Tortoise not eating

Anonymous

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Hey guys, it's me again and once again my tortoise is playing up again. She hasn't eaten in probably a week and a bit now. We have been back from holiday for about a month and since then she hasn't been eating well. She was looked after my a neighbour who came in and fed her pellets (because it's the only thing she will eat. We have have made threads on how to get her to eat veg but still not been successful so far). But since then she hasn't eaten much. We put her outside in the day time and then bring her in in the evening and put her in her table with all the correct lighting and temperatures. We bath her every other day and she has access to water. She seems to want to sleep a lot but is quite active from time to time. She isn't old, only about 4 and a half years. Im getting slightly worried now and wondered if there's anything you guys could suggest?
Thanks
 

JoesMum

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How are the temperatures doing where you are?

It's not uncommon for appetite to drop off as the days shorten and weather cools before the winter.
 

Anonymous

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Not 100% on the temperatures anywhere. Outside during the day it's around 20-15. By the time it gets colder and darker we bring her in and put her in her table where the temperatures are much hotter but she seems just to wait to go to bed. We will check the temperatures of her table soon.
 

JoesMum

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It sounds pretty similar to here.

There really isn't much opportunity to bask outside in the UK at the moment. The weather isn't that cold, but there's little direct sun.

Your tort must be able to bask at regular intervals through the day in order to eat, digest food and be active. This is why we say you need 35C directly under the basking lamp - a warm enclosure isn't enough.

I get round this, by having a basking lamp outdoors that Joe uses. Even with this his activity levels and appetite have plummeted this week.

He weighs 3.4kg now and once fully charged under the lamp can keep going for three hours or so at the moment before going back for more. A smaller tort will need that more frequently.

I created this thread to show what I have done to help Joe with Living outdoors in the UK. You will find it useful, I think.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/outdoor-accommodation-in-a-colder-uk-climate.140866/

If you cannot provide outdoor basking then it's probably time to leave him outside for a much shorter period now.

With shorter days and cooler temperatures, your tortoise is starting to think about hibernation just like Joe is.
 

Anonymous

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Ok, so this is completely normal and I shouldn't be worried? And for future I should improve the out door basking stuff like u?
 

JoesMum

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It is normal.

However, you need to decide if you intend to hibernate your tortoise.

If you are, you need to decide when you will let him start winding down - until that point it is vital that you keep him warm and bright enough to be active and eat.

If you're keeping him up, and it's perfectly OK not to, then I suggest you don't let him out unless it's really sunny... or you do it for maybe an hour.

Monitoring weight is vital to make sure weight is maintained.
 

Anonymous

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Ok. We do monitor her weight and it has dropped a little since last month but not too much.

Last year she didn't hibernate and I don't think we will hibernate her this yeah. So we'Lel stop putting her outside unless it's a hot or sunny day.
So if we keep her inside and keep her nice and hot she'll start to eat again?
 

JoesMum

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She should do. You need those lamps to be doing their best sun impression.

Nice and bright. 35C directly under the basking lamp. Cool side 25C ish. Overnight minimum 17C

You may need a CHE on a thermostat at night to keep things warm enough.
 

Anonymous

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Is it true that a tortoise won't eat when they're too cold?
The thing is she won't stay under her basking light long enough to warm up and gain her appetite. I turn the light on but she won't come out so later I take her out of her bed and put her under the basking light. Immediately or a few minutes later she just walks straight past her food towards her bed even though she has been sleeping all day.
 

JoesMum

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Your tortoise is cold blooded so without sufficient external heat, it cannot do anything. A warm tort will eat. A cold one won't.

A tort kept where it's warm enough may not need to bask before eating, but definitely needs to basks afterwards.

For example: On the warmest nights this summer, when the overnight low was around 19C or more, Joe would frequently be out and eating very early and then bask when the sun came round.

If you're keeping your tort indoors now, get back into a routine.

She is going to need hauling out first thing in the morning so that you are dictating a start to the day.

And then put her under the basking lamp with food in sight close by ... or a soak and then put her under the lamp.

It may well take a week or so to get over the wind down she started outside.
 

JoesMum

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What should I do when she starts to go to bed? Should I block it off?
How long should she be sleeping and how long should she be out of bed a day too?
There's no answer to this. They spend a lot of time snoozing. So no, I wouldn't block the hide off unless there is no way whatsoever your tort is going to bask or eat.

I generally find that Joe eats straight after a morning soak. What he gets up to for the rest of the day is largely sleeping where he can bask or sleeping under cover with a bit of grazing in between.
 

Anonymous

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Ok so this morning I gave her a bath and put her under the light. Through out the day I checked up on her and I would always find her in bed and I had to drag her out. Now that it's feeding time her food is out on the plate but I put her under the light and she just walks away back to bed straight past the food. I have no clue what to do anymore as nothing is working
 

JoesMum

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Is it possible for a tortoise to starve itself?
Technically - yes.

Likely - no. The survival instinct in an otherwise healthy animal is strong. Although I'll admit that it's unlikely any scientist has studied anorexia in tortoises.

Assuming that a tortoise has the correct conditions - especially temperatures - then hunger means it will eat to survive.
 

Anonymous

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Ok so this morning I gave her a bath and put her under the light. Through out the day I checked up on her and I would always find her in bed and I had to drag her out. Now that it's feeding time her food is out on the plate but I put her under the light and she just walks away back to bed straight past the food. on about the tenth try she decided to start eating in aboutt he first time in a week and a half. She didn't eat much and only ate two pellets which I had to hand feed her and had to be in the shape of a cylinder (not all mushed up)
 

JoesMum

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When is feeding time?

It sounds like it's late in the day.

Feeding time should be first thing in the morning and left available all day
 

JoesMum

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And there we have your problem... or most of it.

A tort's day should be spent eating and basking.

If you don't feed a tort in the morning, what is it supposed to eat? At the end of the day, the urge to go to sleep is great.

When torts are new, we talk about going back to basics to settle them:
Lights on, soak, clean the enclosure and place food, replace the tortoise and walk away to leave the tort to get on with things undisturbed.

This is what your tortoise needs.
 

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