Dry conditions = death

TerrapinStation

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Terribly sorry for your loss & thanks for sharing the story.

Bless your vet too, that was very kind of them.

At least you gave him the best possible care in his last days and he did not suffer as much as he would have if the problem went undiagnosed.

Please stick around, continue to share, and eventually get another tortoise when you are ready, if that is what will make your family happy
 

sibi

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Of course, I hope it will help someone else.

My heart broke for you and your Wilson.
My biggest fear is that one of my sullies may have a stone that he developed when he was just a few months old. It had never broken up and explelled completely; so, he just lives with it. In fact, when he was eight months old (about the time I found this forum), his x-rays showed a stone in his bladder. I took him to the University of Florida Veterinary Hosp. in Gainesville, cause they had experts there that could help. They manually chipped at the stone and removed most of it. Mind you, I had provided water, soaks, and as much humidity as possible given my prior ignorance on their proper care. I quickly learned what to do better, and in a mater of weeks, I provided a more proper environment for him and his brother. His brother never had stones although they were raised the same way. So, he's 4 years old now, and every once in a while, he'll get sick. He's more of a challenge now cause he's about 100 pounds now and I can't soak him anymore. Since he has a propensity to develop stones despite high humidity in his shed and all the water he wants to drink, I'm so afraid that he'll develop a stone that will attach to the wall of his bladder like Wilson. I can't bear to go through what you suffered. You're so brave and I'm wondering if I want to avoid this from happening to me, I wonder if I shouldn't have him go through surgery now. Of course, I would have x-rays and a MRI done to confirm that he has this stone and how large it it. What do you think?
 

Big Charlie

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My heart broke for you and your Wilson.
My biggest fear is that one of my sullies may have a stone that he developed when he was just a few months old. It had never broken up and explelled completely; so, he just lives with it. In fact, when he was eight months old (about the time I found this forum), his x-rays showed a stone in his bladder. I took him to the University of Florida Veterinary Hosp. in Gainesville, cause they had experts there that could help. They manually chipped at the stone and removed most of it. Mind you, I had provided water, soaks, and as much humidity as possible given my prior ignorance on their proper care. I quickly learned what to do better, and in a mater of weeks, I provided a more proper environment for him and his brother. His brother never had stones although they were raised the same way. So, he's 4 years old now, and every once in a while, he'll get sick. He's more of a challenge now cause he's about 100 pounds now and I can't soak him anymore. Since he has a propensity to develop stones despite high humidity in his shed and all the water he wants to drink, I'm so afraid that he'll develop a stone that will attach to the wall of his bladder like Wilson. I can't bear to go through what you suffered. You're so brave and I'm wondering if I want to avoid this from happening to me, I wonder if I shouldn't have him go through surgery now. Of course, I would have x-rays and a MRI done to confirm that he has this stone and how large it it. What do you think?
I understand your concern and I have no advice. There is such a risk to surgery that I wouldn't do it unless it was absolutely necessary. I've never taken Charlie to a vet. He is over 100 pounds now and never seems sick. After reading about these disasters, I worry that he might have a stone too. We live in a much dryer climate than you.
 

sibi

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I understand your concern and I have no advice. There is such a risk to surgery that I wouldn't do it unless it was absolutely necessary. I've never taken Charlie to a vet. He is over 100 pounds now and never seems sick. After reading about these disasters, I worry that he might have a stone too. We live in a much dryer climate than you.

I know surgery is very risky, but I just don't want to wait until it's almost too late. I'm so torn over this.
 

