r/TortoiseCare

Hi there,

I apologize for my broken English in advance.

I went to a vet visit where the staff ask me to adopt a baby redfoot (about a month old) that was attacked by a dog. They where giving him antibiotics and vitamins. But they have him in a cold dog/cat kennel. Noticed that it was super super cold and dry. I bought a plastic box, some lighting and sustract. Took that to the vet and leave it with them until they finished the antibiotics.

They gave it to me 5 days ago. From day one, I noticed that he couldn't move his back paws and that they are a bit swollen and also hasn't poop since it is with me. Doesn't have an obvious respiratory issue but I notice an clicking sound. Not constant, but it's there. And some yawns every now and then.

I took it to another vet since the others obviously didn't had a clue on how to care for tortoises. This vet said that the paws are swollen because of the shell. It also advise to give it cat food and a lot of protein and fruits. I mentioned the not pooping a few times and said nothing. Also said that the sustract should be dry. I'm not convinced at all.

I'm worried that it has an obstruction because of the conditions he was in, and the food it was given in the first vet. That it was apples and strawberries mostly, that he had a hard time biting through. I'm pretty sure it wasn't able to eat properly for the two weeks it was in the first vet.

The thing is that those are very famous wild life vets in my area, so I don't know what to do at this point.

I've been giving him baths, about 10 min twice a day, leafy greens, papaya and some boiled chicken breast and a tiny bit of calcium. Trying to keep the temperature around 80F and basking area at 90F. I tried to have de sustract moist but the lightning does not keep it warm without upping up the ambient temperature way too much. Right now half of the sustract is moist and I put a reptile mat in the other half.

The only good thing is that he still has a big appetite. I've been trying not to overfeed since it's not pooping.

Please, any suggestion is greatly appreciated.

Hey, I’ve been having some trouble sourcing suitable bedding for my tortoises enclosure. When I had first gotten him I used the sand stuff which you would get from the likes of pets at home as it was advices by the I got him from. However, I noticed he was weezy when breathing from the dust so I changed it to a top soil which I thought was free from chemicals but I am now certain it was not as he started to get red patches on his feet. I am treating this and have taken out that soil so no need to worry! I am now unsure of what to use, I am UK based and any advice or brands would be greatly appreciated!!

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about basking temperatures and trying to nail that 95-100 sweet spot.

Reptiles thermoregulate by moving towards or away from heat. They’re programmed to do this, and our aim as keepers is to create gradients within the enclosure so the animals have the ability to seek out the temperatures they need in order to digest properly and express natural behaviors. In the wild, tortoises adjust their daily activity to get warm, graze and then retreat back to a hide/burrow/leaf litter/overhanging plant to escape the heat of the day. They may repeat this basic pattern dozens of times each day, and you’ve probably observes this with your own animals. Hatchlings spend 90% of their time tucked away because they know at an instinctual level they are vulnerable to predation.

Temperatures swing considerably in the wild. Too hot for too long? Burrow down into humid microclimates and ride it out. Too cold? Brumate. Tortoises will bask along rocks, which warm quickly and radiate heat. Use these in your enclosures, and you’ll see your animals seek them out. Chris Leone has documented surface temps among the animals in his care. Testudo voluntarily entering cold frames where the temp gun is reading shell temps of 105+F.

The trick is designing your enclosures, both indoor and outdoor, in such as a way that temperature gradients naturally form and the animals have the ability to seek out where they need to be at any given moment. Cool side, hot side. Don’t freak out when temps vary, as long as they are within normal parameters. Your tortoise is not going to burst into flames if your basking spot tips into the low 100s. Observe how they behave. If the animal is spending its time disproportionally on the cool side, check the temps across the enclosure and adjust as necessary.

Tortoises need a cooling off period at night. Again, as long as it’s within acceptable parameters, you’re good. These animals have been doing this for millions of years. Get out of their way and don’t overly pamper them.