1st time posting....need advice

kandiekisses · 11-01-2008, 02:52 PM

Hi everyone, i have been reading all of shelled warriors every day since august but this is my first attempt at posting something.
I brought 2 male horsefields in august from a local pet shop (wrong i know but didnt realise at the time) and i will admit i i could have brought them all just to give them a happy life then i would have done so. I brought them along with a vivarium and all the fittings. Obviously after looking on here i realised a vivarium isnt the ideal place for them so i brought w onderful new home for them (cost me £82.50) from ebay. I had also seen i advertised on here. Since putting them in their new home they havent been so happy. I wasnt going to hibernate them this year due to only having them a couple of months but i doesnt seem as though i am going to have a choice as they are both sleeping most of the time although their temperatures are correct and one of them is hardly eating anything although there isnt really much weight loss.
Do you think i should hibernate the one that is sleeping most of the time and not eating and just keep the one awake? Sorry about not posting any pictures at the moment but i will as soon as i get my camera fixed. I have also considered putting them back in the vivarium because they seemed happier in there.
Can i just add this is a fantastic site and i read it every day as if it was my bible...hehehe
Sandra

linda · 11-01-2008, 03:02 PM

hi sandra

welcome aboard

if these were my torts

i would ask a vet to screen for parasites & protoza before considering hibernation

sandy · 11-01-2008, 04:28 PM

Firstly Linda is right, wild caught tortoises can carry protazoa or worms. So need to be checked
by a tortoise vet.
Also you dont say how old these tortoises are.
If they are a few years old, they might well be going into hibernation mode, as it does not
matter what the temps are, if they want to hibernate they will.
Also changing an enclosure can have an effect too.
So you really need to check which it is, starting with the vet<g>.
Also please keep bathing them, as dehydration also can cause problems.

kandiekisses · 11-01-2008, 05:30 PM

Thank you both for your replies. I have just made an appointment for monday evening for a vet in shifnal, wolverhampton. I did get them both wormed when i had them and they have both been great up until now. As you said it could be that they are wanting to hibernate. I give them a long soak every other day and they both become very lively then but as i said previously only the one wants to eat.
When i brought them in August the shop owner said they where 2 years old. Anyway i will keep you informed as to what the vet says on monday. Many thanks for this site.
Sanda

kandiekisses · 11-01-2008, 05:47 PM

I'm not sure if i have done this right but this is a picture of the table i got for them from ebay. Of course it doesn't show how lovely it is now i have brought everything for it but i shall post a pic as soon as i can and maybe get some advice from you all.
Their substrate is a mix of soil and sand now whereas when they where in the viv it was hemp. I have tried to follow all the sound advice i read on here.
[/img]

sandy · 11-01-2008, 05:57 PM

The picture is a little on the small side to really comment about anything, sorry.

**egyptiandan64** · 11-01-2008, 07:24 PM

Hi Sandra,
We need to know your temperatures, warm end, cool end, under basking lamp and night time to know whats going on. How long are your lights on for? and what kind do you have?

Danny

**Eire_Ade** · 11-01-2008, 10:27 PM

Hi Samdra,

Welcome to Shelled Warriors, you have had some great advice already, but like Dan says we need more information to geta diagnosis right.

Is the vet in Shifnal a tortoise specialist?

Ade

kandiekisses · 12-01-2008, 12:29 PM

Hi folks, just got tortoises up for a bath. Under my basking lamp it is 30c and up cool end it is 21c. The house is quite warm during the day and evening but drops to about 15c during the night. As i said previously i didnt want to hibernate because of only getting them in august but they really seem as if they want to sleep.
I did try to get an appointment with hannah last night and i rang back and both times they took my number and said hannah would ring me but it sounded quite busy in there and no-one has rung back as of yet. The vets in shifnal has a reptile specialist is there at certain times.
I am going to try to get some pictures on later of my set up and maybe get some advice from you all. I have already read through the suggestions on here and tried to make their home as nice as possible.
They seemed really happy chaps in the vivarium but hardly move since i put them in their new home. Any suggestions would be most welcome.

**Eire_Ade** · 12-01-2008, 12:57 PM

Hi Sandra,

Hannah is a very busy lady, she is absoulutey worth waiting for.

A reptile specialist doesnt necesarrily mean that they are a torotise specialising vet. Hannah will get back to you, but you could always try the surgery again.

Shifnal isnt too far away from Stoke, about 3/4 of an hour if my memory serves me correct.

