Hardly eating and sleeping LOTS!
 

We posted a week or so ago about Izzi not eating much. Since then, Izzi still doesnt seem to be eating much, except for when we give the occasional pellet which gets munched down straight away!
Izzi has also been sleeping alot. the temp is around 32-34 oC, which was recommended to us.
Izzi doesnt wake up in the morning even after a couple of hours with the light switched on. we are bathing everyday, and this means we usually have to wake the tort up for this bath. the only time it rarely eat is because we've purposely put her on the slate.
We are worried Izzi is trying to hibernate, even though we have not changed the conditions.
Izzi is only around 1-2 months old.
We did have a bit of a fly problem, which we are now changing the substrate to avoid.

Help!!

Hello I am new to all this as I have only been a tortoise owner for 3 weeks, so cant really give you much advice on the health....But can advise you to find a vet that deals in exotics (the one in my area has been very helpful over the phone with advice and even emailed me advice sheets and care sheets all for free) might be worth trying for a bit of advice over the phone to them first. Good luck with everything :)

what is the room temp and the overnight temps?, its been getting cold at night lately and the torts sense the winter comming, you have to fool them into thinking its warm summer nights. Izzi's siblings are still all awake and alert but they do have their heat mat under the sleeping area (frowned on by many but works) and the room doesn't drop much below 20c at night. They are usually awake before me and ready for their bath and food. I know they can take a lower drop but the lower the temp at night the longer they take to wake up, I think they also associate cold nights with a season change, I'd have a check of those before finding a vet, its a natural process you're trying to stop happening.

The room stays pretty warm at night havent noticed it below 20 yet this the problem with the heat mat is that izzi has now decided to sleep buried so we fear she could easily dig down to it. Sleeping around started about 1 and 1/2 weeks ago until then she was very active but the eating has been little for a while no matter what variety of weeds we put out. izzi just keeps digging and burying herself. Today we plan on changing the substrate as it arrived this morning hopefully this will make a difference. Has anyone experienced this behaviour with their torts and found out what it was down to?

Light quality can also play a part. If there's not much natural light coming in the table (and let's face it, dull days with all the rain and cloud, and darker mornings now), then I think some torts will struggle if not now but in due time to go about their routine.
If the table is a bit on the dark side, and the light quality from natural sources is bad - IMO you might need something to stimulate - such as an additional strip?? Or daylight bulb..:)xx

Yes I have, my little Maud who is normaly a busy body has decided that she will dig in all day and not eat unless pushed. My other 2 older horsefields are fine and bask & eat with no probs.
All I can say is keep a close eye on her/him as I am doing with Maud, make sure you bathe her/him to keep her/him hydrated this is most important. If after a while you are still worried I would get some REPTOBOOST and bathe her/him in that you'll have to read the insructions for quantity ratio to water. She/he probably thinks it's winter on the way (as previously said) totrts are realy sencitive to weather change.

My two had started to change their habits and try and sllep all day unless I woke them up. I moved their table near a window and it seems to have changed their behaviour. Their both up waiting for their food now lol xxx

I agree the light from a window can make a big difference even though uv can't pass through glass they can still enjoy any sun thats about. Both my babies and Bolder have one end of their tables to the window, and love it when the sun comes into there, you do have to be carefull though if you go out and the sun shines full into the table, it can get to hot very quickly and watch for drafts at night so make sure the curtains are drawn, plus it can be colder near the window.

Peaches is doing the same, sleeping in ultil i get hom up for his bath, when i come home from school i have to wake him up etc.. its the time of the year:/

One of my horsfields does this. Every year it is a battle and this year it started in August (sigh).

I get him up in the morning. I get him up at lunch time and bath and try and feed, somedays are successful others not and I get him up at tea time. It is just his way. My other horsfield, kept in exactly the same conditions gets up all by himself and there is no change in his routine. It's an individual thing I guess.

Just keep an eye on the little one and keep bathing.

Good Luck

Row xx