Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi my russian tort lillian has'nt been herself lately. she has diareah and hasnt been eating as much. any help would be appreciated. THANKYOU

Go to the vet. Find a vet that has experience with tortoises.

If this is not possible - then make sure your tortoise is warm, with a hot spot of 90-100F (check with a thermometer), a cool spot of about 70-80, has sufficient space to live in (an adult needs AT LEAST 6 sq ft - more is better).

Soak it at least once a week.

And maybe, just maybe, the diarrhea is the result of having little or no fiber in the diet. If it eats only lettuces, or grocery greens, there is little fiber there and it will have runny stools. Try chopping some chemical free yard grass or some hay (timothy, bermuda, alfalfa) into the food. Not a lot at first, and make sure that all of the food is finely chopped together so the tortoise can't pick around it. When my russians are outdoors they eat a lot of grass along with the weeds, clover, and greens. I've also found that a little bit of the pelleted food, like Pretty Pets, Mazuri, or Repcal, can boost the fiber levels.

Check www.russiantortoise.net for further info on russians. And Ed Pirog has a book out on them, too.

But see a vet. This could be parasites or protozoa or something I don't know about. These things can't be diagnosed or fixed over the web.

Thanks for your help. i will take your advice. she is in a small enclosure right now but we are in the process of building her a new one.