# Sick Sulcata



## Ronnier (Dec 15, 2020)

I live in the Antelope Valley, Ca. Tortoise vets seem to be few, or just a small interest with some exotic vets. I’m afraid now because I took my bearded dragon to an exotic vet for a check up and she prescribed food which was the wrong dosage and my beardie died. I’m in panic. My Sulcata has a respiratory infection I think. For such a long time I thought he ate weeds that didn’t agree with him, but now he doesn’t want to eat and he has bubbly eyes. Someone abandoned him at my house years ago and I didn’t know what you do so I thought ok I’ll take care of him. But he was a baby then and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just thought okay, tortoises live outside. I’ll let him live outside. Over the years I’ve discovered I’m a complete idiot. I have had good intentions but that doesn’t count. This tort is going to die here and the rescues are full, I have almost no money for housing and energy to house the tort and now I’m old. And with all this he’s sick and I don’t want him to die. I’ve learned to love him. He has lived under my home in a burrow but has now outgrown it. Hes starting to scratch his scutes off from going in and out. He’s approx 80 pounds. I am my own support unit. How do I proceed? Can I get antibiotics online? I wrote you because, I noticed people seem to trust your opinion. Thank you for your time. Ron


----------



## Maro2Bear (Dec 15, 2020)

Ronnier said:


> I live in the Antelope Valley, Ca. Tortoise vets seem to be few, or just a small interest with some exotic vets. I’m afraid now because I took my bearded dragon to an exotic vet for a check up and she prescribed food which was the wrong dosage and my beardie died. I’m in panic. My Sulcata has a respiratory infection I think. For such a long time I thought he ate weeds that didn’t agree with him, but now he doesn’t want to eat and he has bubbly eyes. Someone abandoned him at my house years ago and I didn’t know what you do so I thought ok I’ll take care of him. But he was a baby then and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just thought okay, tortoises live outside. I’ll let him live outside. Over the years I’ve discovered I’m a complete idiot. I have had good intentions but that doesn’t count. This tort is going to die here and the rescues are full, I have almost no money for housing and energy to house the tort and now I’m old. And with all this he’s sick and I don’t want him to die. I’ve learned to love him. He has lived under my home in a burrow but has now outgrown it. Hes starting to scratch his scutes off from going in and out. He’s approx 80 pounds. I am my own support unit. How do I proceed? Can I get antibiotics online? I wrote you because, I noticed people seem to trust your opinion. Thank you for your time. Ron



Ron, you wanted @Tom to see this so i tagged him here for you. Good luck


----------



## Tom (Dec 15, 2020)

Ronnier said:


> I live in the Antelope Valley, Ca. Tortoise vets seem to be few, or just a small interest with some exotic vets. I’m afraid now because I took my bearded dragon to an exotic vet for a check up and she prescribed food which was the wrong dosage and my beardie died. I’m in panic. My Sulcata has a respiratory infection I think. For such a long time I thought he ate weeds that didn’t agree with him, but now he doesn’t want to eat and he has bubbly eyes. Someone abandoned him at my house years ago and I didn’t know what you do so I thought ok I’ll take care of him. But he was a baby then and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just thought okay, tortoises live outside. I’ll let him live outside. Over the years I’ve discovered I’m a complete idiot. I have had good intentions but that doesn’t count. This tort is going to die here and the rescues are full, I have almost no money for housing and energy to house the tort and now I’m old. And with all this he’s sick and I don’t want him to die. I’ve learned to love him. He has lived under my home in a burrow but has now outgrown it. Hes starting to scratch his scutes off from going in and out. He’s approx 80 pounds. I am my own support unit. How do I proceed? Can I get antibiotics online? I wrote you because, I noticed people seem to trust your opinion. Thank you for your time. Ron


They get sick because they are too cold. If its not too far gone, you can usually cure them with heat. Get this tortoise into a warm night box. Set the thermostat to 90 degrees.

A burrow under the house is great for summer in AV, but not winter. It was 27 degrees in Palmdale this morning as the sun was rising. That will kill a sulcata.


----------



## Ronnier (Dec 15, 2020)

Maro2Bear said:


> Ron, you wanted @Tom to see this so i tagged him here for you. Good luck


Thank you so much. im actually happy to hear from anyone. i just noticed he seemed to be popular. I appreciate his, yours nd everyone's opinions. I am smart enough to know to listen but also that my options are few. Thank you for your prompt reply! sorry if I put it in the wrong place, im learning.


