Are clear gelatin capsules ok for sulcata?

clarardavis

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Hi,
Razie has been prescribed Marbofloxacin 6.5ml every other day. Its dose 3 and he is now suspicious of the fruit I bring him and he will not eat it if he smells the medicine. I have tried poking holes in fruit with a straw to put the medicine in. I was wondering if I could put the medicine in the clear gel capsules so he wouldnt smell or taste it. Are the capsules safe for tortoises? Will the medicine be released if it is inside a capsule and will it still work like it should? Are the capsules even a good idea.. Will he be able to get them down? He is 73lbs so he has a sizeable head? Thank you.
 

wellington

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Why is he on medication?
Why are you feeding him fruit? He should not be fed fruit. Fruit is bad for most tortoise species and the high sugar content messes up their stomach flora.
 

clarardavis

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Its for a respiratory infection. I figured itd be the best place to hide the medicine. Its flavored strawberry but he doesnt seem to like it.
 

wellington

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Do you feed mazuri? You could try soaking the mazuri and then trying to hide it in that. Squish the mazuri in your hands into a ball and place the med in the center.
Otherwise if it's a liquid, get a syringe and squirt it in the side of his mouth.
 

Tom

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Hi,
Razie has been prescribed Marbofloxacin 6.5ml every other day. Its dose 3 and he is now suspicious of the fruit I bring him and he will not eat it if he smells the medicine. I have tried poking holes in fruit with a straw to put the medicine in. I was wondering if I could put the medicine in the clear gel capsules so he wouldnt smell or taste it. Are the capsules safe for tortoises? Will the medicine be released if it is inside a capsule and will it still work like it should? Are the capsules even a good idea.. Will he be able to get them down? He is 73lbs so he has a sizeable head? Thank you.
The gel capsules should be fine.

Better question is: Have you discovered and corrected the CAUSE of the sickness? Most vets treat the symptoms without ever giving a thought as to WHY the tortoise is sick in the first place. It does no good at all to treat the symptoms of the sickness if you have not first corrected the cause of the sickness.

Most RIs are caused by cool temps, especially at night. In most cases these same RIs can be cured by the application of high heat 24/7, and good hydration concurrently. Where are you? Where is the tortoise sleeping? What are the over night lows?
 

clarardavis

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I had asked the vet how he got sick in the first place and how i could prevent it in the future to which her only answer was it was because he was stressed. Sometimes his shed will be in the mid 60s at night which I try not to let happen but it has. A fluctuation less than 20 degrees with highs being mid 80s is okay right?

Its frustrating finding a good vet. Every vet I have taken him to thus far scares the crap outta me by the way they behave and the things the do or say. The last vet I even got off the list of recommended vets off this website... I looked into each vet they listed and read the bio of each doctor and only one of them mentioned anything about tortoises!

But yeah back to the gel caps..... Have u had any experience with gelatin / capsule medicine? I wonder are the medicine in capsules they prescribe made from gelatin?
The gel capsules should be fine.

Better question is: Have you discovered and corrected the CAUSE of the sickness? Most vets treat the symptoms without ever giving a thought as to WHY the tortoise is sick in the first place. It does no good at all to treat the symptoms of the sickness if you have not first corrected the cause of the sickness.

Most RIs are caused by cool temps, especially at night. In most cases these same RIs can be cured by the application of high heat 24/7, and good hydration concurrently. Where are you? Where is the tortoise sleeping? What are the over night lows?
 

Tom

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I had asked the vet how he got sick in the first place and how i could prevent it in the future to which her only answer was it was because he was stressed. Sometimes his shed will be in the mid 60s at night which I try not to let happen but it has. A fluctuation less than 20 degrees with highs being mid 80s is okay right?

Its frustrating finding a good vet. Every vet I have taken him to thus far scares the crap outta me by the way they behave and the things the do or say. The last vet I even got off the list of recommended vets off this website... I looked into each vet they listed and read the bio of each doctor and only one of them mentioned anything about tortoises!

But yeah back to the gel caps..... Have u had any experience with gelatin / capsule medicine? I wonder are the medicine in capsules they prescribe made from gelatin?
Where are you? Please put this in your user CP, so we don't have to ask all the time. We don't need anything specific, but it helps to know the general region. Different advice for the UK vs. Tucson AZ.

No part of the enclosure should ever drop below 80 at night. The floor of a 65 degree shed will be much colder than 65. This is why your tortoise got sick, and this demonstrates exactly what I was just saying about vets. The cure fore your tortoise is hot temps. Mid 80s day and night, with daytime ambient reaching the mid 90s. Soak daily in warm water, and keep these high temps up for at least two weeks after symptoms disappear. Do what you can to add humidity with these high temps.

Mid 80s where? In the shed? Or mid 80s and sunny outside? If the former, it is probably not warm enough. If the latter, then your day time temps are perfect.
 

clarardavis

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I have read others have kept their tortoises overnight at much colder temps.... and theyre doing ok?

Thank you for the advice on the cold room. My thermometer is on the floor. Do u advise keeping a shed warmer that mid 80s if it is not 80 degrees outside.

I am curious about the gel capsules though. Why did u say they should be fine?
 

Tom

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I have read others have kept their tortoises overnight at much colder temps.... and theyre doing ok?

Thank you for the advice on the cold room. My thermometer is on the floor. Do u advise keeping a shed warmer that mid 80s if it is not 80 degrees outside.

I am curious about the gel capsules though. Why did u say they should be fine?
Look at a range map for sulcatas. Then look for weather recording/transmitting stations near some of those areas. It doesn't get cold there. Even at night. Underground temps, where the sulcatas live, average 80-85 year round according to the geological data.

Can they survive colder temps sometimes? Sure they can. If you throw 100 people out in a snow storm with no jacket, some will die sooner than others. A few might survive for quite a while depending on many variables. Because someone else's tortoise survived incorrect temperatures, isn't a reason to provide incorrect temperatures for yours. While some survive cold temps, most of them get sick and/or die. Know how many times my sulcatas have gotten an RI? Never. Not one. I've had dozens of them over a span of 30 years starting in 1991. I've never let any of them get cold at night. That's not just a coincidence.

Mid 80s is a good temp if the weather is cool outside. Once temps here start dropping below 70ish for the daily high, I bump temps up to 86 in my night boxes for sulcatas. At 70 or higher, they can warm up in the sun, and an 80 degree night temp keeps them healthy. Once the ground starts getting too cold and the daytime highs aren't warming up enough, I like them to have warmer nights box temps.
 
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