HELP My indian star gasping for air

[SlowPoke Squad]

Hi everyone, i would like to ask why is suddenly my indian star gasping for air and moving like dragging it’s fromt legs. I was force feeding her cause she was do not have any appetite for seberal days

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!
She is apparently sick. This could be the development of a respiratory infection. So:
1. Put him in the enclosure with proper substrate and heating and a basking area. Make sure that temperatures are at least 28-29C day and night (in the enclosure, not in the room or outside). A basking zone temperature around 35-37C. Daily soaks for 30 minutes in a shallow warm water (31-32C) will be helpful as well.
2. If he gets worse - seek veterinary advice. Likely antibiotics will be required.

 

[LAINHART]

Hello!
She is apparently sick. This could be the development of a respiratory infection. So:
1. Put him in the enclosure with proper substrate and heating and a basking area. Make sure that temperatures are at least 28-29C day and night (in the enclosure, not in the room or outside). A basking zone temperature around 35-37C. Daily soaks for 30 minutes in a shallow warm water (31-32C) will be helpful as well.
2. If he gets worse - seek veterinary advice. Likely antibiotics will be required.

How were you force feeding her? Best not to force feed. Must be a reason she is not eating.

 

[wellington]

@Yvonne G
Do not force feed
Do not let him roam the floors of your home
It could be from you force feeding or him picking up something from the floor
Does he have an enclosure of his own with all the proper lights and heat?

 

[SlowPoke Squad]

thank you the floor was because i need to take quick picture to be given to the vet so i panicked and put her on there after she kinda reject the soak and sun bath

i have brought her to the vet and it’s not respiratory infection. She got a coco peat miss with small coco husk for her to sleep on but usually in the mornign to afternoon she’s outside in a small garden with some shaded area and a small tree. I got calcium, vitamin, and a pain killer for her from the vet to give her as a drop. She was diagnose with mbd and the vet suspected that she was feeling a tremendous pain that’s why she is gasping and because her week condition she could not lift herself that’s why the vet gave a the pain killer.I lived in indonesia so the temperature usually around 30c and up depending on the time. But it’s raining outside she will stay on her indoor enclosure with uv lights. She was not eating that’s why i force feed her, but if tomorrow she wants to eat i will not force feed her. She was gasping only when put under direct sunlight, when the sun consider quite bright and hot. So i put her in a shaded area but around 3-4pm when the sun still up but it’s a bit more forgiving i let her bask which she did not show any gasping motion.

Considering her condition i moved her in a smaller container so she could reach her food water and cave easier right now.

She used to has a variety of pellets (i let her choose on her own, she used to eat at least 2pellets), she also get variety of vegei and greens(pokcoi, lettuce, romaine, hibiscus flower and leaf, grass, dandelion, and any other weeds that i do not know the name) she also got cactus, aloevera and rarely dragon fruit, cuttle bone also provided in the park and her bed.

if anyone have any suggestion i will try and i will see her condition if she wants to eat even only a tiny piece of greens/ pellets i will not force feed her again

 

[Ink]

Did your vet take an X-ray? Is the tortoise a little soft feeling on the shell?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Thank you for the details on how you keep her!
From that description I doubt she has a MBD. With access to the natural sunlight and enough calcium in diet (hibiscus leaves, cactus pads, cuttlefish bone), MBD is unlikely to develop.

Providing deep shade when tortoise is outside and sun is fierce is required. And for baby tortoises full day outside is not advised (a few hours when sun is mild is fine).

How often does she poo, is she struggling doing that? Sometimes, constipation may affect back legs. In that case long (30-60 minutes) warm soaks should help. Also cactus pads have laxative effect.

 

[TammyJ]

@Tom Please never force feed your tortoise. You can kill her this way by causing her to choke. What kind of vet did you take her to? Sometimes it is better to just make sure that all the correct conditions are being followed while the tortoise is in your care. That is, you must have her in the right size enclosure, correct substrate, temperatures and humidity, and correct diet and water dish. Most of the time, this works to immediately begin to improve her health. If after all this, and she is still showing symptoms of illness and appears abnormal, then she may need a visit to a reputable, experienced reptile vet, not just any regular any-animal type of vet, who may do her a lot more harm!

 

[SlowPoke Squad]

The vet use the flashlight method and belly button where the egg yolk absorbed and its surrounding is not as hard as her carapace. Last Sunday she pooped quite a lot and today she pooped again but she was struggling like the video i took. After i took the video i bring her with her tiny enclosure to sun bath where i put her on her water dish but only her back foot and butt touch the very shallow water and she pooped a little bit. But after that she starting gasping so took her back inside.

She’s moving that looks like the video minus the gasping when i soak her in warm water after 5 mins, should i still push her to soak? And how to gave her cactus pad when she refuse to eat at all, should i mashed it and put it on her mouth And wait until she kinda open and licks the mush?

