New tortoise owner, help please, red swollen sores

[Yvonne G]

We think so too, however it's you and all the other members that make it so.

 

[DesertGirl]

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”

Hmm, tomatoes? Really acidic. I question this. And if my girl even SEES a strawberry in her bowl, she won’t touch ANYTHING in the bowl and walks away. Blueberries are a different story!

 

[DesertGirl]

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.

I know I don’t eat when I’m sick. Antibiotics always make me feel crappy. I do hope your baby gets well soon.

 

[irohthetortoise]

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.

This is his second baby food carrot soak. I positioned his heat lamp about 12 inches away from the top of his shell directed on one corner of the mixture to keep it warm. Should I be doing this once a day or twice? I’ve read mixed things. Also is the level of the mixture high enough? I seems to be hitting the underside of his neck where it’s most important. His eyes are still very swollen. I try to clean them every morning with a q-tip and some warm water just to wash away the crust.

 

[irohthetortoise]

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.

So he’s been holding his head here for a bit and I guess that’s worrying me.

 

[irohthetortoise]

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.

I’ll be honest Yvonne he looks more stressed out in the carrot soak. He’s doin things he doesn’t do during normal soaks. He keeps sticking his head/Neck up as if he wants to stay away from the mixture and it looks like it’s distressing him. Should I just keep doing and see if he eventually gets use to the new soak mixture?

 

[irohthetortoise]

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 won’t stay still and keeps sticking up his head and I can hear his wheezing I’ll be honest I’m getting very stressed out just watching this. I can’t tell if he’s suffering or if this is normal

 

[CarolM]

He won’t stay still and keeps sticking up his head and I can hear his wheezing I’ll be honest I’m getting very stressed out just watching this. I can’t tell if he’s suffering or if this is normal
View attachment 241850

How long has he been in the carrot soak for.

 

[irohthetortoise]

How long has he been in the carrot soak for.

For about 30 minutes now. He calmed down a bit when I was lying down next to the Tupperware then the second I got up to go to the bathroom he started freaking out again and moving around the Tupperware lifting his head up and breathing heavily. Like he’s breathing so heavy that whenever he breathes he two front legs pulse as like a reflex.

 

[Yvonne G]

30 minutes is fine. You can take him out and rinse him off. Just remember, YOU'RE the boss, not him. If he scrambles around trying to get out, just ignore him. If he hold his head up, that's probably because he's having trouble breathing and he can breathe easier in that position. He needs the nutrients garnered from the soaks. His swollen eyes will go away after about three days of 30-45 minute soaks IF YOU STAY STRONG AND KEEP IT UP!

Go to the pharmacy and buy a squirt bottle of sterile saline. You find it in the contact lens department. Buy an extra, empty squirt bottle so you don't have to touch the tip of the full bottle to the tortoise. Firmly squirt some sterile saline through each nostril. Don't squirt like you're just trying to put some drops in his nose. Squirt like you're trying to flush out his nose of obstructions. Don't worry about the solution getting to his lungs because the other end of the nostrils goes into the roof of his mouth, not down his lungs.

And stop worrying so much. He's going to be ok.

 

[irohthetortoise]

30 minutes is fine. You can take him out and rinse him off. Just remember, YOU'RE the boss, not him. If he scrambles around trying to get out, just ignore him. If he hold his head up, that's probably because he's having trouble breathing and he can breathe easier in that position. He needs the nutrients garnered from the soaks. His swollen eyes will go away after about three days of 30-45 minute soaks IF YOU STAY STRONG AND KEEP IT UP!

Go to the pharmacy and buy a squirt bottle of sterile saline. You find it in the contact lens department. Buy an extra, empty squirt bottle so you don't have to touch the tip of the full bottle to the tortoise. Firmly squirt some sterile saline through each nostril. Don't squirt like you're just trying to put some drops in his nose. Squirt like you're trying to flush out his nose of obstructions. Don't worry about the solution getting to his lungs because the other end of the nostrils goes into the roof of his mouth, not down his lungs.