amcgath04

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My heart broke for you and your Wilson.
My biggest fear is that one of my sullies may have a stone that he developed when he was just a few months old. It had never broken up and explelled completely; so, he just lives with it. In fact, when he was eight months old (about the time I found this forum), his x-rays showed a stone in his bladder. I took him to the University of Florida Veterinary Hosp. in Gainesville, cause they had experts there that could help. They manually chipped at the stone and removed most of it. Mind you, I had provided water, soaks, and as much humidity as possible given my prior ignorance on their proper care. I quickly learned what to do better, and in a mater of weeks, I provided a more proper environment for him and his brother. His brother never had stones although they were raised the same way. So, he's 4 years old now, and every once in a while, he'll get sick. He's more of a challenge now cause he's about 100 pounds now and I can't soak him anymore. Since he has a propensity to develop stones despite high humidity in his shed and all the water he wants to drink, I'm so afraid that he'll develop a stone that will attach to the wall of his bladder like Wilson. I can't bear to go through what you suffered. You're so brave and I'm wondering if I want to avoid this from happening to me, I wonder if I shouldn't have him go through surgery now. Of course, I would have x-rays and a MRI done to confirm that he has this stone and how large it it. What do you think?
I wish I could tell you what to do. If it was me, I would have an X-ray done to find out if there is even a concern now and if it has grown. Sorry, I don't think that is much help. The only sign that Wilson was ill and the reason I brought him to the vet is he stopped having bowel movements. He seemed fine in all other ways- bright eyed, active, and still eating. The stone was so large it prevented him from passing stool.
 

sibi

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I wish I could tell you what to do. If it was me, I would have an X-ray done to find out if there is even a concern now and if it has grown. Sorry, I don't think that is much help. The only sign that Wilson was ill and the reason I brought him to the vet is he stopped having bowel movements. He seemed fine in all other ways- bright eyed, active, and still eating. The stone was so large it prevented him from passing stool.

Well, my tort goes like a horse. But I can see, at times, when he's lethargic and in pain and he doesn't want to move. It's these times that I wonder if it isn't a stone in his bladder. I would take him to my vet, but she's not really an expert on torts, and they would have to take 3 sections of x-rays because of his size; then, the images isn't really good. I would spend $300+ dollars and she can't even tell me what's going on. I may take the 6 hour drive to Gainesville and have the university of Florida veterinary hosp. exam him. It's the only way I'll know for sure. If not, years down the road, he may suffer the same fate as Wilson and I'd be beside myself in sorrow.
 

Diamond

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So sorry for your loss. Wilson was lucky to have your family to love him and care for him. It is hard to say goodbye, but by telling his story, others can be spared the sadness. I'm pretty new to this and lost my first hatchling to some kind of issue. The vet was not really sure, but thought possibly failure to thrive, infection? He was too small to draw blood on, so we did all we could to help him. I soaked him daily from the day I got him and then when he was ill soaked him 2x/day. After he died I joined this forum and have read some posts about soaking, humidity and not allowing a tort to become dry. I also now know, from reading some posts on here, that some breeders don't start the babies in a humid environment. I got a new baby and I know this breeder keeps his babies in humidity, well I am now a firm believer it makes a difference. My first hatchling was never really all that active. Would eat and then not eat. This new baby I have has already gained wt. eats well and has a routine everyday. Its such a big difference from my first little guy. She is 9 wks old and weighs more than my hatchling I had for 8 months They are/were both russians. My friend bought one from the same breeder as I did and hers died 3 months before mine. I'm always checking my temps and humidity now. I don't want to lose this baby. So sorry Wilson and your family had to go through this.
Thank you for sharing Wilson's story. Again, sorry for your loss.
 

HI Tortoise Rescue

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It's incredibly traumatic to lose a tortoise...a friend that should have lived for many more years. As a rescue facility, we've lost our share of them, usually Sulcatas that have been kept by ignorant owners. We took in one very large male Sulcata that been kept with a rope tied around it for more than 20 years! We managed to keep him alive for a few years, but it was a losing battle. People who buy tortoises should learn how to take care of them!

I have Attached a file on the clinical management of bladder stones in tortoises. It might not help animals with advanced uroliths, but if your vet catches them early enough, at least there's the chance for treatment.

Ken
 

Attachments

  • Clinical Mgmt of Tortoise Bladder Stones.pdf
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sibi

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It's incredibly traumatic to lose a tortoise...a friend that should have lived for many more years. As a rescue facility, we've lost our share of them, usually Sulcatas that have been kept by ignorant owners. We took in one very large male Sulcata that been kept with a rope tied around it for more than 20 years! We managed to keep him alive for a few years, but it was a losing battle. People who buy tortoises should learn how to take care of them!

