Ideal Vivarium temps

Post your pictures and any questions here of European tortoises e.g. Ibera Spur Thigh, Ibera Graeca, Marginated, Hermanns, Kleinmanni and we include the Horsfield tortoise. Also, do add pictures of Mediterranean tortoises you have seen in the wild.
Reece.97
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Joined: 03 Jun 2020, 21:14

Re: Ideal Vivarium temps

Post by Reece.97 » 05 Jun 2020, 16:31

I was told not to feed him cucumber, but when we have been trying to hand feed him he just doesn’t take anything we’ve even tried little treats like strawberry and he just doesn’t take it. It’s quite worrying actually, we think he drinks in the bath yes sometimes he puts his head under abit then it comes back up and his mouth moves abit as if he’s taking it in, we leave him in the water for 20/30 mins or so surely with that amount of time he’s taking something in, otherwise I don’t suppose he’d have the energy he does or possibly even lived this long, I like to think we’re doing something right.

Reece.97
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Joined: 03 Jun 2020, 21:14

Re: Ideal Vivarium temps

Post by Reece.97 » 06 Jun 2020, 09:41

Morning all I just bathed him for 20 mins and injected him in his arm with the antibiotics, seems to have took away that energy he normally has when he’s being handled, he’s just sat there now under the heat lamp looking around, I think it’s right that antibiotics can do this since they’re quite harsh on tortoises ?

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Nina
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Re: Ideal Vivarium temps

Post by Nina » 06 Jun 2020, 10:07

Hi Reece,

The only reason not to feed cucumber normally is that it doesn't have much nourishment in it, but it is full of water and so helps to hydrate them, plus if they like it then you can use it to get other food into them (for example you could soften those pellets into a paste and smear a bit on a slice of cucumber if he likes it), but if he wouldn't eat a strawberry then he probably won't take cucumber either. Cucumber is better for him than strawberry though, because it doesn't have the sugar content.

And yes you are definitely doing something right by bathing him, as tortoises can go a long time without eating, but they can dehydrate very quickly, so that is good that he is drinking in the bath. Do make sure that the water in the bath stays really nice and warm the whole time (that might involve changing part of it during the time he is in there, or training a lamp on it. It should be nice and warm (like baby bath water) but not too hot.

Have you asked the vet about the possibility of tube feeding him? This is often done with tortoises that are having a feeding problem, and it involves a tube going directly into their stomach through the neck and then a liquid feed is administered, and the tube is taped to his shell and stays in until the course of feeding is completed. You can also do one-off feedings with a syringe through his mouth, but it should be done with the greatest of caution because you need to ensure that the food goes into his stomach and not down his windpipe. Does the vet know how long he has gone without any food? Do keep a record of his weight -- that is really important.

Well done for doing the injection -- I'd find that a bit scary, as I've never had to do that. Hopefully those antibiotics will start to work soon and you'll see some improvement -- but if he seems to have less energy and get worse after a few days of the injections I would ring the vet and tell him that.

Nina

Reece.97
Posts: 20
Joined: 03 Jun 2020, 21:14

Re: Ideal Vivarium temps

Post by Reece.97 » 06 Jun 2020, 10:26

Yea the hand feeding just doesn’t seem to work unfortunately, we keep bathing him every other day in the Luke warm water and just let him soak in it for 20/30 mins that way I’m sure he’s taking some water in, I’ve told the vet he’s really not eating but they said it’s best to get the antibiotics done 1st then they’ll start looking at other solutions I think now they’re more focused on getting the eyes open and the infection clear and getting the environment right which hopefully will bring him back to his normal self. It’s just slow work which is the hard bit because you don’t know if it’s making a difference. He also seems to move now maybe the needle was just a shock for him, he’s started moving about again when you pick him up so maybe it was just abit of a sulk ? I’m just really focused on keeping him warm enough and bathing him and keeping him hydrated, they’ve given us some calcium supplement to be squirted into his mouth but it’s really hard to get his mouth open and I don’t want to do anything to hard incase it hurts or stressed him.

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lin
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Re: Ideal Vivarium temps

Post by lin » 06 Jun 2020, 12:17

Hi Reece
Just a suggestion but it has always worked for me. If you sort of badger a tortoise around the mouth area with the calcium suppliment he should open his mouth to try and push whatever it is away. If your quick you should be able to get a squirt of the liquid in. This also works with a nice sow thistle leaf. Fron the rib of the leaf when prodded around the mouth, when he opens to pull his head back push a piece of leaf in and each time he opens the mouth pass a bit more into the beak. He will start to go into an eating motion and you should pop another bit of leaf there. When you start to near the end of that leaf be ready with another one. Once he realises what you are up to if there is no leaf ready he will clam up and its impossible to get him to open for a few hours. Doing that a few times a day will get him used to eating again and hopefully he will start to take his own in a few days time.

Just to ass on to what Nina has said about the artifical tears. It will be best not to tell the chemist that it is for a tortoise. Although they can be used and are given by vets the chemist will not sell something for a human to use on an animal.

Lin

Reece.97
Posts: 20
Joined: 03 Jun 2020, 21:14

Re: Ideal Vivarium temps

Post by Reece.97 » 06 Jun 2020, 13:30

I’ve tried all sorts with trying to get him to open his mouth I’ve even tried with dandelions, only time opens his mouth for abit is when we bath him but it’s literally a split second, unfortunately I think we may have to take him back to the vet this week if he doesn’t start eating something.

Reece.97
Posts: 20
Joined: 03 Jun 2020, 21:14

Re: Ideal Vivarium temps

Post by Reece.97 » 10 Jun 2020, 10:00

Hi all just a quick update he’s still his usual self still very active but isn’t eating or opening eyes yet, taking him to the vet today they want to do a blood test, can still see him blinking under the eye lids, I’m kinda of the opinion his eyes lids have fused together, I’ve used the artificial tears but they don’t seem to work yet. He’s had a 20 min bath and an injection this morning and we let him out yesterday for an hour just to roam around the house for abit of mental stimulation.

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Nina
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Re: Ideal Vivarium temps

Post by Nina » 17 Jun 2020, 15:08

Hi Reece,
Just wondering how things are going and if he's any better.

Nina

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