HELP! Lost/Hibernation

[Kristin'sTortie]

Hi everyone,

I need help with my Russian Tortoise. I've personally owned Tortie for 16 years. I bought him from Petco in Las Vegas and kept him in my classroom. Fast forward 10 years and I've moved back to Washington. He's been in my classroom until last year when I wasn't in a classroom. A friend had him in her classroom. When I got him back, his lower beak is extremely overgrown (but that's another issue). I immediately started him on calcium and had him outside as much as possible. Well one day while he was happily cruising around the yard, he disappeared. I looked and looked and couldn't find him. For two months he was gone, through pouring rain, hail and wind storms....until yesterday. My daughter found a filthy, cold Tortie on the side of our house. I rushed him inside. He got a warm soak and I cleaned him up. He was pretty active, trying to escape as he usually would, and voided a huge white blob (he's never done one that big). Now he's in a temporary enclosure with his heat lamp, until I can get his enclosure up and back together (I really thought he was gone for good). Since he's been back (less than 24 hours) he's been lethargic and sleeping in the corner. I'm going to soak him again today. Any advice? His overgrown bottom beak looks HORRIBLE too. It's much more pronounced. HELP!!

 

[JoesMum]

Congratulations on the return of your tort.

The overgrown beak is best filed down by a vet as soon as possible as it will inhibit eating.

The white blob is urate. It's not uncommon for it to be very large after hibernation.

The key to getting your tort active again is to get it warm enough and do lots of soaks. I soak my tort twice a day for the first week after hibernation and then reduce it to daily for the next fortnight.

You need to get your tort basking at 95F - get a temperature gun thermometer from Amazon; they're not expensive.

Please read our Russian Tort Care Sheet as it will help you to get the enclosure setup right for your tort to recover as quickly as possible.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[TortoiseWarrior]

Hi and welcome. Yeah that does look a little sideways. Does he have trouble eating? No dislocation right? Just overgrown?

 

[Kristin'sTortie]

I've been obsessively checking the temp. Originally he was basking under the lamp and then moved off to the side a bit. I raised his lamp as it was 102 degrees and it's now down to 98. He pokes his head out when I check on him and his eyes look good. I'm worried as he went into hibernation without fasting or otherwise being prepared.

 

[JoesMum]

I've been obsessively checking the temp. Originally he was basking under the lamp and then moved off to the side a bit. I raised his lamp as it was 102 degrees and it's now down to 98. He pokes his head out when I check on him and his eyes look good. I'm worried as he went into hibernation without fasting or otherwise being prepared.

I shouldn't worry too much. Joe takes a good week to come round properly from hibernation (and he's done 45 with us)

His picks at food until the massive urate, and then he starts to eat better after that. His appetite seems to take a week or two to return fully from there

 

[Kristin'sTortie]

He's able to eat (surprisingly). It looks like he has a wooden spoon attached to his face. I've yet to find a vet who will look at tortoises. I've got a call into a vet program at a University and am hoping they can help or refer me. I live in a farming community so it's hard to find someone with reptile experience. It looks like it's doubled since his recent disappearance.

 

[JoesMum]

Just keep an eye open for any signs of a runny nose or respiratory infection. Getting the beak seen to is a priority though.

 

[JoesMum]

He's able to eat (surprisingly). It looks like he has a wooden spoon attached to his face. I've yet to find a vet who will look at tortoises. I've got a call into a vet program at a University and am hoping they can help or refer me. I live in a farming community so it's hard to find someone with reptile experience. It looks like it's doubled since his recent disappearance.

Whereabouts do you live? Someone on here may be able to help

 

[Kristin'sTortie]

Enumclaw, Washington.
He's sneezed a time or two, which he's never done. There's no discharge or fluid in his eyes or nose (or mouth). When he first went missing I posted his escape on a local community facebook page. Several tortoise owners have contacted me. I've reached out to them to see if they have a vet they use. One woman recommended a vet, but he's 2 hours away.
I contacted on vet who I found online who was about an hour away. He wanted $200.00 just to examine him - which I thought was insane (and I couldn't afford, especially since that was just the starting point. I'm banking on him needing antibiotics as his sneezing is new. He most certainly was not prepared to hibernate (he'd spent the entire day in his outdoor area munching on weeds and plants). He was much fatter than he is now. He went from a spry teenager to a haggered old man in two months. I'm getting ready to soak him again. I'm trying not to stress him out too much, but he seems dehydrated to me. He did pass a very large urate, and was very active during the soak. But it was more of a "get me out of here!" active than a "I'm relaxing in this tub" kind of thing.
Every time I check on him, he pops his neck out and stares at me. As I type this he's starting to move around a bit, but keeps falling asleep mid move.

 

[Yvonne G]

SEATTLE

Tracy Bennett, DVM
Bird & Exotic Clinic of Seattle
4019 Aurora Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98103
Tel: (206) 783-4538

Bird and Exotic Clinic
4019 Aurora Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98103
206 783-4538
http://birdandexotic.com/

http://seattleturtleandtortoiseclub.com/

That beak needs to be addressed as soon as you possibly can. When allowed to stay in that shape it starts to misalign the jaw and once that happens, you end up having to trim the beak the rest of the tortoise's life. If you can get it back where it belongs soon, it might stay growing correctly with a good diet/nutrition/calcium.

 

[Kristin'sTortie]

Thank you. I found one in Spanaway. Hoping to get him in soon.