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Old 20-04-2017, 10:45 PM   #1
alliebaad
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Unhappy My tortoise isnt well, please help!

I dont know the gender but i refer to him as he. His name is speedy and i got him a few months ago from a friend whose tortoise had babies so i basically knew almost nothing about tortoises and i dont know what type of tortoise he is. I got him along with another tortoise. He had a shiny healthy looking shell when i first got him and i recently noticed how dull and dry his shell is looking. Also, i noticed the skin around his eyes is a bit puffy and slightly whitish and the skin on his legs is pale and slightly yellow. He used to explore the sunny garden whenever i took them into the yard but now he doesnt move around much unless its nibbling on grass. his legs feel week when i hold him and he walks with a bit of a wobble and seems very energyless.

He had a habit of soaking in their water bowl so i initially though the symptoms were due to water soaking into his skin and shell but after a few days of having him in the fresh sunny air for longer periods and noticing no improvement, i knew something more was wrong. I feed them lettuce, cabbage, carrots and spinach and they snack on the grass in the garden. The folds by his neck and legs have tiny black dots almost like freckles but im not sure if those were their before he go sick. His shell isnt as strong as it used to be, it is not soft but it seems a bit flexible. he usually rubs his eyes as if they are itchy or painful.

He is much smaller than my other tortoise which leads me to believe that he is having trouble growing as their size difference is significant. my other tortoise seems as healthy as can be and is not experiencing any of these symptoms. In the country i live in, tortoises are not usually kept as pets and have little to no knowledge about them and there are also no specialists here so i have nowhere to go. Any help or advice will be highly appreciated. Thanks
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Old 21-04-2017, 05:02 PM   #2
Suze65
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Firstly, welcome to the forum, and I'm sorry to hear your tortoise isn't well. It would help us if we knew what species of tortoise you have, you can post a picture after you have done five posts, you will need to upload your picture to a host site first, like photo bucket, then copy and paste to here.
Could you tell us a bit about how you are keeping your tortoise, is he in an open top table, and what sort of substrate is he on. As for diet, Mediterranean species, need a diet do natural weeds and flowers of the right kind , not the type of food you have been giving him. He also needs calcium suppliment and vit d supplement for strong shell growth, and strong bone growth. Baby tortoises, need to be kept well hydrated with regular baths and available water, and a humid hide. They also need to be provided with a uv light and a basking light if they are in and indoor enclosure, and when the weather permits, to go out in the natural sunlight as much as possible.
So it would be useful to know the details of how you are keeping him, then we can help you.
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Old 21-04-2017, 07:39 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alliebaad View Post
I dont know the gender but i refer to him as he. His name is speedy and i got him a few months ago from a friend whose tortoise had babies so i basically knew almost nothing about tortoises and i dont know what type of tortoise he is. I got him along with another tortoise. He had a shiny healthy looking shell when i first got him and i recently noticed how dull and dry his shell is looking. Also, i noticed the skin around his eyes is a bit puffy and slightly whitish and the skin on his legs is pale and slightly yellow. He used to explore the sunny garden whenever i took them into the yard but now he doesnt move around much unless its nibbling on grass. his legs feel week when i hold him and he walks with a bit of a wobble and seems very energyless.

He had a habit of soaking in their water bowl so i initially though the symptoms were due to water soaking into his skin and shell but after a few days of having him in the fresh sunny air for longer periods and noticing no improvement, i knew something more was wrong. I feed them lettuce, cabbage, carrots and spinach and they snack on the grass in the garden. The folds by his neck and legs have tiny black dots almost like freckles but im not sure if those were their before he go sick. His shell isnt as strong as it used to be, it is not soft but it seems a bit flexible. he usually rubs his eyes as if they are itchy or painful.

He is much smaller than my other tortoise which leads me to believe that he is having trouble growing as their size difference is significant. my other tortoise seems as healthy as can be and is not experiencing any of these symptoms. In the country i live in, tortoises are not usually kept as pets and have little to no knowledge about them and there are also no specialists here so i have nowhere to go. Any help or advice will be highly appreciated. Thanks
Sounds like your tortoise needs a UV lamp if the shell is flexible, as it should be hard:0)
I would get him/her to a tortoise vet, as you dont want things to get worse.
A picture as has been said would help us more to help you:0)
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Old 23-04-2017, 08:32 PM   #4
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welcome A bad , what country are you from ? I would suggest there are a few countries that don't keep tortoises as pets, so are his parents wild caught ? If nibbling on grass there are a few that would do that? but nota staple diet , if a baby still then he will have a softer shell but I am thinking you wont be taking him to a vets if he is wild caught and your country doesn't keep them as pets as why would you then have a vet who is trained in tortoise keeping? but he could be suffering so I suggest find out what species he is and then we can offer the right support as he may actually be a turtle.....?? who knows, but most importantly you will know what you are doing with him, that's the ideal CB
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Old 23-04-2017, 10:15 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by CherryBrandy View Post
welcome A bad , what country are you from ? I would suggest there are a few countries that don't keep tortoises as pets, so are his parents wild caught ? If nibbling on grass there are a few that would do that? but nota staple diet , if a baby still then he will have a softer shell but I am thinking you wont be taking him to a vets if he is wild caught and your country doesn't keep them as pets as why would you then have a vet who is trained in tortoise keeping? but he could be suffering so I suggest find out what species he is and then we can offer the right support as he may actually be a turtle.....?? who knows, but most importantly you will know what you are doing with him, that's the ideal CB
Good points there, CB.
The last thing I'm sure the OP wants is the tortoise suffering.
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Old 23-04-2017, 11:27 PM   #6
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Something is saying Egypt in the back of my mind (but no logical reason, just a guess?)

What ever species it is I would say the basics are keep him well hydrated. In practical terms this means placing him in a container he can fit completely in & stretch out comfortably in. Add warm water 30-35 degrees up to his first row of scutes (tiles on his shell) leave him approx 30mins, longer if he will sit happily (you may need to top up the water with warmer to keep it warm)

The other thing he needs is warmth, preferably from above. Could you set up a light bulb (any approx 12inches/30cm above his shell to give a temperature of about 30 degrees C. He must though be able to move away from the lamp if he so wishes.

I would confine him in a container of some sort. As if he isn't used to a lamp + he's not feeling 100% he will probably shy away into a quiet corner to hide.

We can discuss UV etc later. Food wise I would maybe offer a little of what he is used to but chop it up. This will make it easier for him to take small pieces but also release aroma & flavour, attracting him to eat it. Even if he doesn't eat for a while hydration is far more important, so keep soaking him.

Anyway I hope this will help. Please let us know how you get on. Good luck x
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