Think Dougal's not well....

[Dougal]

Hi - bit worried about my little Dougal.

He's a 2003 Hermanns and I got him in March this year.
He was wormed in May.
He has a nice big tort table and a temporary outside enclosure (till I can afford to build a proper on)
The temps in his table are 21c cool end 30-32c at the hot end, with a spot bulb and a UVB compact bulb.

I'm bathing him every other day but haven't seen any urates (sp?) for about a week and a half.
He hasn't really eaten for three or four days, won't even look at it.
I've tried him on dandelions as well as his seed mix, even tried to tempt him with a slice of nectarine (but he fell asleep on it).
He refuses to eat anything with vits or cuttlefish on anyway, but he's not having anything.

He was so active when I got him, trundling around for hours, but now he's sleeping 24/7 just staying under his heat lamp.
When he's out in the garden now, he just slopes off under his shelter and goes to sleep.

Please can anyone suggest anything, I'm getting really worried.

Is he an import? There have been problems with recent imports so a trip to the vet may be in order. I would reduce those temps at both ends, mine do not eat if too warm. Is he being allowed to cool down at night?

[Dougal]

I didn't realise till after we got him that he was a slovinian (sp?) import.

His temp at night is what ever the house is. All his lights go off at 7. (I'm a creature of habit)

I'll change the timer on the spot bulb to keep going on and off - hopefully that should drop the temp a bit.

Thanks for your reply.

Karen
x

Hi Karen
To lower the temp you could try raising the lamp a little. Also bear in mind that an older imported tort will find it harder to adjust to different climate than a tiiny hatchling as he will already have experienced a few seasons as nature intended so it may be a little harder to find exactly the right heat etc. I would try to get him into an outdoor enclsure though as he will be geared to seek out his best options.

[Dougal]

Gonna try and get him into the vets before weekend. He's still not eaten anything. I'm laying the weeds out in his bowl so I can tell when he's eaten anything - but nothing.

Short of force feeding him (which would be highly distressing for both of us) is there any way of making him eat????

Open his mouth, pop the end of a dandelion leaf in and see if he continues to eat on his own. Make sure you put it well back in his throat. If he deliberately pulls it out then he is not interested but if he continues to eat then he is just being lazy. I never feed from a dish - try scattering food about for him to find as in the wild.

[Caroline McI]

Dougal, I had the same problem with my newest one, although she is Uk captive bred. I worried sick for weeks and I was eventually advised to get a UVB light ( I wasn't advised to use on for my older tort ). It's taken weeks and weeks of patience, observing, encouragement and lots of worry on my part to get her almost to where she was, although she was much more lively when I first got her

She does come out in the morning and seems like she wants to eat now.

I know the worry it brings so I hope you get it sorted soon.

I know this is not to do with th thread but who on earth sold one of their UK captive brred babies without insisting you had a uvb light. I have never heard of such and irresponsible breeder

[Dougal]

I managed to get his mouth open, but i think it's going to be a two person job. I had a quick peek in there and his mouth is really pale inside. When my other half gets home I may try and dampen the leaf and sprinkle a tiny bit of vits on it.

I think I'm getting more stressed out than he is.


Karen

[Caroline McI]

Karen, it really is stressful, I lost sleep over mine.