Hi everyone - i have had my hermanns, Ivy for 4 months now (she is a 2006 baby). i am having major problems in getting her interested in food - this has been going on for some time now. I did attribute it to the fact i was feeding her supermarket food but for a few months i have been feeding her dandelions, endive, chicory and watercress (she also really likes butternut squash but i have limited that).

however most of the time i end up picking the uneaten leaves out of her tank. i feed her t-rex once a week - and she happily munches away on this. i am worried she is not getting the correct calcium as she very rarely eats the leaves so doesnt get the nutrobal i've sprinkled on it.

i bathe her a few times a week - normally in repto boost - so that she is getting some nutrients. Her temperature is around 32-34 at the hot end and 27 at the cold end. she is also a very lazy tortoise and sleeps all day and all night (is this normal?) although i do let her wander around the lounge for half an hour or so for some exercise.

please help as i cant think of a solution!?

Hi, when you first got your tortoise did you have her vet checked and treated for parasites? This can be a major cause of anorexia in torts.

Does she pass urates and poo okay?

Is she losing weight?

It might be a good idea to get her vet checked now by a tortoise specialist. Also your cool end could do with lowering to about 20degs.

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hiya, her weight fluctuates from around 109g - 113g and she is around 85mm long. i havent had her checked for parasites or anything yet - would an ordinary vet be able to do this? I have looked up tortoise specialist vets and there are none near the plymouth area.

she wees fine (normally when being bathed) although her poos are rather infrequent (i think down to the fact she isnt eating enough to be pooed out). although her substrate of sand and soil makes it hard to see the poos so i cant be completely accurate with how many she does.

A reptile specialist vet would be best, you should be able to find one in Devon. There's one in Torquay:

Quarry House Veterinary Centre
148 Newton Road
Torquay
Devon
TQ1 4RY

01803 324341

Normally soaking them in lukewarm water for about 15 to 20 minutes help them poo. Are her urates creamy or chalky?

I'd definitely try and get her checked out if I were you.

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Just found this one in Plymouth:

Firehouse Veterinary Clinic, Inc.

Hope that helps

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try cranking up the heat in the day time (to 30C + - I have mine at around the 33C mark) and block the tortoise into the warm area.

a normal vet WILL be able to check for internal parasites. Just make sure you keep a sma[ple of poo in a moist piece of kitchen towel until it gets to them. You should be able to aske them to do it without a consult, just tell them you want a "FECAL check for worms AND protozoa". the results will either tell yuo that she has parasites or she doesnt. The vet will be able to recomend a good worming medication based on the parasitic infestation that she may have. For example a very common wormer is PANACUR 10% paste. that is used in loads of reptiles and is pretty affective. you can worm her yourself then. But if the vet says she is heavily infested then it will deffinately be worth getting her wormed by the vet and fully checked over at the same time.

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wow thats high for a background temperature particularly with hermans tortoises, they tend to be more active late afternoon when outdoors as it is cooler then, if its too hot and dry they tend to dig in and wait for it to cool down, have you tried turning the heat off for a couple of hours during the day to see if this prompts a little action.i have kept these for 25years and they tend to be more active when the weather is mild my tgg are the opposite they love to sit under the heat but tend to become dehydrated if left to their own devices so i use a sprinkler when it is very hot.

terry

Fair point - 33C is my basking area - they obviously move away if they need to cool down. My thinking was that a bit of enforced warmth may kick start this tortoises appetite.

hi i have never known a hermans that didnt eat maybe i have been lucky or its just that my original tortoises were all long term captive adults all my others have been bred by me im sure if you have a recent import there is a chance it has a heavy parasite load and this could be the problem or your breeder keeps his hatchlings on the same ground as his adults i cant understand why you are getting a problem some times if the keeper has a few adults on the same ground over a number of years it can become infested with worm eggs and unless the tortoises are wormed regularly they will start to get serious health problems and you will see the same sort of infestations as can be found in recent wild caught imports what is happening these animals are eating and poohing on the same ground.is this little guy getting sufficient uvb i have found the combi lamps to be excellent although all mine go out side almost every day throughout the summer even when it rains so long as its not to heavy for the hatchlings.

terry