I am watching my sister's Sulcata Tortoise Doug, because she isn't home enough and he is sick. First some information, he is about 6 months old we bought him 3 months ago, in the last two weeks she told me his shell was soft and so she upped his calcium w/o D3 to everyday, he has a UVA and UVB and his temps on his warm end are around 85-93. About 4-5 days ago he closed his eyes and has not opened them. He also ate 4-5 days ago, Romaine lettuce and pooped the same day. She thought he was just sleeping all the time, because everywhere she read it said that babies sleep ALOT. Anyway she brought him to my house last night, I looked up his symptoms and have started to get very worried.
Where we live it is humid, it stays around 50% in my house, I am not sure about her house, plus she soaks him everyday. I have started soaking him in carrot baby food, a suggestion I have read on at least 2 different forums in a situation like this. Apparently a vitamin A deficiency can cause them to be unable to open their eyes. He soaks in it and eats a little bit of it while he is in there.
I also took him to the vet today and of course you always get conflicting information, she suggested we take out his coco husk bedding and keep him solely on paper towel. She thinks this is a protein deficiency because I wrote down that he eats wheat grass, romaine lettuce and leafy green lettuce. She says all growing babies need protein.
The veterinarian wants me to start feeding him "an intensive care diet" which is basically high protein cat food every two hours.
He ate a little bit of this food at her office, since we got home I took him outside to get some natural sun and warm him up, he was moving around much more than he has the past two days, he almost even opened one of his eyes.
I just need a lot of help I don't know what to do, I think I may call another veterinarian tomorrow for a second opinion, but we can't afford a second visit.
Please help.... What do I do at this point?
Where we live it is humid, it stays around 50% in my house, I am not sure about her house, plus she soaks him everyday. I have started soaking him in carrot baby food, a suggestion I have read on at least 2 different forums in a situation like this. Apparently a vitamin A deficiency can cause them to be unable to open their eyes. He soaks in it and eats a little bit of it while he is in there.
I also took him to the vet today and of course you always get conflicting information, she suggested we take out his coco husk bedding and keep him solely on paper towel. She thinks this is a protein deficiency because I wrote down that he eats wheat grass, romaine lettuce and leafy green lettuce. She says all growing babies need protein.
The veterinarian wants me to start feeding him "an intensive care diet" which is basically high protein cat food every two hours.
He ate a little bit of this food at her office, since we got home I took him outside to get some natural sun and warm him up, he was moving around much more than he has the past two days, he almost even opened one of his eyes.
I just need a lot of help I don't know what to do, I think I may call another veterinarian tomorrow for a second opinion, but we can't afford a second visit.
Please help.... What do I do at this point?