PLEASE HELP HEALTHY LEO TORTOISE NOT MOVING

leotortoise1

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No his shell was definitely hard, no new pyramiding (he came with some when he was small we got him when he was about 7 months and he wasn't started with the humidity) I knew to check that this morning but I didn't know to look at the height/shape of his shell. the neighbor is taking him to the vet he called back and said to bring him right in, I'm waiting for the sitter then heading over and I hope there is some good news. I saw some posts that said they can come back in a day or 2 sometimes?
 

wellington

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Wow, so very sorry. I didn't very get your alert until now but you got great help and advice.
From what I have seen in the pics and have read I think your tortoise had passed. You may have figured that out by now. It's so hazard to tell what could have happened. Over heated outside, over heated inside, just born with something that caught up with him, hard too say. I so very sorry.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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No his shell was definitely hard, no new pyramiding (he came with some when he was small we got him when he was about 7 months and he wasn't started with the humidity) I knew to check that this morning but I didn't know to look at the height/shape of his shell. the neighbor is taking him to the vet he called back and said to bring him right in, I'm waiting for the sitter then heading over and I hope there is some good news. I saw some posts that said they can come back in a day or 2 sometimes?
Yes, it's unlikely, but not impossible.
Sometimes they enter a sort of coma and can emerge from it when all seems lost.
Don't get your hopes up, but, equally, don't give up quite yet.
 

Millerlite

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It possibly could of been overheated, maybe something he ate. The photos don't look good, and if he starts to stiffen up than he prob. passes. They eyes will sink in first if he did pass away. Could of it been stress?

Kyle
 

leotortoise1

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They called before I could even get to the vet. He didn't make it. They can't tell by looking at him that anything was obviously wrong and will need to cut into him to determine for sure. I am so heartbroken he was such a great animal. I just can't figure out what happened and how he could be gone so fast. When he's done eating and walking around outside he always goes to the edge of the fence line that's covered by bushes all around and burrows into the softer soil after he finishes eating grass and the vet said it most likely he might have just eaten something bad or poisonous that could have even come from the neighbors garden because our homes are separated by a picket fence on that side. I just have no idea what and he's been out there his entire life whenever it's warm enough. I'm going to ask the neighbors when I'm feeling more up to it and see if they have anything new they might have put out. Thank you for everyone's help. If there's anything anyone thinks we did wrong please let me know. At some point when we're ready I want to have another tortoise in our family and I want to be sure I don't want to make the same mistake.
 

leotortoise1

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I don't think stress, we travel for my kid's sports tournaments somewhat normally and he always had my same niece here. She said he was banging like normal when she'd come home from work and hear the dogs at the door. I honestly have no idea though, we do spend a ton of time with him but traveling is not completely unusual.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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They called before I could even get to the vet. He didn't make it. They can't tell by looking at him that anything was obviously wrong and will need to cut into him to determine for sure. I am so heartbroken he was such a great animal. I just can't figure out what happened and how he could be gone so fast. When he's done eating and walking around outside he always goes to the edge of the fence line that's covered by bushes all around and burrows into the softer soil after he finishes eating grass and the vet said it most likely he might have just eaten something bad or poisonous that could have even come from the neighbors garden because our homes are separated by a picket fence on that side. I just have no idea what and he's been out there his entire life whenever it's warm enough. I'm going to ask the neighbors when I'm feeling more up to it and see if they have anything new they might have put out. Thank you for everyone's help. If there's anything anyone thinks we did wrong please let me know. At some point when we're ready I want to have another tortoise in our family and I want to be sure I don't want to make the same mistake.
I am absolutely gutted for you.
This is a really tragic scenario.
It seems to me that you did nothing wrong at all and a beloved pet has been taken from you due to unforeseen circumstances.
Don't think it's your fault.
My deepest condolences. :(
Please do get another tortoise, you are clearly a responsible, loving and intelligent person and a tortoise would benefit under your care.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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I don't think stress, we travel for my kid's sports tournaments somewhat normally and he always had my same niece here. She said he was banging like normal when she'd come home from work and hear the dogs at the door. I honestly have no idea though, we do spend a ton of time with him but traveling is not completely unusual.
No, I'm pretty positive this was not stress.
Doesn't work like that.
 

