Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had my sulcata for about a week now and although she seems to be active, eating, pooping, drinking and basking, i'm not sure if she is really healthy. I have yet to convince her to eat the hay i bought her. I mix it up with pieces of hibiscus. I cut some grass clippings from a safe area of my yard and she only eats the flowers with occasional pieces of grass that get stuck to the flowers. she seems to be pooping pretty long pieces, but they seem wet but they are solid. Her shell is not rock hard either. She walks aroung alot. I sat with her a few hours yesterday so that she could get real sun. She was running all over her pen. This is my first tort and don't know how to tell that everything is ok. Should i take her to a vet and get her checked out regardless? I've followed all the advice on this forum concerning housing diet and anything else they have suggested. She also has a cuttle bone which she knaws at occasionally and i've sprinkled her food with repcal calcium with vitamin d3 phosphorus free poweder twice since i got her (last friday). Please let me know what you think.

I can't remember how big your sulcata is, but if it's eating, pooping, and active, it's doing OK. It's always a good idea to have a vet check a new tortoise, though. Maybe give it another week to settle in.

You might try chopping the hay into very small pieces and mixing with the other food. It's harder for them to pick out the pieces they like that way.
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Sohni
Northern California

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.1 Rubber Boas
1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.2 Hermann's Tortoises
plus my kids' herps:
0.0.1 California King Snake
1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa
0.1 Leopard Gecko