TortoiseForum.org

Well, we are mad beyond sanity.

We received 4 Leopard torts, 3 females and 1 male, Some were from Vegas, One from Arizona. All advertised to be healthy and eating well, etc.

At first they seemed okay... they ate, but the very next day they were lethargic and some did not open their eyes. We took them to a reptile vet, and it turns out the male has ear infection and RI. The females are extremely ill... bad worms, severely dehydrated, RI, eye infection. They are right now on IV's.

I just can't believe someone would sell these precious creatures without first making sure they were healthy! These things didn't just happen overnight. Our first thought was to return them, but I wouldn't dare return them to an owner who didn't take care of them in the first place!

We are going to try to seek reimbursement for the vet bill from the people who sold us these tortoises. I'm so frustrated. Thanks for letting me vent!

~ Autumn

That IS really frustrating! Hope the torts do well !I'm glad you got them to a vet right away!

I'm so very sorry that you have to go through this. I'm going to cut the original owners a little slack and ASSUME they didn't know the tortoises were sick. As you said, they ate the first day...so they were probably eating for the original owner too. It was probably the stress of being shipped that caused the symptoms to get bad enough for you to notice they were ill. Thank goodness you have them and have a vet who is taking care of them. Keep all your receipts so you can prove the treatment and expense when you contact the original owners.

I've got my fingers crossed for their return to good health!!

Yvonne

If they were originally wild caught they will have brought these parasites in with them. In the wild they can get rid of them but in captivity they will increase until the animal is sick. This along with the added stress of captivity and import makes for sick tortoises. The Tortoise Trust recently assisted with a large seizure of imported leos and there have been numerous problems with them, mostly related to capture methods and parasitic burdens It can be a very sad trade at times
Good luck with them at the vets.
Sue

~ Autumn, I wish you luck on recouping your vet bills, it could be an uphill battle. But thank God they found their way to someone who cares enough to get them the help and give them the love they needed so quickly and so desperately. My hats off to you and our prayers are will you and your new shelled babies. Please keep us updated.

Sorry to hear about your situation. Very frustrating to get new pets and have to deal with this. We will be thinking of you. Good luck!

I can't believe that, very frustrating!! They are lucky to have found someone like you who can take care of them! Good luck with the reimbursement and with your little babies! Keep us posted.