Baby sulcata in kidney failure

Tom

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Oh WOW!!!!!! Thank you so much for this information!! I will most definetly turn his house around!! I don't even get knowledge like this at the vet :(! Thank you again for your help!!

Its really depressing at times. We have only recently begun to figure all this out. I have been amassing puzzle pieces for years, but there are still many unanswered questions. Most breeders, vets, pet stores, authors and "experts" are still recommending the old, outdated, incorrect ways.

Here is another analogy. There are earthworms all over most of the planet. Imagine bringing and earthworm home from the Sahel region of Africa where sulcatas come from and setting it up with dry substrate, no water bowl and a hot bulb. How long do you think it would live? The same thing happens to the INSIDE of our baby tortoises when they are housed this way. Obviously their skin and scales slow this process down compared to the earthworm, but the concept is the same. Baby tortoises are hunkered down in thick underbrush on damp ground. It is very hot and humid and there are puddles everywhere from all the rain.

Here is another thread you might enjoy. Look at the dates:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-end-of-pyramiding.15137/
 

mike taylor

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I knew it was setup problems . Now that Tom's on the job your tortoise will be better off.
 

Tom

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Again guys...I can't thank you enough for your feedback! I'm glad that I joined this forum & got this information!!

I only ask that you share it to spare others the same fate. Tell that store and educate your vet. We had it wrong for decades, but we are figuring it out now.
 

stojanovski92113

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I only ask that you share it to spare others the same fate. Tell that store and educate your vet. We had it wrong for decades, but we are figuring it out now.
You know what really erks me???? I have been going to the vet since June 18th almost every other week....I have spent sooooooooooooo much money on my baby & like I said before, I stopped the baytril which not sure if that's a good move or bad move, but do you know that they never really asked too much information or were concerned of his husbandry. Wouldn't you think that that's something as a vet, like a key point to ask your patients?!?! Well I plan on changing his husbandry. But a mvb is too strong for him you think?
 

Yvonne G

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Yes. I'd go with the tube-type fluorescent bulb and raise it up higher than recommended on the package.

Most vets learn about how to treat illness and injury. It isn't as important for them to also know husbandry. Not only that, but what we're learning now about keeping babies moist/humid, is new stuff. It eventually, through clients like you, will get filtered up to the vets and hopefully, if you have a success story, they will learn from us.

474158gy04azrh2x.gif
 

Tom

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You know what really erks me???? I have been going to the vet since June 18th almost every other week....I have spent sooooooooooooo much money on my baby & like I said before, I stopped the baytril which not sure if that's a good move or bad move, but do you know that they never really asked too much information or were concerned of his husbandry. Wouldn't you think that that's something as a vet, like a key point to ask your patients?!?! Well I plan on changing his husbandry. But a mvb is too strong for him you think?

It all depends on what size and type of enclosure you have. I like closed chambers and MVBs are just too hot for them in most cases. In my area I can sun my torts all year long, so I don't need indoor UV. I just use regular flood bulbs for heat and regular florescent tubes for light. If I needed indoor UV, I would probably use the HO tubes at this point.

Your experience with the vet is not unusual, I'm sorry to say. Unless you find a vet that is heavily "into" torts and raises their own, I'm afraid they won't be much help for some things. Even when you do find one that keeps his or her own, they often have read the same old outdated info as everyone else. Its up to us to spread the word.
 

stojanovski92113

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Yes. I'd go with the tube-type fluorescent bulb and raise it up higher than recommended on the package.

Most vets learn about how to treat illness and injury. It isn't as important for them to also know husbandry. Not only that, but what we're learning now about keeping babies moist/humid, is new stuff. It eventually, through clients like you, will get filtered up to the vets and hopefully, if you have a success story, they will learn from us.

474158gy04azrh2x.gif
Thanks Yvonne for your input :) I guess that does make sense about the vets not asking about husbandry as much as they should. But they sure do love to give medications & send ya on your way & hoping it will do the job.
 

stojanovski92113

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It all depends on what size and type of enclosure you have. I like closed chambers and MVBs are just too hot for them in most cases. In my area I can sun my torts all year long, so I don't need indoor UV. I just use regular flood bulbs for heat and regular florescent tubes for light. If I needed indoor UV, I would probably use the HO tubes at this point.

Your experience with the vet is not unusual, I'm sorry to say. Unless you find a vet that is heavily "into" torts and raises their own, I'm afraid they won't be much help for some things. Even when you do find one that keeps his or her own, they often have read the same old outdated info as everyone else. Its up to us to spread the word.
Thanks Tom for your information. It's been very helpful for both me & my baby sulcata "Spike." I'm hoping that the change in his home will really turn him around!
 

Kim444

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When I adopted my golden greek tort recently they gave me vet papers and right on the papers it says to feed him wet dog food, wtf?
 

stojanovski92113

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When I adopted my golden greek tort recently they gave me vet papers and right on the papers it says to feed him wet dog food, wtf?[/QUOTE
When I adopted my golden greek tort recently they gave me vet papers and right on the papers it says to feed him wet dog food, wtf?
When I adopted my golden greek tort recently they gave me vet papers and right on the papers it says to feed him wet dog food, wtf?
OMG?!?! What!?? When I first got my tortoises (red foots) I did research & I kept coming across "feeding your tortoises dog or cat food as good source of protein." I remember when I asked my vet & she was so mean to me...do you believe everything you read on the Internet she said! But now that its been over 6 yrs that I've had my RFs & you just learn & know that, that's not good for them. I can't believe they send papers home to new tortoise keepers! That can be such a health disaster for the poor tortoise!
 

Kim444

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actually it was the previous owners who gave me the vet papers from a previous vet visit they had with him. I adopted him from smeone on Kijiji who needed to find him a new home. And she lived with a vet tech, ugh. They gave me the vet papers to show he had no parasites etc and was in good health.
 

stojanovski92113

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actually it was the previous owners who gave me the vet papers from a previous vet visit they had with him. I adopted him from smeone on Kijiji who needed to find him a new home. And she lived with a vet tech, ugh. They gave me the vet papers to show he had no parasites etc and was in good health.
Oh boy... well as long as you got yourself a healthy tortoise and theres not pyramiding from too much protein, that's a plus!
 

Kim444

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they never actually fed it dog food, it's just that the vet recommended it.
 
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