New tortoise owner, help please, red swollen sores

CarolM

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I took him earlier this morning actually. He’s in bad shape. Overnight his condition changed abruptly and started having realities problems, so my concerns were right about the sores being an infection. She said that judging by his weight and the stage of the infection she thinks he was already starving himself before we bought him and had the infection and when we moved him the stress brought down his immune system and it progressively got worse within the last 6 days. We started him in antibiotics administered once a day via needle. I’m hoping for the best. It’s been very hard honestly. I wish I had scheduled an appointment with the vet the day we got him.
Oh no. Shame that is harsh. I really hope your little one pulls through. Holding thumbs for you both.
 
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I feel like he’s getting better already. The area of the infections are still there but they look to be healing as well as the fact that both of his eyes are open and the area isn’t as swollen. However, he’s still not eating, which makes sense, but still he’s very light right now. You can tell just by picking him up. I know tortoises are very picky choose and very stubborn when it comes to food, but is there anyway I can get him to eat something. I’ve tried a variety of things and he still won’t touch anything.
 

Yvonne G

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To get some nutrition into him while you're waiting for him to get his appetite back, try soaking daily in carrot baby food water. Using a container with a small footprint, but tall sides, add Gerber strained carrots and warm water (50/50) until the mixture comes up to the middle of his sides. Leave him soaking in the mixture for a good half hour, and longer is even better. Check on him frequently to make sure he hasn't tipped upside down in the water. You can position a light over one edge of the container to keep it warm.

Being on antibiotics seems to cause them to not want to eat. They lose their appetite.
 

CarolM

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I feel like he’s getting better already. The area of the infections are still there but they look to be healing as well as the fact that both of his eyes are open and the area isn’t as swollen. However, he’s still not eating, which makes sense, but still he’s very light right now. You can tell just by picking him up. I know tortoises are very picky choose and very stubborn when it comes to food, but is there anyway I can get him to eat something. I’ve tried a variety of things and he still won’t touch anything.
I am not sure you can other than to keep on putting a variety of food down for him to eat from should he choose to start at some point. As long as he is being hydrated, then give it some time. It might take a little while and the medicine could affect his appetite as well.
 

CarolM

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I am not sure you can other than to keep on putting a variety of food down for him to eat from should he choose to start at some point. As long as he is being hydrated, then give it some time. It might take a little while and the medicine could affect his appetite as well.
Oops. Okay what Yvonne said.
 
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To get some nutrition into him while you're waiting for him to get his appetite back, try soaking daily in carrot baby food water. Using a container with a small footprint, but tall sides, add Gerber strained carrots and warm water (50/50) until the mixture comes up to the middle of his sides. Leave him soaking in the mixture for a good half hour, and longer is even better. Check on him frequently to make sure he hasn't tipped upside down in the water. You can position a light over one edge of the container to keep it warm.

Being on antibiotics seems to cause them to not want to eat. They lose their appetite.

He hasn’t eaten in over a week and the antibiotics are going to last at least a week before he’s off. I’ll try the carrot thing, but my main concern is can he survive with nothing in his stomach for that long (by the end of the treatment that will be 2 weeks without eating.
 

CarolM

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He hasn’t eaten in over a week and the antibiotics are going to last at least a week before he’s off. I’ll try the carrot thing, but my main concern is can he survive with nothing in his stomach for that long (by the end of the treatment that will be 2 weeks without eating.
They can apparently survive for a long time. It's us parents who can't seem to survive the thought of them not eating. The carrot soak will get the nutrients in while he does not eat. Just hang in there. Do the soaks, give the medicine and hold onto your sanity. Good luck.
 
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They can apparently survive for a long time. It's us parents who can't seem to survive the thought of them not eating. The carrot soak will get the nutrients in while he does not eat. Just hang in there. Do the soaks, give the medicine and hold onto your sanity. Good luck.

Alright well I guess that’s good to think about! Thank you and I’ll let everyone know what happens
 
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To get some nutrition into him while you're waiting for him to get his appetite back, try soaking daily in carrot baby food water. Using a container with a small footprint, but tall sides, add Gerber strained carrots and warm water (50/50) until the mixture comes up to the middle of his sides. Leave him soaking in the mixture for a good half hour, and longer is even better. Check on him frequently to make sure he hasn't tipped upside down in the water. You can position a light over one edge of the container to keep it warm.