Oh when. She was on the garden she has a cave that she kinda dig on her own and big rocks around it to keep her very shaded and she also had another shaded area that i build with bricks under the house roof and her bed cave that i moved to the garden everyday together with her and the sun will only shine max 3/4 of the whole garden because of the house in-front of me is huge so it kinda block the sun. Is it okay if i put her outside if the garden like this? (After she recovered)

 

[SlowPoke Squad]

@Tom Please never force feed your tortoise. You can kill her this way by causing her to choke. What kind of vet did you take her to? Sometimes it is better to just make sure that all the correct conditions are being followed while the tortoise is in your care. That is, you must have her in the right size enclosure, correct substrate, temperatures and humidity, and correct diet and water dish. Most of the time, this works to immediately begin to improve her health. If after all this, and she is still showing symptoms of illness and appears abnormal, then she may need a visit to a reputable, experienced reptile vet, not just any regular any-animal type of vet, who may do her a lot more harm!

I got recommended by my friends that own a tortoise but she own sulcata and the size i think almost triple her size. If i was mistakenly choke her is there any way to help?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

The vet use the flashlight method and belly button where the egg yolk absorbed and its surrounding is not as hard as her carapace. Last Sunday she pooped quite a lot and today she pooped again but she was struggling like the video i took. After i took the video i bring her with her tiny enclosure to sun bath where i put her on her water dish but only her back foot and butt touch the very shallow water and she pooped a little bit. But after that she starting gasping so took her back inside.

She’s moving that looks like the video minus the gasping when i soak her in warm water after 5 mins, should i still push her to soak? And how to gave her cactus pad when she refuse to eat at all, should i mashed it and put it on her mouth And wait until she kinda open and licks the mush?

Oh when. She was on the garden she has a cave that she kinda dig on her own and big rocks around it to keep her very shaded and she also had another shaded area that i build with bricks under the house roof and her bed cave that i moved to the garden everyday together with her and the sun will only shine max 3/4 of the whole garden because of the house in-front of me is huge so it kinda block the sun. Is it okay if i put her outside if the garden like this? (After she recovered)

I don't see video (or link to it). Pooping once in a few days isn't a good sign (but can be because she isn't eating).

Perhaps, I misread, but putting her under the sun in a small container - is a bad form of sunbathing (you can overheat her very easy). Letting her walk in fenced area of the garden with access to shade - is correct (sounds like you have a good shade there, but you may use thermometer to check). She gets some UVB even in shade.

If you soak her outside - use a large enough to turn and walk container with opaque (non-transparent walls). Container should be high enough, so she can't see outside and can't climb out of it. Something like tub for washing dishes or laundry. Put container in shade and always watch her closely (don't leave her unattended). Keep water always warm, at level where top and bottom shell meet. If she tries to climb out - it's okay, this is kinda exercise, but check and adjust water temperature (too hot or too cold maybe). Sometimes pouring water over shell helps to calm down tortoise. Try to keep her soaking for 30 minutes daily.

If she doesn't eat cactus - don't force her in any way. Hand-feeding sometimes works (just keep a leaf or piece of cactus pad in front of her).

 

[SlowPoke Squad]

Thank you so much will do as suggested and for the video sorry i thought i was uploading the video but all are just pictures and for sun bathing usually together with soak so i use the container but other than that usually on the garden. Will try to check the uv around the shaded area. Once again thank you

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Please, keep us updated on her progress!

 

[SlowPoke Squad]

Today's she still very weak but she gets about 30mns of soaking under the sun and then moved to the garden to sun bathe for more than one hour and after that she start to gasp for air so i quickyly take her inside. And now she is resting in her cave. She also pooped very tiny poop. She seems to have more energy when i gave her calcium vitamin and pain killer drop medicine. She still refuse to eat anything 😔
Time was around 7.30ish to 9 ish

I will sun bathe her again later around 3/4pm when the sun is not very hot.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Thank you for the update. I hope she will get better.
Just to confirm: you soak her in water just outside, in a shade, not under the direct sun?

 

[SlowPoke Squad]

Thank you for the update. I hope she will get better.
Just to confirm: you soak her in water just outside, in a shade, not under the direct sun?

Under direct sunlight but it’s still very very mild should i soak her under shade?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Under direct sunlight but it’s still very very mild should i soak her under shade?

Yes, better to do it in shade. Overheating is a serious issue for baby tortoises because of their small size.

 

[SlowPoke Squad]

She passed away this morning, she has start to firm but i have try to soak her in warm water but it did not change much. Tahnk you everyone for giving all the support i beleievw she definetly feel loce from you guys. She has been a wonderful part of the family.

 

[TammyJ]

I am very sorry.

 

[wellington]

So very sorry she didn't make it.