Stressed Out Tort, Advice?

[Ash&Tort]

Hello Everyone,
I'll have had my little Tort for a year in mid February, and its been smooth sailing up until last night. I had a plastic bin in his enclosure as a hide. Well I guess the little stinker is big enough now that he can push the bin around, because when I came home from work, it was flipped up and melted to his ceramic heat emitter! Obviously i changed the heat emitter, took out the house and changed all the substrate just in case there was any plastic. I looked him over and there didn't seem to be anything on him.

Since then though, he hasn't come out of his shell. I took him to the vet today because I'm a paranoid Tort mommy, and his lungs and everything are fine. The vet said that he's hiding because he's stressed out and to turn up his heat a couple degrees, continue his normal soaks to keep him hydrated, and try to tempt him with a piece of strawberry to get him to come out. I also found a hide made out of stone today to replace the plastic one I threw out.

So I'm wondering if anyone has any additional advice to help me calm him down so he'll get back to his normal, active self. Thank you!

 

[Markw84]

Sounds like he just needs a little time. Probably fine tomorrow or so. As long as you do a check list of all the proper housing requirements - 80-90 temps with basking to 100, humidity 80%, dark humid hide, etc.

 

[Tom]

Torts usually don't like change. All that change at once might be making him feel like he's not at home.

I would not worry about it. Just go about your normal business.

 

[dmmj]

tortoises are OCD to the 9th degree they do not like change at all. They just take time to adjust to new surrounding. note while tortoises don't like change they can rearrange their enclosures if they want to.