help please

[pam king]

hi there i have a male horsefield which i have had for around 5 years . he has stopped eatting, i bath him a couple of times a week. he weighs around 449gms he eats dandilion leaves strawberrys also so some pellet food i do sprinkle vitiam d on what ever food i do give him. ive never hibiated him but hes sleeps alot can you help as im getting worried

[Ozric Jonathan]

Hi Pam can you tell us what temperatures you are keeping him at? And how long is it since he last ate?

[sandy]

Originally Posted by pam king

hi there i have a male horsefield which i have had for around 5 years . he has stopped eatting, i bath him a couple of times a week. he weighs around 449gms he eats dandilion leaves strawberrys also so some pellet food i do sprinkle vitiam d on what ever food i do give him. ive never hibiated him but hes sleeps alot can you help as im getting worried

It sounds like he is possibly putting himself into hibernation mode. This is provided he does not have a runny nose, or gapping and generally not himself.
If he has been healthy up to now, then he is in hibernation mode. In his native country he would be in hibernation up to six months if not longer.
If you want him to stay up, then you need to have an extra bright light, as its light levels as well as heat that will keep them awake.
If you are worried about his actual health then a visit to a tortoise vet to be sure.
Just to say fruit is a no no for most hibernating species, as it can upset gut flora:0)

[Suze65]

I agree with everything Sandy has said, good advice. And as Jonathan has said, can you let us know what his day time and night time temps are. Tortoises are individuals, and some will slow down at this time of year however much you try to keep them going. Horsfields inparticular, spend many months of the year dug down, even in summer, if it's too hot. That being said , you do need to be sure his general health is good, check his weight, has he lost any weight in the last few weeks, and if so is it a rapid weight loss. Obviously if his eating has slowed down he will lose some weight. Keep him well hydrated with regular warm baths.

[CherryBrandy]

Hello there Pam, your posts will take a little time to come up first time on here, but will do immediately after posting 5 . sorry to hear that, but all good advice on here. Ditch the pellets if I were you and opt for fresh. Pellets can sometimes constipate torts and if that then hardens more it can back up , but don't worry too much, Sandy and others are usually spot on with a bit more info, CB

[pam king]

Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan

Hi Pam can you tell us what temperatures you are keeping him at? And how long is it since he last ate?

He's in around 80 I did manage to get him to eat a lettuce leaf yesterday but went straight back to sleep

[pam king]

Originally Posted by sandy

It sounds like he is possibly putting himself into hibernation mode. This is provided he does not have a runny nose, or gapping and generally not himself.
If he has been healthy up to now, then he is in hibernation mode. In his native country he would be in hibernation up to six months if not longer.
If you want him to stay up, then you need to have an extra bright light, as its light levels as well as heat that will keep them awake.
If you are worried about his actual health then a visit to a tortoise vet to be sure.
Just to say fruit is a no no for most hibernating species, as it can upset gut flora:0)

Ok thanks no more fruit then and I'll look into a brighter light thanks

[pam king]

Originally Posted by Suze65

I agree with everything Sandy has said, good advice. And as Jonathan has said, can you let us know what his day time and night time temps are. Tortoises are individuals, and some will slow down at this time of year however much you try to keep them going. Horsfields inparticular, spend many months of the year dug down, even in summer, if it's too hot. That being said , you do need to be sure his general health is good, check his weight, has he lost any weight in the last few weeks, and if so is it a rapid weight loss. Obviously if his eating has slowed down he will lose some weight. Keep him well hydrated with regular warm baths.

Thanks I've upped his baths but he always sleeps in middle of his 6foot va Adium so not in hot or cold end it's set at 80 and the thermometer in the middle says 80 he has a uv bulbs across the back and two heat bulbs one end

[pam king]

Originally Posted by CherryBrandy

Hello there Pam, your posts will take a little time to come up first time on here, but will do immediately after posting 5 . sorry to hear that, but all good advice on here. Ditch the pellets if I were you and opt for fresh. Pellets can sometimes constipate torts and if that then hardens more it can back up , but I don't worry too much, Sandy and others are usually spot on with a bit more info, CB

Thanks so much pellets gone

[Ozric Jonathan]

Hi Pam.

I suspect right now your problem is not connected to diet or the viv.

I have not kept Horsfields and others will know better but your tortoise putting itself into hibernation could be risky. If you decide to go with that, then it means stopping the heat and light totally and keeping the tortoise at a really low temp (below 46F). This can't be done inside a house as it is not cold enough.

The other option as Sandy says is lots of heat and light to keep the tortoise awake and active and might mean forcing him to stay up the warm end.

Please stay on and others will help you out better than me because I'm not a Horsfield keeper. But carrying on the way things are now is not a good idea at all. If the tortoise is not sick and this is to do with the time of year you need to take action and go one way or the other.