Being on antibiotics seems to cause them to not want to eat. They lose their appetite.

Hi so today I went into the botanical gardens in cleveland where they have tortoises and I talked to their keeper. I mentioned the baby food and he said he wasn’t sure about that. I’m not trying to discredit you I’m just a worried parent and want what’s best. Is this something that you’ve done yourself in the past?
 
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To get some nutrition into him while you're waiting for him to get his appetite back, try soaking daily in carrot baby food water. Using a container with a small footprint, but tall sides, add Gerber strained carrots and warm water (50/50) until the mixture comes up to the middle of his sides. Leave him soaking in the mixture for a good half hour, and longer is even better. Check on him frequently to make sure he hasn't tipped upside down in the water. You can position a light over one edge of the container to keep it warm.

Being on antibiotics seems to cause them to not want to eat. They lose their appetite.

He also suggested that we bring Iroh outside for 1 hour everyday and start feeding him bright red tomatoes and strawberries. We’d take the skin off the strawberries though so he wouldn’t ingest the seeds. But he said that if he won’t eat those two things “ he won’t eat anything”
 

Yvonne G

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Hi so today I went into the botanical gardens in cleveland where they have tortoises and I talked to their keeper. I mentioned the baby food and he said he wasn’t sure about that. I’m not trying to discredit you I’m just a worried parent and want what’s best. Is this something that you’ve done yourself in the past?
I've been using this system for over 25 years. It never fails to bring a box turtle back from the brink in about three days. I've also used it with baby desert tortoises that won't eat. It works on them in about three days too. I use it on turtles and tortoises that haven't eaten in a while. I would never post something for our members to use unless I knew it was safe.
 

CarolM

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He also suggested that we bring Iroh outside for 1 hour everyday and start feeding him bright red tomatoes and strawberries. We’d take the skin off the strawberries though so he wouldn’t ingest the seeds. But he said that if he won’t eat those two things “ he won’t eat anything”
I would trust Yvonne. She knows what she is talking about.
 
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I've been using this system for over 25 years. It never fails to bring a box turtle back from the brink in about three days. I've also used it with baby desert tortoises that won't eat. It works on them in about three days too. I use it on turtles and tortoises that haven't eaten in a while. I would never post something for our members to use unless I knew it was safe.

Okay thank you so much I don’t mean to question you I just wanted to make sure! And from what everyone else says on here you know what’s best, so thank you!
 

DesertGirl

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May I see a pic of the tortoise enclosure...the walls and such? I suspect that this tortoise is rubbing against the enclosure and/or neck rubbing repeatedly against the shell....causing rub sores....
Those look like internal sores, not external abrasions from rubbing. Never saw anything like that before.
 

Jackie Cramer

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My girlfriend and I just got our boy Iroh 4-5 days ago. I already made another post about him not adjusting well/not eating at all. We got help on that and we are soaking him in warm water daily and changed up his diet to a store bought spring mix and we are going to start collecting natural weeds and plants. Anyway the problem we just noticed now is that he has some red sores that are swollen around his head/neck area. We have tried looking around but haven't found too much info so here I am posting pics hoping to get some help. We got him from a Petsmart (now knowing to never do that again from stories that I've heard) and they mentioned a 14 day warranty when I called them about the sores, but I really do not want to return him. We have grown attached and want to do everything we can for Iroh. PLEASE HELP!

ALSO
probably just me worrying more but how do you guys think his shell looks?

View attachment 241138
Take him to a reputable Vet that has experience with reptiles immediately
 

Yvonne G

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Take him to a reputable Vet that has experience with reptiles immediately
All is under control! The tortoise is under a doctor's care:

"irohthetortoise said:
I took him earlier this morning actually. He’s in bad shape. Overnight his condition changed abruptly and started having realities problems, so my concerns were right about the sores being an infection. She said that judging by his weight and the stage of the infection she thinks he was already starving himself before we bought him and had the infection and when we moved him the stress brought down his immune system and it progressively got worse within the last 6 days. We started him in antibiotics administered once a day via needle. I’m hoping for the best. It’s been very hard honestly. I wish I had scheduled an appointment with the vet the day we got him."
 

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