And stop worrying so much. He's going to be ok.

Okay okay thank you so much...again I worry very easily, but thank you for always reassuring me! You’ve been great so far! Ill head to CVS right now to get the solution.

 

[Pearly]

For about 30 minutes now. He calmed down a bit when I was lying down next to the Tupperware then the second I got up to go to the bathroom he started freaking out again and moving around the Tupperware lifting his head up and breathing heavily. Like he’s breathing so heavy that whenever he breathes he two front legs pulse as like a reflex.

Hi there! Sorry I have missed this whole saga! First of all, warmest welcome from the edge of Texas Hill Country from me and my Redfotted torts: Shellie and Tucker! You sound so much like me in the way you worry about your sick pet! I love it! God bless you for that! You are in good hands here with ascot and Yvonne here, I just wanted to add that the fact that your tort is sloshing around in his carrot bath... means.... he’s feeling better!!!! I most worry when they don’t move! I’m not congratulating you just yet, but i think you have caught it just in time, and that it very likely that your acute senses, tunning into your new pet’s vibes and your vigilance might have saved this poor tort’s life.

 

[Pearly]

P.s. It drives me insane when pet stores give „14 day return policy” on their live animals. Like they are... merchandise! Disposable piece of garbage!!! No wonder the growing young generations have such difficult time with the commitment.

 

[Yvonne G]

How do the bumps look? Are they going down?

 

[ascott]

Those look like internal sores, not external abrasions from rubbing. Never saw anything like that before.

I have. That is why I mentioned it.

 

[ascott]

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”

Did you offer these items to see if they sparked appetite?

 

[ascott]

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.

What test did the vet do to support their advise of "he's in really bad shape"...I mean, "realities problems" what does that mean???? You say "were right about the sores being an infection" what did the vet do to confirm this, test wise....? Weight and "stage of the infection" what was done to determine the stage of the infection and/or type and/or cause? What type of tests? Not just guesses?

 

[irohthetortoise]

Hi there! Sorry I have missed this whole saga! First of all, warmest welcome from the edge of Texas Hill Country from me and my Redfotted torts: Shellie and Tucker! You sound so much like me in the way you worry about your sick pet! I love it! God bless you for that! You are in good hands here with ascot and Yvonne here, I just wanted to add that the fact that your tort is sloshing around in his carrot bath... means.... he’s feeling better!!!! I most worry when they don’t move! I’m not congratulating you just yet, but i think you have caught it just in time, and that it very likely that your acute senses, tunning into your new pet’s vibes and your vigilance might have saved this poor tort’s life.

Hey thank you so much. Getting all these warm
welcomes and words of advice has been greatly appreciated by me and even if Iroh doesn’t realize it, it’s appreciated by him too haha

 

[irohthetortoise]

How do the bumps look? Are they going down?

Well they are still noticeably there. The one on his neck is still visibly raised but it looks almost as if they are scabbing over now and drying up (hopefully a good sign). The one on his neck was fairly raised and even though it has started to dry and scab I’m worried about it not going down. I will post a pic tomorrow morning.

 

[irohthetortoise]

What test did the vet do to support their advise of "he's in really bad shape"...I mean, "realities problems" what does that mean???? You say "were right about the sores being an infection" what did the vet do to confirm this, test wise....? Weight and "stage of the infection" what was done to determine the stage of the infection and/or type and/or cause? What type of tests? Not just guesses?

To be honest I guess she didn’t do any formal tests. She weighed him and told me he was extremely underweight and assumed he had still not been eating even while at the store. After she looked at his neck and swollen eyes with clear discharge coming from them she told me it was an infection. She left the room and came back with antibiotics that I administer once a day via needle to the top of the front legs near his neck. I trusted her opinion well because she’s a vet and other friends with reptiles told me she was good.