Preventive Care
There are no vaccines available for tortoises and as these pets are normally housed in small stable groups with little contact with other animals there is normally no need for routine preventative medical treatments.
De-worming:
De-worming be required especially if your tortoise was ‘wild caught’ and not ‘captive bred’.
Wild caught tortoises can carry many types of parasites however de-worming programs are normally tailored specifically for individual animals or groups. Our vets are very happy to discuss with you what they would recommend during a consultation.
If your pet tortoise was wild caught, purchased from an unhygienic crowded reptile shop it may be carrying a more varied and more significant parasite burden. The signs of parasite load are variable and include poor weight gain, soft feces and in severe cases can cause generalized fluid buildup (oedema) or even intestinal blockage.
If you or your vet suspects a high parasite burden a more aggressive de-worming program may be needed, as well as medical treatment, environmental cleaning and possibly changes in management.
Hibernation:
There are some species of reptiles from cooler regions of the world that in winter will slow down, stop eating and sleep for long periods. This is known as hibernation.
Some tortoises are adapted for this e.g.Greek spur-thighed tortoises (Testudo graeca) but some are not e.g. African spurred tortoises (Geochelone sulcata).
For this reason it is important as a pet owner that you know the species of your pet tortoise and understand its physiologic needs.
Common species that are sold in Hong Kong which DO NOT hibernate are the African spurred tortoise (Gechelone sulcata), Leopard tortoise (Geochelone pardalis) and the Hingeback tortoises (Kinixys sp) which all therefore must be provided with proper heated accommodation during the Hong Kong winters.
For species that DO hibernate it is advisable to NOT hibernate hatchlings and juveniles less than 2 years old and tortoises that have recently been sick. Hibernating tortoises properly is a complex & difficult job and should not be attempted without much research & specialized equipment. If you wish to hibernate your tortoise we would advise a health check in the early autumn in the run up to hibernation.
If you choose not to do this, then keep your tortoise warm during the winter.
If your tortoise is one that does NOT normally ‘hibernate’ in the wild but in captivity it appears to and does not eat for a long period of time, it may be because it has a medical problem as should brought for a consultation as soon as possible.
Hibernation is not truly necessary, other than for breeding, even for the tortoises that do normally hibernate in the wild.
Studies are currently underway, but evidence so far points to the fact that tortoises which would normally hibernate in the wild, can be kept warm and ‘awake’ all year round. If they are kept in the correct environment and fed the correct diet then they should live to their normal species lifespan.
If you are unsure if your pet should or could hibernate please speak to our vets during a consultation.