Anorexia and tube feeding

[Crusty Pie]

Does anyone have any experience with an anorexic tortoise?

Anyone had to have a feeding tube fitted to their toirtoise?

Anyone know anything??!?! I really need some advice!

 

[Yvonne G]

I've never had it done to one of my rescues, but from what I hear, its a much safer way to tube feed a tortoise than poking the tube down the animal's throat (this I HAVE done, and its not fun for either you or the tortoise). The vet makes a small incision (from the picture, it looks like the incision is in the side of the neck, then into the stomach) and inserts the feeding tube into the tort's stomach, then he tapes the tube up onto and along the carapace, and plugs the end. When you need to feed the tort, you unplug the tube and squirt the liquid food into the tube then put the plug back in. There is no danger of aspiration with this method.

May I caution you on the amount you feed if you do decide to go this way? Most vets don't realize that a tortoise's metabolism is much slower than a mammal and they will tell you to feed the tortoise every day. If you feed every day you will be over-filling the stomach, as it doesn't empty "every day."

Yvonne

 

[-EJ]

I never liked the idea of a perminent feeding tube but after taking care of a tortoise for a year using this method I'll never go back to inserting a feeding tube at each feeding.

Most vets will charge 25 to 50 dollars in addition to the office visit and it is well worth it.

Because of the temperatures I agree that you should feed small amounts everyday. This simulates what a tortoise would normally get.

If the vet is familiar with the procedure I'm sure they are familiar with the amounts to be fed.

Ed

Ed

Does anyone have any experience with an anorexic tortoise?

Anyone had to have a feeding tube fitted to their toirtoise?

Anyone know anything??!?! I really need some advice!