First- everyone here- thank you so very much for your help and support. Yesterday, I felt Gibby give up a little- previously, every single day he would get up and go at it- trying to do his normal routine.
Red foots love, love, love their normal routines (I once moved Gib's water dish a few inches and put in a new little plant for shade for the summer and he hid and pouted for 3 days....) Yesterday, he just laid around and most of the day didn't even try to get up and walk around or react to his normal routine.
So- I went on LocalVets.com and found a vet fairly close to my home that is an independent, and has amazing affiliations with the UC Davis Vet Medicine College, and lectures and travels talking to other vets about tortoise care. I got in, magically, and he helped me so very much with some common sense advice and very minimal treatment yesterday- he simply gave Gib a few mL of a "warm tortoise ringers enema". He uses base chemistry from lactated ringers solution, but modifies it chemically to maintain the calcium to phosphorous ratio needed by red foots.
He told me that they have an amazing ability to "recycle" fluids inside their bodies for many days- sometimes a couple of weeks, so I shouldn't be surprised if Gib didn't pass any feces for a while. Or he could have a bowel movement, or he could just expel the fluids back out during the night (that's what happened). He did a complete set of x-rays focused just on Gibby's legs- there are no breaks in the bones, and the hip, knee and ankle joints are not dislocated, thank God! He said to keep Gib warm and safe, give him food and exercise on his timeline- not ours, and to basically just love him and wait. Best advice I've had across 4 different vets who pumped him full of chemicals, injected crap into his little system at the wrong anatomical points on his body, ran random lab tests, and didn't even listen to what the others had done previously.
This amazing vet listened and reviewed all Gib's recent records for about 15 minutes prior to even asking to see Gibson. He was thoughtful and kind to Gib when he handled him (other vets have been rapidly tipping him upside down and kind of rough with him- which traumatized him further...)
Anyway- if anybody needs a good vet in the San Francisco Bay Area, I highly recommend this great clinic. Yvonne G. is going to put him on our tortoiseforum.org list of reliable and helpful tortie vets next week.
Castro Valley Companion Animal Hospital Call510-731-6004
Hours: M-F 8:00am - 6:00pm
Services: Animal Flea Control, Animal Microchipping, Bird Vet, Exotic Animal Vet, Reptile Vet, Small Animal Vet, Spaying/Neutering, Veterinarians, Veterinary Dentistry, Veterinary Euthanasia, Veterinary Medical Specialties, Veterinary Surgery, Veterinary Vaccinations
Description Bios
Dr. Rene Gandolfi Dr. Rene Gandolfi, founder and chief veterinarian at Castro Valley Companion Animal Hospital, brings extraordinary experience and resources to the hospital:
Dr. Gandolfi graduated second in his class from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1981; he has been serving the Castro Valley Community since 1987.
He is a board-certified specialist in Canine and Feline Animal Care and a recognized expert in exotic species, including ferrets, bats and fish.
He routinely lectures on a variety of subjects at veterinary symposia and conferences.
He is the Veterinary Director of Fix our Ferals, an all-volunteer spay and neuter clinic for homeless cats.
He teaches the critical care course for the RVT program at Western Career College, and sits on the College's advisory baord.
He conceived and acted as Veterinary Director of the 1991 (Oakland) Firestorm Lost Pet Hotline.
Prior to becoming a veterinarian, Dr. Gandolfi taught high school (Chemistry, Astronomy and Algebra), and continued to work with children by referreeing high school and youth soccer.
Dr. Gandolfi is very interested in the professional growth of his staff, and approaches every situation with integrity, and compassion.
2509 Lessley Ave, Castro Valley, CA 94546
Call 510-731-6004 Now To Make An Appointment
Red foots love, love, love their normal routines (I once moved Gib's water dish a few inches and put in a new little plant for shade for the summer and he hid and pouted for 3 days....) Yesterday, he just laid around and most of the day didn't even try to get up and walk around or react to his normal routine.
So- I went on LocalVets.com and found a vet fairly close to my home that is an independent, and has amazing affiliations with the UC Davis Vet Medicine College, and lectures and travels talking to other vets about tortoise care. I got in, magically, and he helped me so very much with some common sense advice and very minimal treatment yesterday- he simply gave Gib a few mL of a "warm tortoise ringers enema". He uses base chemistry from lactated ringers solution, but modifies it chemically to maintain the calcium to phosphorous ratio needed by red foots.
He told me that they have an amazing ability to "recycle" fluids inside their bodies for many days- sometimes a couple of weeks, so I shouldn't be surprised if Gib didn't pass any feces for a while. Or he could have a bowel movement, or he could just expel the fluids back out during the night (that's what happened). He did a complete set of x-rays focused just on Gibby's legs- there are no breaks in the bones, and the hip, knee and ankle joints are not dislocated, thank God! He said to keep Gib warm and safe, give him food and exercise on his timeline- not ours, and to basically just love him and wait. Best advice I've had across 4 different vets who pumped him full of chemicals, injected crap into his little system at the wrong anatomical points on his body, ran random lab tests, and didn't even listen to what the others had done previously.
This amazing vet listened and reviewed all Gib's recent records for about 15 minutes prior to even asking to see Gibson. He was thoughtful and kind to Gib when he handled him (other vets have been rapidly tipping him upside down and kind of rough with him- which traumatized him further...)
Anyway- if anybody needs a good vet in the San Francisco Bay Area, I highly recommend this great clinic. Yvonne G. is going to put him on our tortoiseforum.org list of reliable and helpful tortie vets next week.
Castro Valley Companion Animal Hospital Call510-731-6004
Hours: M-F 8:00am - 6:00pm
Services: Animal Flea Control, Animal Microchipping, Bird Vet, Exotic Animal Vet, Reptile Vet, Small Animal Vet, Spaying/Neutering, Veterinarians, Veterinary Dentistry, Veterinary Euthanasia, Veterinary Medical Specialties, Veterinary Surgery, Veterinary Vaccinations
Description Bios
Dr. Rene Gandolfi Dr. Rene Gandolfi, founder and chief veterinarian at Castro Valley Companion Animal Hospital, brings extraordinary experience and resources to the hospital:
Dr. Gandolfi graduated second in his class from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1981; he has been serving the Castro Valley Community since 1987.
He is a board-certified specialist in Canine and Feline Animal Care and a recognized expert in exotic species, including ferrets, bats and fish.
He routinely lectures on a variety of subjects at veterinary symposia and conferences.
He is the Veterinary Director of Fix our Ferals, an all-volunteer spay and neuter clinic for homeless cats.
He teaches the critical care course for the RVT program at Western Career College, and sits on the College's advisory baord.
He conceived and acted as Veterinary Director of the 1991 (Oakland) Firestorm Lost Pet Hotline.
Prior to becoming a veterinarian, Dr. Gandolfi taught high school (Chemistry, Astronomy and Algebra), and continued to work with children by referreeing high school and youth soccer.
Dr. Gandolfi is very interested in the professional growth of his staff, and approaches every situation with integrity, and compassion.
2509 Lessley Ave, Castro Valley, CA 94546
Call 510-731-6004 Now To Make An Appointment
