Antibiotic injection trouble

Karabear95

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i just gave my 2 month sulcata his second injection (the vet did the first one) for an upper respiratory infection. I did it just like the vet said but of course he was squirming way more with me so I had to prick the little guy twice and throughout all the squirming I don’t even know if his medication went in!! Now he’s holding his leg up and now I’m afraid I’ve damaged his nerves or something. I noticed some blood on the needle as well. I’m so upset right now I just keep doing everything wrong. Has anyone else dealt with something like this??
 

Yvonne G

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I worry that a two month old baby required antibiotics. If it were me, I WOULD NOT give antibiotics to a baby that young. Instead, I would set him up in a smaller tank, a hospital tank - a 10 gallon aquarium works well for this. I'm assuming your baby had what you thought were symptoms of a respiratory infection. Most likely what was wrong with him was he's being kept too cool. Your hospital tank should be 85F degrees, day and night. Once the symptoms have gone, you set him up in a closed enclosure. This enclosure will also be kept 80-85F degrees DAY AND NIGHT.
 

Tom

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i just gave my 2 month sulcata his second injection (the vet did the first one) for an upper respiratory infection. I did it just like the vet said but of course he was squirming way more with me so I had to prick the little guy twice and throughout all the squirming I don’t even know if his medication went in!! Now he’s holding his leg up and now I’m afraid I’ve damaged his nerves or something. I noticed some blood on the needle as well. I’m so upset right now I just keep doing everything wrong. Has anyone else dealt with something like this??
Undoubtably, the medicine was Baytril? Correct me if I'm wrong. If I'm right, baytril is extremely caustic and painful. It literally burns them. Its what we all used to use, but most of us know not to use it now because of what you are seeing.

Most vets don't know tortoise care. There is no semester on tortoise care in vet school and if there was, it would probably be all the old wrong info that is in their handbooks anyway.

Did the vet address and correct the CAUSE of the sickness? Most of them don't. Treating the symptoms with out discovering and correcting the problem is futile and expensive. Its a waste of time. They don't get sick for no reason. In most cases they get sick because temps are too cool, especially at night. The cure for a RI in a baby sulcata is heat. Get it hot and keep it hot. Raise the enclosure ambient temperature to 85 at night and 90-95 during the day, with a basking area of 100 directly under the bulb. Soak daily in warm water for 30-40 minutes with all this heat and keep the water warm for the entire soak. Refresh with warm water as needed and/or soak inside the enclosure where it is warm. Also be sure your humidity is above 80% day and night.

Most of the care info given for this species is all wrong. Its been wrong for decades, and most people still haven't learned better. Here is the correct care info:

Compare that care info to what you were told and what you've been doing. Hopefully it is not too late and we can get you back on track. Your questions on any of this are welcome.
 

Tom

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I just gave my 2 month sulcata his second injection (the vet did the first one) for an upper respiratory infection. I did it just like the vet said but of course he was squirming way more with me so I had to prick the little guy twice and throughout all the squirming I don’t even know if his medication went in!! Now he’s holding his leg up and now I’m afraid I’ve damaged his nerves or something. I noticed some blood on the needle as well. I’m so upset right now I just keep doing everything wrong. Has anyone else dealt with something like this??
Undoubtably, the medicine was Baytril? Correct me if I'm wrong. If I'm right, baytril is extremely caustic and painful. It literally burns them. Its what we all used to use, but most of us know not to use it now because of what you are seeing.

Most vets don't know tortoise care. There is no semester on tortoise care in vet school and if there was, it would probably be all the old wrong info that is in their handbooks anyway.

Did the vet address and correct the CAUSE of the sickness? Most of them don't. Treating the symptoms with out discovering and correcting the problem is futile and expensive. Its a waste of time. They don't get sick for no reason. In most cases they get sick because temps are too cool, especially at night. The cure for a RI in a baby sulcata is heat. Get it hot and keep it hot. Raise the enclosure ambient temperature to 85 at night and 90-95 during the day, with a basking area of 100 directly under the bulb. Soak daily in warm water for 30-40 minutes with all this heat and keep the water warm for the entire soak. Refresh with warm water as needed and/or soak inside the enclosure where it is warm. Also be sure your humidity is above 80% day and night.

Most of the care info given for this species is all wrong. Its been wrong for decades, and most people still haven't learned better. Here is the correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

Compare that care info to what you were told and what you've been doing. Hopefully it is not too late and we can get you back on track. Your questions on any of this are welcome.
 

Karabear95

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Texas
Undoubtably, the medicine was Baytril? Correct me if I'm wrong. If I'm right, baytril is extremely caustic and painful. It literally burns them. Its what we all used to use, but most of us know not to use it now because of what you are seeing.

Most vets don't know tortoise care. There is no semester on tortoise care in vet school and if there was, it would probably be all the old wrong info that is in their handbooks anyway.

