Thank you for the condolences everyone. This has been a rough one.
We had baseline necropsies done on a couple of them, with nothing unusual found. We'd really like to get lab work done, but that's looking to be too expensive at this time, without guaruntee of results. Were we looking to obtain more tortoises this would be obligatory, but no more tortoises will be coming here anytime soon if ever. As it is we will likely be rehoming most animals in our care.
I agree, as quickly as they went downhill it seems like it would have had to have been a nasty toxin, however whatever it was it has had no ill effect on any of our other animals, maybe because they're not babies. Personally, I have not fully dismissed the idea that this was a result of shipping the eggs. Most of the "experts" I've discussed this with feel that all signs point to viability of shipping the eggs, and it was highly unlikely for them to have died a month after hatching, they should simply have not developed at all. All other things considered, they're eventual death from some unknown toxin or disease that has not harmed any other creature in our care seems a tad far-fetched as well. It looks like we will never know for sure.
DesertGrandma said:
We had baseline necropsies done on a couple of them, with nothing unusual found. We'd really like to get lab work done, but that's looking to be too expensive at this time, without guaruntee of results. Were we looking to obtain more tortoises this would be obligatory, but no more tortoises will be coming here anytime soon if ever. As it is we will likely be rehoming most animals in our care.
I agree, as quickly as they went downhill it seems like it would have had to have been a nasty toxin, however whatever it was it has had no ill effect on any of our other animals, maybe because they're not babies. Personally, I have not fully dismissed the idea that this was a result of shipping the eggs. Most of the "experts" I've discussed this with feel that all signs point to viability of shipping the eggs, and it was highly unlikely for them to have died a month after hatching, they should simply have not developed at all. All other things considered, they're eventual death from some unknown toxin or disease that has not harmed any other creature in our care seems a tad far-fetched as well. It looks like we will never know for sure.