Bambam1989

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I'm sorry for your loss. There are so many possibilities on what may have happened. I hope a necropsy will help give you some closure.
 

wellington

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Something I would suggest on not doing is having heat mats, unless they were positioned so he either couldn't get on them or that he had enough room to get out from being on them. This however doesn't seem to have been a problem for this one as he was older. Could they, or any of the heating elements went wacky and gotten too hot? Asking the neighbors is a good idea.
Again, so very sorry.
 

leotortoise1

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Thank you for all the very kind posts. We're a little in shock, we have dogs and birds and have never lost an animal other than old age (past lab lived until 17, mastiff until 14, current lab is 14 1/2). The vet called back and asked about packaged lettuce given while we were on vacation because it wasn't his normal that I give.

I also told him that my neighbor brought us a gardenia plant while we were gone and my niece didn't know to keep it up from where he can reach. I'm not sure if that could've been it. I didn't know until it was dark so tomorrow I'm going to go look to see if there might be bite marks out of it. I'm not sure if it could've caused it but I googled online and it said it could be toxic.

I wasn't very clear on his enclosure and apologize. He had a heat lamp with a flat stone tile below in the back left corner, the the front left corner was his hide and a low temp heat radiant panel under with the wood chips above and he sometimes moved them to the side to be flat and other times I would see he pushed to be on them, the front right didn't have any heat just UV lighting and his food bowls, and the back right had a wall mounted radiant panel with his wood log that wasn't too warm but sometimes he would go next by it. He definitely regulated where he wanted to be. I only turned on the strong heat lamp if he went back and stood on the stone. 2-3 times in the past he had gotten some respiratory if I let him out without it being over 74 but we always quickly got rid of it by raising the temps. It's just so crazy because there was nothing like that or any signs that I saw when we got home. I double checked his temps this morning and nothing weird with anything that I could find and both his temp/humidity displays were working. We were gone though on family vacation for a week so I'm just not sure.

Thanks again so much everyone. We'll get another one I'm just not ready now he just had such a great personality and who knows if any other one will be the same.
 

vladimir

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My condolences again. Please don't blame yourself, it sounds like you truly cared and wanted the best for the little guy. I hope one day another tortoise can be a part of your lives in the future.
 

Tom

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You mentioned putting him out in the sun several times. What size is the outdoor enclosure and is there plenty of shade? It has been the hottest SoCal summer that I can remember this year.

Also, gardenias are toxic, and if it was a recent purchase, they are also grown with toxic pesticides. That could very well be your problem. If he ate some, he would have pulled off whole leaves. You might not find bite marks.

If it were me, I would pay for a necropsy. I'd want to know the COD for peace of mind and to prevent it from happening again.
 
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LoonyLovegood

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I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope you and your niece don't blame yourselves; it could have been any number of things. You gave him the best life he could have asked for! Hugs to you and your family.
 

leotortoise1

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You mentioned putting him out in the sun several times. What size is the outdoor enclosure and is there plenty of shade? It has been the hottest SoCal summer that I can remember this year.

Also, gardenias are toxic, and if it was a recent purchase, they are also grown with toxic pesticides. That could very well be your problem. If he ate some, he would have pulled off whole leaves. You might not find bite marks.

If it were me, I would pay for a necropsy. I'd want to know the COD for peace of mind and to prevent it from happening again.


Oh yes, we live a block from the beach on a little walk street (our yards are in front of our homes and alleys/garages/cars in back because you can only walk down the front of our street). He only stayed in his special enclosure outside until he was about 2. Once he was allowed out of the box to explore freely he pretty much refused to stay in the box and would kick and try and climb out. We have labs so he liked to eat grass next to them or just be next to where they were laying. He found his own area that he liked under the trees and bushes along the fence where he had dug his hole. I just put his water dish there and another one by the steps that all three of them would drink out of. If no one was out front playing with him (he had a lot of neighbor fans that would walk by to see him), he only stayed in the sun for about an hour or so, then would go to his spot that was super shady, I would worry it would get too cool and damp but he loved it and as much as I'd move him he's always go back. Sometimes he would go to a different corner under some shade leaves, too. I think there he could avoid the kids but still be more in the mix. He seemed really good at self-regulating. I can send pics when I'm back home. We have AC in the house and I keep the vent in his room blocked so it never gets too warm or cold around his cage.

I looked and just as you said, I couldn't see any bite marks. Thanks so much
 

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