeds' I remove, and which I 'just happen' to miss... and am responsible for introducing a few weeds to our yard from seeds brought back from Indiana... for adding to salads).
The enclosure is presently a large coat box (I scrapped the aquarium I mentioned in a previous post). It's about 4 feet by 1.5 feet and 5 inches tall. Substrate is topsoil. Basking spot is provided by a CHE and UVB bulb, shell height is right at about 100F. Water, food, hide, and a rock to lay on while basking are provided. Using an under-container heating mat to keep the warm zone around 80F. The cold zone is room temp, which is currently around 70F. It got this setup yesterday, after feeding time happened. My camera battery needs charged, so no pics until tomorrow (assuming I can find my charger).
Old setup was a wide base 5.5 gallon aquarium, fine coir substrate mixed with some coastal hay. The tort never visibly tried eating the hay in the substrate, and I only saw them nip at the substrate once or twice (usually followed by a quick 'get it out of my mouth' wipe on fore leg). The warm side stayed 85F, with 90F basking, and cold was room temp.
Since they have the 'hiccups' when I pick them up, is that an issue? Since they are trying to stay in the warmth, is it possibly the beginnings of a cold? Could they be impacted even if they just passed a stool two days ago, even though they seem pass them only every 3-4 days?
Side note, my cat has been acting very jealous of all the attention the tort is getting.