Ade

11-01-2008, 02:52 PM	#1
kandiekisses Junior Member Egg Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 25	1st time posting....need advice Hi everyone, i have been reading all of shelled warriors every day since august but this is my first attempt at posting something. I brought 2 male horsefields in august from a local pet shop (wrong i know but didnt realise at the time) and i will admit i i could have brought them all just to give them a happy life then i would have done so. I brought them along with a vivarium and all the fittings. Obviously after looking on here i realised a vivarium isnt the ideal place for them so i brought w onderful new home for them (cost me £82.50) from ebay. I had also seen i advertised on here. Since putting them in their new home they havent been so happy. I wasnt going to hibernate them this year due to only having them a couple of months but i doesnt seem as though i am going to have a choice as they are both sleeping most of the time although their temperatures are correct and one of them is hardly eating anything although there isnt really much weight loss. Do you think i should hibernate the one that is sleeping most of the time and not eating and just keep the one awake? Sorry about not posting any pictures at the moment but i will as soon as i get my camera fixed. I have also considered putting them back in the vivarium because they seemed happier in there. Can i just add this is a fantastic site and i read it every day as if it was my bible...hehehe Sandra

11-01-2008, 04:28 PM	#3
sandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 12,146	Firstly Linda is right, wild caught tortoises can carry protazoa or worms. So need to be checked by a tortoise vet. Also you dont say how old these tortoises are. If they are a few years old, they might well be going into hibernation mode, as it does not matter what the temps are, if they want to hibernate they will. Also changing an enclosure can have an effect too. So you really need to check which it is, starting with the vet<g>. Also please keep bathing them, as dehydration also can cause problems. __________________ < > 60+, keeping ibera, graeca and box turtles \0/ /_\ http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/tortoisefriends

11-01-2008, 05:57 PM	#6
sandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 12,146	The picture is a little on the small side to really comment about anything, sorry. __________________ < > 60+, keeping ibera, graeca and box turtles \0/ /_\ http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/tortoisefriends

11-01-2008, 07:24 PM	#7
egyptiandan64 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: USA Posts: 14,171	Hi Sandra, We need to know your temperatures, warm end, cool end, under basking lamp and night time to know whats going on. How long are your lights on for? and what kind do you have? Danny __________________

11-01-2008, 10:27 PM	#8
Eire_Ade Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Ireland Posts: 8,422	Hi Samdra, Welcome to Shelled Warriors, you have had some great advice already, but like Dan says we need more information to geta diagnosis right. Is the vet in Shifnal a tortoise specialist? Ade __________________ Ade ----------------------------------------------- Y.O.B 1971 (40 years young! ) My Tortoises :- Dug (Testudo Graeca Ibera Terrestris (Syrian), Penny, JJ (JennyJack), Buttons and Gem (Testudo Graeca Ibera)

11-01-2008, 03:02 PM	#2
linda Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: west midlands Posts: 17,134	hi sandra welcome aboard if these were my torts i would ask a vet to screen for parasites & protoza before considering hibernation

11-01-2008, 05:30 PM	#4
kandiekisses Junior Member Egg Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 25	Thank you both for your replies. I have just made an appointment for monday evening for a vet in shifnal, wolverhampton. I did get them both wormed when i had them and they have both been great up until now. As you said it could be that they are wanting to hibernate. I give them a long soak every other day and they both become very lively then but as i said previously only the one wants to eat. When i brought them in August the shop owner said they where 2 years old. Anyway i will keep you informed as to what the vet says on monday. Many thanks for this site. Sanda

11-01-2008, 05:47 PM	#5
kandiekisses Junior Member Egg Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 25	I'm not sure if i have done this right but this is a picture of the table i got for them from ebay. Of course it doesn't show how lovely it is now i have brought everything for it but i shall post a pic as soon as i can and maybe get some advice from you all. Their substrate is a mix of soil and sand now whereas when they where in the viv it was hemp. I have tried to follow all the sound advice i read on here. [/img]

12-01-2008, 12:29 PM	#9
kandiekisses Junior Member Egg Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 25	Hi folks, just got tortoises up for a bath. Under my basking lamp it is 30c and up cool end it is 21c. The house is quite warm during the day and evening but drops to about 15c during the night. As i said previously i didnt want to hibernate because of only getting them in august but they really seem as if they want to sleep. I did try to get an appointment with hannah last night and i rang back and both times they took my number and said hannah would ring me but it sounded quite busy in there and no-one has rung back as of yet. The vets in shifnal has a reptile specialist is there at certain times. I am going to try to get some pictures on later of my set up and maybe get some advice from you all. I have already read through the suggestions on here and tried to make their home as nice as possible. They seemed really happy chaps in the vivarium but hardly move since i put them in their new home. Any suggestions would be most welcome.

12-01-2008, 12:57 PM	#10
Eire_Ade Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Ireland Posts: 8,422	Hi Sandra, Hannah is a very busy lady, she is absoulutey worth waiting for. A reptile specialist doesnt necesarrily mean that they are a torotise specialising vet. Hannah will get back to you, but you could always try the surgery again. Shifnal isnt too far away from Stoke, about 3/4 of an hour if my memory serves me correct. Ade __________________ Ade ----------------------------------------------- Y.O.B 1971 (40 years young! ) My Tortoises :- Dug (Testudo Graeca Ibera Terrestris (Syrian), Penny, JJ (JennyJack), Buttons and Gem (Testudo Graeca Ibera)

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