Tortoise has questionable health. Need guidance.
Hang in there with the details. My desert tortoise is around 40 years old. I adopted him about 2 years ago. According to a previous owner, he has had a rough 40+ years and it shows in his shell. He has been fed dog food most of his life (this crushes my heart). I’ve also been told that he has gone into hibernation every year regardless of a respiratory infection that finally was resolved last year.
When we adopted him the vet said do not let him hibernate because of a respiratory infection. He was active in the house and in his enclosure that winter. This past summer he had an outdoor roaming enclosure that was very large and then he would open the screen door when the Sun was going down to come inside. We changed his diet, his husbandry, soaking, vitamins, you name it.
In the past couple of months he has declined. He only eats once a week, maybe twice, I have to force him to bask and he has general malaise. I took him up to CSU vet hospital for a full analysis. We did X-rays, blood work, a physical and he even spent the night for review.
Sadly, they found fluid in his abdomen and say he ‘might’ be suffering from a terminal illness. His blood work came back unremarkable which they said doesn’t necessarily tell a full story. They can’t figure out what is wrong with him without going into his shell for a sample of the fluid but that would require an operation that he might not live through.
I’m so sad and very confused. Has anyone heard of this? Is my little buddy not well? Any insight of knowing about something like this please let me know. And please, be sensitive. Thank you and wishing all the tortoises a healthy journey and loving homes.
Hang in there with the details. My desert tortoise is around 40 years old. I adopted him about 2 years ago. According to a previous owner, he has had a rough 40+ years and it shows in his shell. He has been fed dog food most of his life (this crushes my heart). I’ve also been told that he has gone into hibernation every year regardless of a respiratory infection that finally was resolved last year.
When we adopted him the vet said do not let him hibernate because of a respiratory infection. He was active in the house and in his enclosure that winter. This past summer he had an outdoor roaming enclosure that was very large and then he would open the screen door when the Sun was going down to come inside. We changed his diet, his husbandry, soaking, vitamins, you name it.
In the past couple of months he has declined. He only eats once a week, maybe twice, I have to force him to bask and he has general malaise. I took him up to CSU vet hospital for a full analysis. We did X-rays, blood work, a physical and he even spent the night for review.
Sadly, they found fluid in his abdomen and say he ‘might’ be suffering from a terminal illness. His blood work came back unremarkable which they said doesn’t necessarily tell a full story. They can’t figure out what is wrong with him without going into his shell for a sample of the fluid but that would require an operation that he might not live through.
I’m so sad and very confused. Has anyone heard of this? Is my little buddy not well? Any insight of knowing about something like this please let me know. And please, be sensitive. Thank you and wishing all the tortoises a healthy journey and loving homes.