Did the vet address and correct the CAUSE of the sickness? Most of them don't. Treating the symptoms with out discovering and correcting the problem is futile and expensive. Its a waste of time. They don't get sick for no reason. In most cases they get sick because temps are too cool, especially at night. The cure for a RI in a baby sulcata is heat. Get it hot and keep it hot. Raise the enclosure ambient temperature to 85 at night and 90-95 during the day, with a basking area of 100 directly under the bulb. Soak daily in warm water for 30-40 minutes with all this heat and keep the water warm for the entire soak. Refresh with warm water as needed and/or soak inside the enclosure where it is warm. Also be sure your humidity is above 80% day and night.

Most of the care info given for this species is all wrong. Its been wrong for decades, and most people still haven't learned better. Here is the correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

Compare that care info to what you were told and what you've been doing. Hopefully it is not too late and we can get you back on track. Your questions on any of this are welcome.
Thank you for your response! His temperatures have all been correct, organic top soil and spaghnum moss for the bedding. My biggest trouble was the humidity, and I think that was his downfall for the upper respiratory infection. I was told a cool mist humidifier can be dangerous and many of them can cause these infections, and so I did away with that and opted for a green house enclosure and a timed sprayer. It Sprays a small amount of warm water in the enclosure at certain times throughout the day to keep it humid without making it to cool. He is doing much better now, you are correct the antibiotic did cause pain in his leg! He’s okay now though, & No more snot either. I think we are on the right track currently, However I’m learning more every day about these guys so thank you for the info and the link!
 

wellington

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Thank you for your response! His temperatures have all been correct, organic top soil and spaghnum moss for the bedding. My biggest trouble was the humidity, and I think that was his downfall for the upper respiratory infection. I was told a cool mist humidifier can be dangerous and many of them can cause these infections, and so I did away with that and opted for a green house enclosure and a timed sprayer. It Sprays a small amount of warm water in the enclosure at certain times throughout the day to keep it humid without making it to cool. He is doing much better now, you are correct the antibiotic did cause pain in his leg! He’s okay now though, & No more snot either. I think we are on the right track currently, However I’m learning more every day about these guys so thank you for the info and the link!
I would do away with the mister. Because if you have a closed chamber, all lights and heat inside the chamber then you can wet the substrate, pour warm water on it, stir it up a bit and the humidity should stay up with only a wetting of the substrate once a week or so.
Also get rid if the moss. It can cause impaction as many like to eat it and it can get tangled around limbs.
 

Tom

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Thank you for your response! His temperatures have all been correct, organic top soil and spaghnum moss for the bedding. My biggest trouble was the humidity, and I think that was his downfall for the upper respiratory infection. I was told a cool mist humidifier can be dangerous and many of them can cause these infections, and so I did away with that and opted for a green house enclosure and a timed sprayer. It Sprays a small amount of warm water in the enclosure at certain times throughout the day to keep it humid without making it to cool. He is doing much better now, you are correct the antibiotic did cause pain in his leg! He’s okay now though, & No more snot either. I think we are on the right track currently, However I’m learning more every day about these guys so thank you for the info and the link!
Soil should never be used for substrate. There is no way to know what is in it and it could be something toxic. "Organic" doesn't mean it is non-toxic. It is not meant to be used as bedding for small animals in indoor enclosures.

Moss should never be used because they will eat it and it can cause impaction.
 

Srobidoux

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i just gave my 2 month sulcata his second injection (the vet did the first one) for an upper respiratory infection. I did it just like the vet said but of course he was squirming way more with me so I had to prick the little guy twice and throughout all the squirming I don’t even know if his medication went in!! Now he’s holding his leg up and now I’m afraid I’ve damaged his nerves or something. I noticed some blood on the needle as well. I’m so upset right now I just keep doing everything wrong. Has anyone else dealt with something like this??
i just gave my 2 month sulcata his second injection (the vet did the first one) for an upper respiratory infection. I did it just like the vet said but of course he was squirming way more with me so I had to prick the little guy twice and throughout all the squirming I don’t even know if his medication went in!! Now he’s holding his leg up and now I’m afraid I’ve damaged his nerves or something. I noticed some blood on the needle as well. I’m so upset right now I just keep doing everything wrong. Has anyone else dealt with something like this??
Hi…..At 6 months old I had to give both of my california desert tortoises a shot in the arm every other day for 14 days ( in a split second my dog got them both - they are both recovered and okay) but giving shots in a little tiny arm the size of your pinky is very stressful! And believe it or not, they figure out it is coming…I had to alternate sides every other day. I know it hurts you also to give them shots, but the alternative is them passing away. The shots are not forever and the stress will go away when the baby is healed. Keep up the good work….just like many things ….the process is difficult to get to the reward!
 

mastershake

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one thing ill add is IF you have to use baytril as an injection it MUST be diluted 1:1 with sterile water or saline. this will prevent it from doing to much damage at the inj site. its very painful especially if you did it in the muscle. imo fortaz is a better ab to use unless baytril must be used. there is a right way and a wrong way to do shots though.

other then that go over what tom added earlier
 
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