Im not trying to be upbeat. This tortoise is well hydrated and alert. That's half the battle right there. And the opinion of the vet is more important than the alarmist opinions of other owners. Have a great day.
Just listen to the expert (the veterinarian). Feeding tubes get dislodged easily and the tortoise could aspirate with a feeding tube at home. Try to write down all your questions for the vet before you go. That way you don't forget anything. Everything will be ok.
He is not going to go downhill soon. I know the veterinarian will take the appropriate actions on Tuesday. He has to heal his GI tract first. The owner is using a product that has some nutritional value including some kind of simple sugar in it.
Hi. Like with most creatures when it comes to water: what goes in, must come out. Told you, you got this. You will succeed. After the crisis, I hope you check for parasites at least once a year. In captivity, tortoises can reinfect themselves easily. In the wild, they can expell parasites and...
Put it into a clean jar and take it with you. Date it. Place it in the refrigerator. Most medications for tortoises are broad spectrum anyway. They cover a majority of offending parasites and other creepy crawlies. It looks like pus on that Q-tip. You can't always get a sample. Your vet made...
You have until next Tuesday. At this point, follow your vet's recommendation. Healing is going to take a while. A few weeks to build him up; at minimum. If you quit treatment, the parasites will rebound with a vengence. Keep him warm and hydrated. Reptiles are tough. And so are you. Speedy is...
I believe he is uncomfortable due to excreting medication and parasitic debris. Keep up what you are doing. Practice good hand washing and stop stimulating him. Decrease the stimuli in his environment. Relax. You got this.
I'm sorry for your stress. It sounds like Speedy has a very large parasite load. Sometimes, a large infusion of medication can be detrimental and some vets choose a smaller dose everyday for a number of days. For now, increase his ambient temperature to 90-95 degrees F. Soak him in warm plain...
Hi. A parasite whether it be worms, protozoa etc. is harmful to the host. There is no symbiotic relationship. A small infestation can turn into a deadly one. Given the stresses a tortoise endures in captivity, compromise of the immune system is common. Please get a fresh stool sample and have...