Alive or Dead? Help!!

loujainhassan19

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egypt,cairo
i got my desert tortoise 6 months ago as a present, she is 13 years old. she had runny nose , eyes closed and didnot eat for the last 2 days. i took her to a vet, he said she had upper respiratory infection like a flu but dangerous for tortoises. he tried to give her medicine in her mouth but she refused. so he injected her with something i dont remember its name to help. but now she is not moving at all and her legs are limp. Is this normal? what can i do? Is she dead? why?
 

Yvonne G

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Immediately take the tortoise back to the same vet and ask if there's an antidote for the injection he previously gave the tortoise. Be humble, not accusatory, so you don't make him defensive. It sounds like the vet overdosed the tortoise. In the meantime, place it in a tub of warm water and leave him sitting there for a long time. You can position a light over the edge of the tub to keep it a bit warm.
 

Yvonne G

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@Markw84 Can you tell if this in an Eqyptian tortoise? I just noticed that the OP is in Egypt, so this isn't an American desert tortoise.
 

loujainhassan19

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i cant take her to the vet right now, at my country, its 11:27, and he closes by midnight and its an hour trip. but i put her in warm water and focused the light bulb in her
I pray that @Yvonne G is correct and that your tort is just overdosed. Are you able to take it back to the vet as she suggested?
 

Tim Carlisle

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i cant take her to the vet right now, at my country, its 11:27, and he closes by midnight and its an hour trip. but i put her in warm water and focused the light bulb in her
Please keep us informed when you find out something. Is there no movement at all from it? Be careful of the water level so it doesnt drown.
 

KarenSoCal

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I see that you are in Cairo, so your "desert" tortoise may not be the same as what we call a desert tortoise here in the US.
Could we see a picture of her, top and bottom?

The medicine may have been Baytril, frequently given here for RI's.

I hope your tort is not dead! They can go into a very deep sleep, so deep that they appear dead. If you lightly pull on a leg is there any resistance at all? Do her eyes look deeply sunken in?

Try soaking her in warm water, just to where her carapace (top shell) meets her plastron (bottom shell). Add some strained carrot baby food to the warm water, about 50/50. Stay with her so her head stays above water! Don't let the water cool, keep it warm. Keep her in there for 30-40 min.

Keep her enclosure warm! Do you have a heat source, basking light, etc? She should be kept at 85 degF day and night.

Even if you think she is dead, do not bury her for a few days. They can surprisingly "return", just when you have given up.

Get back to us, and we'll go from here. Please ask any questions you have. I'm sorry it took so long for someone to reply when you are so desperate for help!
 

KarenSoCal

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I see that you are in Cairo, so your "desert" tortoise may not be the same as what we call a desert tortoise here in the US.
Could we see a picture of her, top and bottom?

The medicine may have been Baytril, frequently given here for RI's.

I hope your tort is not dead! They can go into a very deep sleep, so deep that they appear dead. If you lightly pull on a leg is there any resistance at all? Do her eyes look deeply sunken in?

Try soaking her in warm water, just to where her carapace (top shell) meets her plastron (bottom shell). Add some strained carrot baby food to the warm water, about 50/50. Stay with her so her head stays above water! Don't let the water cool, keep it warm. Keep her in there for 30-40 min.

Keep her enclosure warm! Do you have a heat source, basking light, etc? She should be kept at 85 degF day and night.

Even if you think she is dead, do not bury her for a few days. They can surprisingly "return", just when you have given up.

Get back to us, and we'll go from here. Please ask any questions you have. I'm sorry it took so long for someone to reply when you are so desperate for help!
I have no idea why these other replies did not show up on my feed! I'm sorry...I'm the one that was late! I was the only comment there when I sent it...[emoji19]
 

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