hi new to this forum.

I have 2 5 year old female spur thied tortoises, that have been fine since august,

we had  quite a cold august which was also wet, sept they were ok, but I noticd

they were sleeping a lot and not eating much, they have been at the vets for 4 weeks, and diagnosed with hexamita, they have had a course of  metromdazole,

I brought them home on 28.11.14, they have not eaten anything except a few dandelion leaves I have managed to find, I have plenty of salad leaves and wild plant leaves still in the garden, they are under full light and heat in a tortoise table in a greenhouse, the green house is heated  24 hours with a oiled filled radiator with a ambient temp of 25 degrees, I am getting worried I am going to lose them in the near future, according to the vet she has seen a lot of this hexamita this year, with 2 other tortoises in her care,what can I do.thanks sam.

Hello Sam,

yes the temp is a steady 25, I know this because I have a very expensive weather station, which monitors indoor and greenhouse temp and humidity. the tortoises ive had for 2 years and are English bred from a very well known breeder with over 30 years experience, why do you say hexamita is rare in spur-thied tortoises,as this parasite can effect fish, all retiles,and birds.

thanks for your reply

I accept what you say re. temp., but I am surprised given the type of heater.

hi tom. the tortoises have had xrays, blood tests, and other tests,there is no liver or kidney damage, vets said just anaemic, and hexamita found, the smallest seems to have eaten again today,it is the other one that seems to be  the main concern,although both of them are not too great,i just feel uneasy about vets when it comes to anything not the norm,as from past experience when I kept and bred tropical parrots, and Japanese koi carp. about as much use as a chocolate fire guard, 

thanks sam.    

I assume that you are giving them a long soak daily (in separate containers).

thanks tom, will keep you posted,

tortoises all fit and good.

brought 2 new females and a male.

got them home and one female laid 5 eggs,

previous owner said she was ready to go down.

made a incubator, and got them in, temp at 30, humidity  at 70%

fingers crossed.

put the new same size male with my other male, and the new one was butted

and mounted, like ww1 broke out.

had to put him with females for a short period and he went for all of them.

I thought males would live peacefully with each other.

and he would get a pal to keep him company.

I don't know whether he is sex mad or a nasty bully.

do I get rid of one of them,which I don't want to do.

or try to get a swap for a more placid male.

he even tries to bite me, and our Bengal leopard cats.

thanks guys sam.