Tortoise needs rescuing

[hadespuppy]

Many years ago (close to 30) my parents bought a tortoise for my brother to replace the dog he was allergic to. They were told it was an eastern box tortoise, or possibly a desert tortoise (the story has changed over the years), and that he should be kept on sand and fed mostly veggies, with the odd but of meat thrown in. They kept him in a fairly

Comments

[tillieyo]

Poor little bro :( I'm pretty sure his growth is stunted. I'm not too knowledgeable on tortoises though. Wish I could help, but all I know is easily googled.

[paleonaturist]

Well, you're right - he does need rescuing . . .

Believe it or not, I do think that's a box turtle. (not an eastern, though - or at least, nothing like the ones 'round here!) It's also among the most deformed turtles I can remember seeing.

Good luck with the little guy!

~Bruce

[cozzene]

1. russian tort...completely positive. And he's got severe bone issues.

2. no meat or fruit ever. Dandelion greens, and varieties of lettuces are your best bet. He'll probably enjoy Romain the best, but it's not very good nutritionally. Get some others into him. Fall is a bad time to encourage eating due to the hibernation. He may only come out to eat every 3rd day or so.

3. he needs a timothy hay bedding change. Not alfalfa hay. It's too rich and will cause him to bind up.

4. They tend to hibernate in the the fall/winter.

5. Start with a iodine/water soak. It will help kill any parasites and promote some healing. 3-4 drops to a couple inches of water in a bucket. Not too deep or he'll drown.

6. get a good T-rex 100 watt (not 160) UVB bulb. And a heat emitter for the opposite end of his home.

I've had Russians and other turts for years. This guy is in rough shape, but if he's made it this far he may well be ok even with the deformities.

[hadespuppy]

Thanks for the help, especially the identification.
I'll have to check the bulb he has now to see what kind it is, I know it's some sort of reptile light, but not the specifics. A few questions, if you don't mind.

What sort of heat emitter should he have? Right now he has a flat heater thingy that goes under the sand to warm it. This wouldn't be very effective with the hay, so what should I replace it with?

Speaking of the hay, are you saying to replace the sand entirely with hay, or to put some hay on top? A bit of quick research (much easier now that I know what to look up:P) has found people suggesting a combination of sand mixed with something like coir, and hay on top?

Even in the last few minutes, I can see there's a lot of conflicting info out there. Are there any sites you would recommend as far as being reliable for good info?

[cozzene]

I've used only hay for the 5 years since I adopted my russian. They hay will break down as he cruises around his pen. I clean mine out about every 4 months completely, but just add a little in between cleanings. He'll munch on it, too. Sand is a bad idea in general as it an be ingested while eating and cause compacting issues also. The heat emitter is the type that screws into a hooded light type fixture...just like the bulb

[mazz]

My Russian will refuse almost anything but Romaine lettuce omg. I can sneak others in him with the spring mix but I'm so glad he doesn't notice I hide supplements on his food. O.O
Picky bastard.

[mazz]

Poor little Russian. D:
I rescued one from abandonment but he was not nearly in that bad of shape.
I agree with the stuff mentioned above, Good luck with him. Mine is sleepin' the winter away already.

[nakeddementia]

you are my hero for the day for rescuing the little guy.
i've always referred to this site for good care info.
www.tortoisetrust.org