I have Attached a file on the clinical management of bladder stones in tortoises. It might not help animals with advanced uroliths, but if your vet catches them early enough, at least there's the chance for treatment.

Ken
Thank you Ken. I also firmly believe that the beginning stage of care is vital to the survival of torts. I got my hatchlings 6-8 weeks after hatching. The owner left the babies outside in temps that would fall in the low sixties at night, with no water, and with two heat pads that only three or four could mount at a time. She gave me wrong information about caring for them. I only sort information online when my torts started having some issues at about 8 months old. I found the forum, read as much as possible, and changed their food and provided a more humid environment. After all that was said, one of the two hatchlings I received had a propensity to develop stones. He's 4 years old now, and he gets sick every once in a while. Each time I brought him into the vet, it was some intestinal /bladder issue. He poops like a horse, and is a eating machine. Yet, he tends to get sick once or twice a year. I will show your attachment to my vet to see what she suggests. Thank you so much.
 

Gillian M

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Hi @amcgath04 and sorry to have just read about your loss.

Please accept my condolences.

Dry climate is a phobia; especially for me: I live in Jordan where the climate is that of a DESERT and is terribly dry. I keep giving Oli warm soaks, I make sure there's enough humidity, I spray his enclosure each and every day and so on.
 

sibi

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One of the reasons I love my husband ❤️View attachment 189778
If you ever do rescues in the future, please let me know. I'm getting old and frail. I have many health problems and I've got no one I can give my "special needs" tortoise to where she'll be in a warm, humid climate. You sound just like the person I would want to give my baby to. You'd fall in love with her, for sure. Send me a pm and we can talk about it, please.
 

Gillian M

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If you ever do rescues in the future, please let me know. I'm getting old and frail. I have many health problems and I've got no one I can give my "special needs" tortoise to where she'll be in a warm, humid climate. You sound just like the person I would want to give my baby to. You'd fall in love with her, for sure. Send me a pm and we can talk about it, please.

So sweet of you to be thinking of your tort so much. :)

Sorry to know you're not well, and wishes for a SPEEDY recovery. :<3:
 

Blakem

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Yes, it will be shared on my torotise instagram page. Hopefully people see that this is very serious. It makes me rethink the things I'm doing for my sulcata. Thank you
 

cheetahdoglover

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I'm sorry for your loss. I completely understand. I experienced the same problem with my tortoise last week. He suddenly stopped eating and seemed very interested in digging a burrow. I had had him since a hatchling and he did not have any pyramiding. I live in Florida and he was in an outside enclosure and I did soak him regularly. He grazed on grass and weeds in my yard and I also offered a regular plate of greens and miscellaneous vegetables like carrots and cactus. I also have 2 other sulcatas without any issues. I took him to the vet at University of Florida,; However, it was too late. He had a very large bladder stone, kidney failure and was impacted. I have racked my brain wondering if there was something I was doing or not doing. It is terribly sad. I separated the other two so that I could keep a better eye on their health, as far as urinating and defecating.
 
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sibi

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I'm sorry for your loss. I completely understand. I experienced the same problem with my tortoise last week. He suddenly stopped eating and seemed very interested in digging a burrow. I had had him since a hatchling and he did not have any pyramiding. I live in Florida and he was in an outside enclosure and I did soak him regularly. He grazed on grass and weeds in my yard and I also offered a regular plate of greens and miscellaneous vegetables like carrots and cactus. I also have 2 other sulcatas without any issues. I took him to the vet at University of Florida,; However, it was too late. He had a very large bladder stone, kidney failure and was impacted. I have racked my brain wondering if there was something I was doing or not doing. It is terribly sad. I separated the other two so that I could keep a better eye on their health, as far as urinating and defecating.

So, what was the prognosis? Did you put him down? Was surgery not an option/? I have a sully that's in a similar situation, only he doesn't have kidney failure that I know of , yet. How old was he? This is my biggest fear!
 
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