Hibernation wind down -Help Please

[Asti73]

My first tortoise, my first hibernation. This is the start of week 3 of wind down of my 4yr old Horsefield. I weighed him yesterday and since the start of wind down he's lost 9g. Is this normal?

Also when he's hibernation, how will I know if he's done a wee. I will be using soil, will i be able to see it? I know I sound really thick but so worried about getting this right, I dont want anything to happen to my little friend.

[sandy]

Originally Posted by Asti73

My first tortoise, my first hibernation. This is the start of week 3 of wind down of my 4yr old Horsefield. I weighed him yesterday and since the start of wind down he's lost 9g. Is this normal?

Also when he's hibernation, how will I know if he's done a wee. I will be using soil, will i be able to see it? I know I sound really thick but so worried about getting this right, I dont want anything to happen to my little friend.

Your not thick, just worried:0)
Of course they will lose weight during wind down as they are still moving around. Wind down is best done in a cool or cold room, as tortoises are less likely to move around as much.
I never weigh my tortoises during wind down, just from when they go into hibernation. Then once they are down, they can lose up to 10% over the whole of the hibernation.
If you are using soil, then when a tortoise urinates it will discolour the soil.
And don't panic if you see a poo, as this comes from the intestines rather than the stomach:0)