Re: please help, worried about my baby sulcata/ Kathy

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Posted by Kathy on January 10, 2002 at 09:43:22:

In Reply to: Re: please help, worried about my baby sulcata/ Kathy posted by Terry on January 10, 2002 at 08:53:47:

:Terry, you are such a great help and thank you so much for your help. I did soak him and it did seem to perk him up. I chopped up some endive very small for him and he doesn't seem interested. I have always taken care of him as you described except for the sand. I never liked the sand but didn't know what else I should use. From what I had read up on a lot of people use sand. It is the digestable type from the pet shop for reptiles however, he used to sit in his little water bowl all the time and when he came out he would have the sand all over him. when I would see it I would wash him but, of course I know I didn't always see it. I was worried if he was digesting to much sand, maybe that is his problem. Since he's not eating or drinking should I soak him again in a few hours? I may have already mentioned we can see the vet in Plano at 2:00. Kathy

Kathy,
: sand is not a recommended substrate, it offers poor traction and can cause the tortoise to become impacted if ingested.
: I would change the substrate imediately.

: Can you tell us a bit more about your set up?
: What are the day time temperatures in both the cooler and warmer sides of the enclosure?
: What is the temperature under the heat lamp?
: And what are the night time temperatures?

: What diet is the tortoise on, list all foods.

: Do you ever soak the tortoise?
: This is important especially if he/she is not using his soaking dish by himself.
: He should be soaked at least 3 times a week at his age, for 10-15 minutes each time, in shallow lukewarm water.
: I would soak him once daily at the moment though until he perks up.As he's not eating or drinking by himself, he can quickly dehydrate.

: Soak him in luke warm shallow water for around 10 minutes. Don't allow the water to chill, replace it if it gets too cool.
: The water should only reach the point where the top shell (carapace) meets the bottom shell(plastron).
: The tort should be able to sit in the water with his head comfortably above the water level.
: Watch him all the time he's in the water.
: Dry him off well when the soak is over.

: I would get the tortoise to the vet ASAP,the vet might give him fluids, which is good as I suspect he's dehydrated. Ask the vet to check that the tortoise is not impacted.
: The vet may also suggest adding more calcium to the diet, a calcium supplement such as Rep Cal, to help with the soft shell.
: You must provide a good brand of UVB light and natural sunlight (time outdoors) works wonders.

: Please post a follow up after you've seen the vet.
: Then make sure you are using the correct temperatures day and night. The correct substrate, soaking the tortoise to keep it hydrated.

: Best of luck, I had a very sick hatchling a year back. With help from a great vet and loads of TLC he pulled through. I hope the same for yours.
: Feel free to email me ,
: Terry.

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Re: please help, worried about my baby sulcata/ Kathy Terry 01/10/02 (0)

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: :Terry, you are such a great help and thank you so much for your help. I did soak him and it did seem to perk him up. I chopped up some endive very small for him and he doesn't seem interested. I have always taken care of him as you described except for the sand. I never liked the sand but didn't know what else I should use. From what I had read up on a lot of people use sand. It is the digestable type from the pet shop for reptiles however, he used to sit in his little water bowl all the time and when he came out he would have the sand all over him. when I would see it I would wash him but, of course I know I didn't always see it. I was worried if he was digesting to much sand, maybe that is his problem. Since he's not eating or drinking should I soak him again in a few hours? I may have already mentioned we can see the vet in Plano at 2:00. Kathy : : Kathy, : : sand is not a recommended substrate, it offers poor traction and can cause the tortoise to become impacted if ingested. : : I would change the substrate imediately. : : Can you tell us a bit more about your set up? : : What are the day time temperatures in both the cooler and warmer sides of the enclosure? : : What is the temperature under the heat lamp? : : And what are the night time temperatures? : : What diet is the tortoise on, list all foods. : : Do you ever soak the tortoise? : : This is important especially if he/she is not using his soaking dish by himself. : : He should be soaked at least 3 times a week at his age, for 10-15 minutes each time, in shallow lukewarm water. : : I would soak him once daily at the moment though until he perks up.As he's not eating or drinking by himself, he can quickly dehydrate. : : Soak him in luke warm shallow water for around 10 minutes. Don't allow the water to chill, replace it if it gets too cool. : : The water should only reach the point where the top shell (carapace) meets the bottom shell(plastron). : : The tort should be able to sit in the water with his head comfortably above the water level. : : Watch him all the time he's in the water. : : Dry him off well when the soak is over. : : I would get the tortoise to the vet ASAP,the vet might give him fluids, which is good as I suspect he's dehydrated. Ask the vet to check that the tortoise is not impacted. : : The vet may also suggest adding more calcium to the diet, a calcium supplement such as Rep Cal, to help with the soft shell. : : You must provide a good brand of UVB light and natural sunlight (time outdoors) works wonders. : : Please post a follow up after you've seen the vet. : : Then make sure you are using the correct temperatures day and night. The correct substrate, soaking the tortoise to keep it hydrated. : : Best of luck, I had a very sick hatchling a year back. With help from a great vet and loads of TLC he pulled through. I hope the same for yours. : : Feel free to email me , : : Terry.

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