no energy??

[gingergeordie]

hi everyone,
im very concerned about my horsfield tortoise humphrey,
for just over a week now he is constantly in his hide (doesnt look like hes moved while im at work). He doesnt seem to have eaten or drank for around a week either. i give him a bath daily trying to perk him up and place him under heat lamp before and after work as he feels cold, but he seems to very slowly and very lethargically return to his hide? i have a vets appointment booked for him tomorrow, but i cant help but worry about him. have any of you experienced this before and if so what was the outcome. this is the first time he has ever been ill? (thats if it is illness?)

many thanks in advance

Colin

[Anita Sayles]

Hi Colin
We need to know the temps in the basking area and at the cooler end of the table please.
Also do you know how cool the temps drop to on his table overnight.
If he's not warm enough he will slow up and won't be looking for food

[gingergeordie]

hi anita,

the temps are around 32-34 at basking end, around 22-24 cool end with his night time temp dropping no less than 15. hes been fine in this enviroment for over a year just suddenly started this behavior now?it sounds silly but he hasnt been the same since the vet clipped his claws which was jut over a week ago. the vet caught one of his veins in his claw and also seemed to struggle to hold his legs. (probably a silly question) but could that of traumatised him at all? i feel awful that i can help him as im not sure whats wrong?

thanks
colin

[Bindi]

He may be possibly in a sulk after his vet's visit, your temps sound fine, not sure what you mean when you say you mean he struggled to hold his legs?

[gingergeordie]

hi,
sorry for the late reply ive had bother with my internet. I took him to the vet and was utterly shocked with his comments. Aparently humphrey isnt even a horsfield!???!!?? he's a spur thigh......which supposidly hibernate for 9months of the year? so basically he's trying to hibernate.

i cant believe the pet shop has sold him as the wrong species!! i read up all about horsefield and been asking questions on here about horsfields? and now im left clueless about spur thighed tortoises. can anyone recommend a (reliable) website or books i can read up on spur thighed tortoises?

many thanks in advance

colin

[gwenq]

do they????? that seems a long time. put picture of him, including his plastron on the id thread.
Gwen

[gingergeordie]

hi gwen,
i honestly think putting pictures on here is a great idea
to be fair im not convinced, because ive looked at pictures of spur thighed and he looks nothing like one where as he looks like a horsefield. the vet did say at first glance he looks like a horsefield but is a spur thigh?

ill upload photos asap.

thanks
colin

[Bindi]

I keep Spur Thighs, there is no way they should be hibernated for any way near that long. Mine do 16 weeks max. If temps and conditions aren't optimal then they will just shut down.

[Clarrybella]

I agree with the above. Post some pics (and possibly look for a new vet).

I had a stroppy male Horsfield that had a real mood on after a vet visit. He was fine, just a moody old man!

All the best

[Catwoman63]

Thats terrible of the vet to say that, there are a lot of members on here that own horsfields, including myself that will be able to identify your tortoise if it is a horsefield x