Sulcata Tortise Health

[Tg16]

Hi I have questions regarding my tortoises health is how much should I be feeding him? I hear the size of his shell but I wonder if that’s true. Another question is if lower eye lid swelling is normal after your tortise receives their antibiotic shot( which was given for protection against respiratory problems) it’s been a week since then. At first it went down then now it seems to have returned. I don’t know if this is helpful but the vet is having us give him calcium powder every day.

 

[nicoleann2214]

Hi I have questions regarding my tortoises health is how much should I be feeding him? I hear the size of his shell but I wonder if that’s true. Another question is if lower eye lid swelling is normal after your tortise receives their antibiotic shot( which was given for protection against respiratory problems) it’s been a week since then. At first it went down then now it seems to have returned. I don’t know if this is helpful but the vet is having us give him calcium powder every day.

You have a nice looking tortoise! Sulcata are naturally grazers so there should be no limit to what you are feeding, when the tortoise wants to stop that is when enough is enough. But always have access to food . @Tom can help you out better than I can with the eye ball issue but I know that injections are strongly not encouraged for tortoise.

 

[Tg16]

Okay thanks I will remember that for next time and we are currently in the middle of fixing his enclosure up. We are going to lay grass and a pond and a bigger home in general. A question that just occurred to me if shots are bad for my tortise what should I give him when he gets sick?

 

[Tom]

Hi I have questions regarding my tortoises health is how much should I be feeding him? I hear the size of his shell but I wonder if that’s true. Another question is if lower eye lid swelling is normal after your tortise receives their antibiotic shot( which was given for protection against respiratory problems) it’s been a week since then. At first it went down then now it seems to have returned. I don’t know if this is helpful but the vet is having us give him calcium powder every day.

Ugh... This happens all the time, and its frustrating. Not your fault at all.

Vets know very little about tortoise care. It makes no sense to treat the symptoms of a problem if you don't discover and correct the CAUSE of the problem. Your tortoise should never get sick. It shouldn't have been sick in the first place, and it certainly shouldn't be getting sick again. And antibiotics take a terrible toll on them. Sometime antibiotics are necessary, but often they are not. And the right ones must be used when they are absolutely necessary.

Few people house them correctly. They need to be kept warm day and night. They should not drop below 80 degrees day or night. Respiratory infections are CAUSED by cold temps. Usually night temps, but if they can't warm up during the day, that makes it even worse. If cold is the cause, heat is the CURE. Warm the tortoise up. 85-86 at night and ow to mid 90s during the day. Soak daily to keep up hydration during this time.

Eyelid swelling is not normal and is probably unrelated.

Daily calcium supplementation is bad and causes problems. Calcium interferes with the absorption of other important trace elements and nutrients. Too much calcium too often will cause deficiencies in other areas. Why is the vet telling you this? Is the tortoise showing signs of calcium deficiency? I don't see any sign of that in your pics.

They should be fed as much of the right foods as they want daily. They should be able to graze at will all day. Larger torts like your should be eating lots of grass hay by that size. What are you feeding your tortoise?

Here is how you house them and keep them warm at night:

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

 

[Tg16]

Ugh... This happens all the time, and its frustrating. Not your fault at all.

Vets know very little about tortoise care. It makes no sense to treat the symptoms of a problem if you don't discover and correct the CAUSE of the problem. Your tortoise should never get sick. It shouldn't have been sick in the first place, and it certainly shouldn't be getting sick again. And antibiotics take a terrible toll on them. Sometime antibiotics are necessary, but often they are not. And the right ones must be used when they are absolutely necessary.

Few people house them correctly. They need to be kept warm day and night. They should not drop below 80 degrees day or night. Respiratory infections are CAUSED by cold temps. Usually night temps, but if they can't warm up during the day, that makes it even worse. If cold is the cause, heat is the CURE. Warm the tortoise up. 85-86 at night and ow to mid 90s during the day. Soak daily to keep up hydration during this time.

Eyelid swelling is not normal and is probably unrelated.

Daily calcium supplementation is bad and causes problems. Calcium interferes with the absorption of other important trace elements and nutrients. Too much calcium too often will cause deficiencies in other areas. Why is the vet telling you this? Is the tortoise showing signs of calcium deficiency? I don't see any sign of that in your pics.

They should be fed as much of the right foods as they want daily. They should be able to graze at will all day. Larger torts like your should be eating lots of grass hay by that size. What are you feeding your tortoise?

