Tortoise stopped eating and sleeping loads

[rebeccamurray]

Hi ppl I was wondering if you can help me. I have had my tortoise for about 4 month now and I got her from a pet shop. As soon as I got her a noticed there was something wrong with her shell so I took her to the vets and I got giving hibiscrub to put on daily, I have been doing that for about 3 weeks now and she has stopped eating and sleeping loads, could the hibiscrub be doing this to her? Please help thanks x

 

[lismar79]

Can you post pics of shell and your enclosure for her. What temps do you have for her as well? Russians like it a little cool at night but need a basking spot of 90-95 to digest food.
In the meantime- soak her a few times a day in warm water for about 15 mins. You can add a can of carrot baby food to it to help get something into her.
Also try red, yellow, orange foods or mazuri. My russian goes crazy for radicchio and squash blossoms.

 

[lismar79]

Also, I got my russian from petsmart too and her shell was beat up. I left it alone and its healing fine. Pics would help though. She also had parasites that I had to get taken care of....

 

[rebeccamurray]

Also, I got my russian from petsmart too and her shell was beat up. I left it alone and its healing fine. Pics would help though. She also had parasites that I had to get taken care of....

Yeh mine had parasites aswell and I had to get her de-wormed aswell. I just got her from a local pet shop as I live in the UK this is her she also likes to sleep buried right under the soil like this

 

[lismar79]

Hopefully an expert chimes in for you. But I would guess its a wild caught and the spots are old trauma.....which would heal over time without the meds. I do not like to use anything I do not have to on my torts.... what temps do you have in set up?

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Most russian tortoises sols at pert stores are wild caught, not captive bred like they'd have you to believe! I got mine from there also, and he had parasites... poor little guy
Do you have a coil UVB? they can cause severe eye problems, with lethargic behavior, no appetite... I don't think your girl's shell needs the hibiscrub. Doesn't look like an open wound, just shell that's healing.

 

[rebeccamurray]

Hopefully an expert chimes in for you. But I would guess its a wild caught and the spots are old trauma.....which would heal over time without the meds. I do not like to use anything I do not have to on my torts.... what temps do you have in set up?

Under the basking lamp is between 80 and 90 and the cooler side is about 70 and this is her set up

 

[Yvonne G]

That's a really nice and big habitat for your tortoise. I think the sides are a bit short and he'll be able to climb out if he really tries, but I like the size of it. I would move the water dish and place a flat rock under the light instead.

In my opinion, you can stop using the hibiscrub (chlorhexidine). The damage you're seeing is normal wear and tear that you see on most wild caught Russian tortoises.

I think once the tortoise is past the de-worming process his appetite will pick up.

Have you measured the temperature all over the whole habitat. It may be just a bit too cool for him.

 

[rebeccamurray]

That's a really nice and big habitat for your tortoise. I think the sides are a bit short and he'll be able to climb out if he really tries, but I like the size of it. I would move the water dish and place a flat rock under the light instead.

In my opinion, you can stop using the hibiscrub (chlorhexidine). The damage you're seeing is normal wear and tear that you see on most wild caught Russian tortoises.

I think once the tortoise is past the de-worming process his appetite will pick up.

Have you measured the temperature all over the whole habitat. It may be just a bit too cool for him.

Thanks yeh I have measured it in every area and it seems fine I'm going to send a sample of her poo away to the vets just to make sure she hasn't got worms again and hopefully she will start eating again. And yeh we had to make her living area quite big as I live in the UK so we very rarely get a hit day for her to go outside haha thanks again

 

[lismar79]

You can put a cap on those corners so he does not climb out. Russians a great climbers. See my avatar pic...I would also add some plants for hiding. Torts are prey in the wild so he may feel too exposed out in the open. Watch your diet too. I think I see carrots and salad in that food bowl. He should have more weeds. Here is an awesome link to plants you can feed him for better health below. Also move the water and deff put a flat rock under the light. He will need a good basking spot to digest his food. All of these things are prob contributing to his lack of app.

http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plants_19.asp

 

[rebeccamurray]

You can put a cap on those corners so he does not climb out. Russians a great climbers. See my avatar pic...I would also add some plants for hiding. Torts are prey in the wild so he may feel too exposed out in the open. Watch your diet too. I think I see carrots and salad in that food bowl. He should have more weeds. Here is an awesome link to plants you can feed him for better health below. Also move the water and deff put a flat rock under the light. He will need a good basking spot to digest his food. All of these things are prob contributing to his lack of app.

http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plants_19.asp

She won't eat weeds we have tryed as she was just on iceberg lettuce when she was in the pet store and I no that's really bad for tortoises so it's took us a while to change her diet of that, and we don't give her carrots all the time just everynow and then as a little treat I will keep trying to give her weeds tho as I no it's better for her. I will get her some plants and move her water and get a flat rock aswell and see how it goes thank you

 

[lismar79]

Torts are creatures of habit. Takes forever to get them to change. Cut the good food up into real small pc and mix in with your spring mix salad. Over time add more weeds and less & less salad. I had to do this with mine, took months

 

[rebeccamurray]

Torts are creatures of habit. Takes forever to get them to change. Cut the good food up into real small pc and mix in with your spring mix salad. Over time add more weeds and less & less salad. I had to do this with mine, took months

I will defiantly try this thanks