Hopefully this has photos

Hi there. Great photos. Are all 3 torts the same species? I hope so.

Whilst there is some pyramiding of her shell, it is not a serious case. Have you weighed her and measured her at all? To measure her, trap her up against a wall (head in shell)and mark where other end of shell reaches to. (try to be quite accurate). Then remove her, and measure wall to rear mark. This will give her straight line shell length. Now measure her weight as accurately as possible in grams. You can then either check her against the Jackson's Ratio graph to see if the ratio of lenth to weight is acceptable. If you post measurements here, I can check them for you. How long have you tried her without food, so that hunger kicks in? Some torts develop anorexic tendencies, which can usually be sorted. Have you tried dandelion flowers, or yellow rose petals...mine would kill for them!

So, post more answers and measurements if possible, and I will have another think.

Regards again, David.

Hi David, yes they are all spur thighs, i was not sure about her pyramiding but in the boys one is worse than the other and she odes not look as bad as the better one. I have given her her first 2 drops of codliver oil and have moved her into the smaller garden st the side where she cannot see the boys or have any contact with them. I sat in the sun with her yesterday after her bath and feed and still she hardly moves, just sits there dozing or nosing about. I have kept her without food for 7 days but that was 2 months ago, I giver her fresh weeds all the time and she has preferences because she spits sow thistle out but mever dadelion leaves ot flowers or any thing else for that matter. I have some ywellow roses in the garden in bloom at the moment, I will try her, can she have the leaves as well, not sure thought I read it somewhere. I will measure her when this infernal rain stops. I know she weighs 910 grams as I weigh her reguarly to keep check once again thanks

Hi David

Back to Amelia, she is 6 1/2 inches long and weighs 878gr,she had a big poo yesterday(sorry) so suppose this might be why weight less. She has had all 3 lots of cod liver oil. she has been out in the lovely weather in the side garden but she still shows little signs of moving about so I am not sure its the boys that worry her. Put her on the lawn well away from the flower beds and made her walk back yesterday and slowly she does it, I watched her for ages and no sign of any reason why she cant walk,she can she just wont. the inprovement in her since I first got her is amazing in the fact that inbetween naps she is looking all around and being nosey. I walked past her yesterday and she ducked in when my shadow crossed her so dont think its eyesight. She has had a couple of reptoboost baths but stopped those now.

I am so sorry for being a pain

Regards

Christine

Sorry me again, do you think I could try and starve her again for a time, is her weight ok to do this,

Hi again

Are there any schools of thought as to what makes a tort go anorexic, trying to think if I could have done or am going something wrong, tried her on roses, not keen at all

Hello there, I do hope Amelia is improving.

I once took over the care of an anorexic tortoise which then never ate voluntarily for several months if my memory serves me correctly. I tube fed her with pureed veg and stewed apple, twice a week for the first few weeks, then put food in her mouth which would still be there next day. I was then recommended to try her on sweetcorn and peas ( not good as a long term food!). I bathed her twice a week, and put her inside in a large wooden box with a 60watt reflector bulb above one end, and a shelter so she could avoid the heat when she wanted to. Then, one day I gave her tinned sweetcorn and she ate about 30 seeds straight down. After that she did pick up a little and start to feed herself again.   So, in answer to the question about how long should you "starve her"?...I would try up to a fortnight with no force feeding, just put food in and watch her for 20 minutes or so, and then remove it, do this 2-3 times per day. Remember she was on pellet food before you had her...have you tried her on that at all? I personally never use it, but if it got her eating on her own, it may be worth a try.

I still feel a specialist vet should give her a few checks. Any news on that front? Once again, well done for care and all your enquiries. I must go, there is a massive storm brewing, and my torts love it, so I am going to try and watch them revelling in the rain!

Regards, David nr York.

Thanks again for reply,Have tried new vet in town and they were great, given me the number of a Vet in cambridge today so i will call them, there are 2 vets there both experts on exotics. we are a week in with the starvation, i was panicking a bit but thanks for answer, I will leave her for another week, she is in a pen in the sunshine with dandelions growing in it so i know if she needs to eat there is food there. As to food in her mouth, that is not a problem as she chews and eats everything I put in her mouth, tried pellets she is not interested, I am bathing her every other day, put sweetcorn in front of her yesterday and she walked away. I will persevere, and thanks again. Christine

PS how about the weight and measurements I posted, what do you think.