Vets visit and stay (need help)

Yvonnerose

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May 18, 2019
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Hi my tortoises name is Kai she is 4 years on and over the last few weeks she was very in active. She hadn’t pooped for a few days but then pooped on the Friday and Saturday, she was also a little bit puffy she never stopped eating though. Last Sunday night she started making funny noises in her sleep not squeaking but just odd and opening her mouth. I took her to the vets on Monday and they kept her in to do an X-ray. They couldn’t find a respiratory infection but she was constipated and full of poop. They said the noise was gasses that had built up. They put her on fluids and antibiotic injections and her final 1 was yesterday (Friday). She came home yesterday as-well. She’s a-lot more active today and responsive, eating well. But the noises are still there. I have her heat up to help the antibiotics.
My question is why is she making these noises? When she does her head goes into her she’ll then comes out and she opens her mouth.
Sorry for the long post.
 

Yvonne G

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Putting the tortoise into a tub of warm water and just leaving it there helps them pass all that built up poop and gas. The water should be warm and to to the middle of the tortoise's sides. The tub should have tall enough sides that the tortoise can't climb out. Scrambling around, trying to get out, is what makes the tortoise poop.

Now let's see if we can figure out why you have this problem. Tortoises need to do lots of walking in order to keep the digestive tract moving. A tortoise kept in a too small enclosure tends to get constipated. Is your tortoise's living arrangements big enough for lots of walking?
 

Lyn W

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HI and welcome, sorry your tort is having problems.
What species is she? Could it be her diet causing these problems? There are great caresheets here which will help you with diet temps, humidity and substrate etc.
If you can you post pics of her and her enclosure then members will be able to see if you need to make any changes that will help her be healthier and happier, you'll get great advice from experienced keepers worldwide who only have the best interests of torts at heart.
 

Yvonnerose

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Hi she’s a 3 year old Herman tortoise she wasn’t very active or alert before her vet visit. And now she’s a little more active now come back. She pooped 3 times today which is positive and has had a very long soak in warm water for about an He. I have just started soaking the topsoil so it’s more humid for her. Enclosed is a pic of her home she’s an indoor tortoise and lives in a 6foot by 2 for house which has an upstairs but I took the ramp out. She’s eating very well.

794F0469-43DC-4711-99EC-00EDD60DE8C8.jpeg 1AC3ED50-2CCD-44E8-8F07-D3C634901E58.jpeg 89DA4EAA-BCEF-47E5-BE57-E8D743CCB32E.jpeg ADD11D26-DE5E-4385-A371-E22AD9B8887B.jpeg 67CB1D38-B43E-4147-BA87-0CCCAA6F3554.jpeg
 

Yvonnerose

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She has been eating sow thistle, dandelions, plantain and nipplewort. Maybe once a month she has lettuce.
 

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dmmj

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I imagine she is making those noises because she is uncomfortable because she is full of POOP & incomfortable(?) same with the legs & mouth opening
 

Yvonnerose

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Thank you I did wonder if that was the case. As she’s not doing it all the time just on occasions. Also she has just finished a course of antibiotics and the vet didn’t think it was RI. It was positive that she had 3 poops 2day. So I’m hoping it’s all starting to clear. Thank you for your help. Does her house look ok? Anything need to be changed?
 

dmmj

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Looks good lots of cover & sight barriers. I would add a water dish (I don't see 1)
 

TammyJ

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I think I see a water dish but it looks like it's too high up on the substrate, it needs to be sunk down into the substrate so she can just plop into the water instead of having to try to climb into it and maybe end up on her back. It's really a nice looking enclosure. Make sure the humidity level and the temps are correct.
I don't see a tile or slate for her food.
 

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