Here is how you house them and keep them warm at night:

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

 

[Tg16]

Okay what he told me is his scales feel dense on his front legs like squishy almost so he told me to give him calcium daily but with prior knowledge I heard it was bad daily so I was doing every other day and he talked about a shot like it was no big deal I’m very upset that my tortise went through that pain, because he look and seemed out of it for the first couple hours. At the moment we are expanding his home we are currently having to make trips for him to get to our lawn to eat grass which we allow for 30 min to 60 min with frequent wetting with water he always has access to fresh water and we give him Romaine lettuce or cactus and hibiscus flowers and as a special treat every now and then a strawberry. You can’t really see there in that photo but he is surrounded by dirt at the moment because like I said earlier are fixing his home up we plan on making a pond for soaking/ drinking a grass lawn so he can stay in there and slope down man made burrow for relaxing with a close door for winter where it’s big enough to live with food and sleep and hang out. Is it possible that dust/dirt may be the eye swelling problem? I also notice he like to flick dirt on himself and I think it’s a cooling off method but just want to double check.

 

[Tom]

Okay what he told me is his scales feel dense on his front legs like squishy almost so he told me to give him calcium daily but with prior knowledge I heard it was bad daily so I was doing every other day and he talked about a shot like it was no big deal I’m very upset that my tortise went through that pain, because he look and seemed out of it for the first couple hours. At the moment we are expanding his home we are currently having to make trips for him to get to our lawn to eat grass which we allow for 30 min to 60 min with frequent wetting with water he always has access to fresh water and we give him Romaine lettuce or cactus and hibiscus flowers and as a special treat every now and then a strawberry. You can’t really see there in that photo but he is surrounded by dirt at the moment because like I said earlier are fixing his home up we plan on making a pond for soaking/ drinking a grass lawn so he can stay in there and slope down man made burrow for relaxing with a close door for winter where it’s big enough to live with food and sleep and hang out. Is it possible that dust/dirt may be the eye swelling problem? I also notice he like to flick dirt on himself and I think it’s a cooling off method but just want to double check.

Your tortoise isn't a baby anymore, but read this for food suggestions:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

I'd quit the strawberry. Opuntia pads are great. In addition to the hibiscus flowers, feed him some leaves. Also look for grape leaves and mulberry leaves.

Time to introduce grass hay. Get orchard grass hay, not Timothy. Bermuda can work too. Get a plastic tray and put a bed of hay on it. Feed his other foods on top of the bed of grass hay. This will usually get them eating the hay within a few weeks.

Burrows are great for summer, depending on where in CA you are, but much to cold for winter. They need their heated night boxes for winter. I close of the burrows in from October/November until June. I've done a man made burrow/undergound heated shelter. Its not easy, and its not necessary. If you use a dirt floor, your tortoise will dig to China.

Be careful adding grass. Don't use sod and don't use hardware store seed. Use seed intended for pasture animals to eat.

It is possible that dirt in the eye is the problem. but very unlikely given the fossorial lifestyle of this species. Mine are underground for half of every year, and walking around on the dirt all of every year. I have never had a single eye problem with any of them from dirt.

 

[Tg16]

Your tortoise isn't a baby anymore, but read this for food suggestions:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

I'd quit the strawberry. Opuntia pads are great. In addition to the hibiscus flowers, feed him some leaves. Also look for grape leaves and mulberry leaves.

Time to introduce grass hay. Get orchard grass hay, not Timothy. Bermuda can work too. Get a plastic tray and put a bed of hay on it. Feed his other foods on top of the bed of grass hay. This will usually get them eating the hay within a few weeks.

Burrows are great for summer, depending on where in CA you are, but much to cold for winter. They need their heated night boxes for winter. I close of the burrows in from October/November until June. I've done a man made burrow/undergound heated shelter. Its not easy, and its not necessary. If you use a dirt floor, your tortoise will dig to China.

Be careful adding grass. Don't use sod and don't use hardware store seed. Use seed intended for pasture animals to eat.

It is possible that dirt in the eye is the problem. but very unlikely given the fossorial lifestyle of this species. Mine are underground for half of every year, and walking around on the dirt all of every year. I have never had a single eye problem with any of them from dirt.

So should orchard hay be a main dish like his lettuce for example my tortise should have access to grass all day than I should feed him orchard hay than throw his “fixings” on top.

Okay thanks for the burrow correction ( I live in Central Valley)and sod do you know a good grazing grass seed?

Is it possible the antibiotic is the eye problem because he received it last Tuesday it was down on Wednesday and I left him in care of my brother because I headed to Monterey and the Cabin had a no pet policy. So when I returned Sunday I noticed his eye was swollen and now I’m here just wondering if I should be real concerned.