----------



## Ronnier (Dec 15, 2020)

Tom said:


> They get sick because they are too cold. If its not too far gone, you can usually cure them with heat. Get this tortoise into a warm night box. Set the thermostat to 90 degrees.
> 
> A burrow under the house is great for summer in AV, but not winter. It was 27 degrees in Palmdale this morning as the sun was rising. That will kill a sulcata.


Thank you Tom for getting right back to me. I'm impressed with the prompt replies of the forum members. Yes it has been very cold. I was covering his burrow hole with a large thick plastic cover and a blanket and towels and cardboard box covers hoping that would be good. But when I saw that he didn't come out with the sun, I knew there was trouble. He stayed in my room with me last night although my house is cold too. The heating went out. He acts like it hurts to eat. He makes a crunching noise when he opens and closes his mouth and he wasn't pooping almost anything for a few days. I got him into a warm bath yesterday for about a half and hour at around 90/95 degrees then put him into my room. He ate a few small bites of iceberg lettuce and three bites of pumpkin and then did not move much after that except for the crunching noise occasionally. His nostrils are not runny. He really acts like it hurts to eat. He has not been drinking either, but he peed a good amount once. Then today I noticed bubbly eyes. I do have a small propane heater that I was able to use today for an hour or so which helped him to move better. He really loved it, but we are inside a small space and I'm worried about carbon monoxide poisoning also with him on the floor. He ate one bit of iceberg lettuce with mineral oil and one bite of pureed pumpkin and then acted uncomfortable and went to the corner. That was at about 3:30. He is still there. It is about 69 degrees in my room. There is no option of building or buying a box with a heater. At this time I'm lucky to work part time. There was no pandemic money for me. I tried to open his mouth to see if anything was inside, but he would not let me access it. I'll try to post pictures. Like I said, a few years back I had no idea, not to mention, my housemates do not understand the needs of animals. I know this is most annoying dealing with people like me. But I meant no harm and I have tried to rehome him, but no one has room, we've had the wildfires and again everyone is overrun with these beautiful creatures. My regrets are great and my heart is broken but I can only move forward from here with what I have. Thank you for your time. If there's nothing to say I understand. What can you do in a situation like this. I have google and tortoise forum, so I'm using what I've got trying to get peoples ideas. This year Ive already lost my Beagle and my Bearded Dragon. Im crushed.


----------



## Ronnier (Dec 15, 2020)

Ronnier said:


> I live in the Antelope Valley, Ca. Tortoise vets seem to be few, or just a small interest with some exotic vets. I’m afraid now because I took my bearded dragon to an exotic vet for a check up and she prescribed food which was the wrong dosage and my beardie died. I’m in panic. My Sulcata has a respiratory infection I think. For such a long time I thought he ate weeds that didn’t agree with him, but now he doesn’t want to eat and he has bubbly eyes. Someone abandoned him at my house years ago and I didn’t know what you do so I thought ok I’ll take care of him. But he was a baby then and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just thought okay, tortoises live outside. I’ll let him live outside. Over the years I’ve discovered I’m a complete idiot. I have had good intentions but that doesn’t count. This tort is going to die here and the rescues are full, I have almost no money for housing and energy to house the tort and now I’m old. And with all this he’s sick and I don’t want him to die. I’ve learned to love him. He has lived under my home in a burrow but has now outgrown it. Hes starting to scratch his scutes off from going in and out. He’s approx 80 pounds. I am my own support unit. How do I proceed? Can I get antibiotics online? I wrote you because, I noticed people seem to trust your opinion. Thank you for your time. Ron


Here is my Tortoise :


----------



## Tom (Dec 15, 2020)

Ronnier said:


> Here is my Tortoise :


You can get a space heater for $20-30 at Walmart. Put that and the tortoise in a bathroom and heat it up until you can find a suitable home for him that can provide what the tortoise needs.

Your troubles are not this tortoises fault. It needs what it needs. If you can't provide that, then find someone who can before the tortoise dies.

Its free to put an ad in Craigslist. You'll get calls as soon as the ad goes up.


----------



## SasquatchTortoise (Jan 3, 2021)

I know how painful it is when no one you live with seems to understand what is going on. I know it is even more painful to give a tortoise away, but you may have to for his well being.


----------

