Help me please! (Prolapse)

[Hesh1212]

Utahans Courtney, I was goin to take him on this week just to be safe. Hesh is acting normal and enjoying his brand new enclosure. I haven't seen a stole yet so I'm hoping that happens soon.


Thanks for everyone's support. It was so so helpful and very appreciative :]

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Wow thanks***

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(Apparently I can't type in the a.m.) lol

 

[sibi]

I absolutely agree! Don't fool around with prolepses. I would use corn syrup instead of sugar. The corn syrup helps to reduce swelling and the wrap will help to keep it wet. If parts of the prolapse dries, the tissue will die. If the tissue dies, it will need to be cut out or your tort WILL die. Torts never show that anything is wrong. Even when in pain, they will walk around, eat, drink, and otherwise act normal. It would be a big mistake to think he's fine. There may be a chance that the prolapse will go back in by itself, but in your case, I doubt it will. A vet will need to ID the organ, and repair any damage. My fear is that in the first hour or so when you didn't know what this was, the organ may have dried in areas, and now some tissue is dead. It will need to be removed because dead tissue will cause infection and death. I went through this some 15 years ago. I, like you, didn't know what the h** it was. I went to a local vet in the middle of the night. He didn't know what he was doing, and actually poked a hole through my turtle's butt. I took him to a tort specialist the next day. I didn't know to soak her in syrup to reduce swelling or to keep the tissue wet. As a result, some of the tissue died and it had to be cut out. She almost died, it the vet knew what be was doing and she is now 25 years old today! So, please don't delay. Get to a vet who has worked with torts. And, keep us posted.

Definitely rectal or cloacal prolapse. Needs to be taken to the vet to be reduced. They usually need to be sedated and a purse string put in to keep it from re-prolapsing. Can die if not corrected.

 

[Hesh1212]

Wow sibi that's a story but I'm glad it worked out :] I'm taking him in on Thursday. I doctored him all weekend and it went back inside and everything looks great so I hope all is well. Your reply kinda scared me, not gonna lie, cuz I don't want Hesh to die!! Prolapse is nothing to mess around with. I had no idea they don't show sign of being in pain, great fact!

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I will definitely keep everyone update :]

 

[Hesh1212]

Well it happened again today at. I have an appointment tomorrow at 9 so I will update this thread after that. Cross your fingers!

 

[CourtneyG]

Really do try to figure out what has caused this.

 

[Hesh1212]

Okay, just got back from the rep vet. Expensive but worth it! The vet said it looks like cloaca prolapse and they gave me at home treatment stuff. The vet will call me in a couple days to check but she said she is wanting to try this first instead of surgery

Totally sad and hope he gets better. Vet also said his shell is really soft and that might just come with age, but I need to get more calcium in him. She suggest dog food!!! I was strucken back by that, what are your thoughts.

 

[theelectraco]

Isn't the 'surgery ' just a few stitches? Doesn't it need to be stitched in to prevent it from happening again...

 

[Hesh1212]

I would assume the vet knew what she was doing and wants to have that be last resort since he's only a couple months old. She wants to see if it will stay in by itself with the at home treatment they want me to do.

 

[CourtneyG]

Dog food? She does realize this is not a box turtle, they do not need high levels of protein. Just feed him spring green mix with mazuri or grassland tortoise food, and then about twice a week dust with some reptile calcium powder plus.

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I would assume the vet knew what she was doing and wants to have that be last resort since he's only a couple months old. She wants to see if it will stay in by itself with the at home treatment they want me to do.

Not sure if she knows what she is doing suggesting dog food, and what exactly is the home treatment?

 

[Hesh1212]

Ok thanks for those tips! Is spinach bad?

When she said dog food that raised a flag but that was just a thought.

And of course you can ask :]
I have dexterous that I put on the prolapse and then slowly push it back in. If the swelling doesn't go down or it keeps coming back out. He will need stitches :[

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It's staying in and I'm trying to let him be so he can be as stress free as possible.

 

[theelectraco]

She probably doesn't know what she's talking about honestly.

 

[CourtneyG]

Ok thanks for those tips! Is spinach bad?

When she said dog food that raised a flag but that was just a thought.

And of course you can ask :]
I have dexterous that I put on the prolapse and then slowly push it back in. If the swelling doesn't go down or it keeps coming back out. He will need stitches :[

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It's staying in and I'm trying to let him be so he can be as stress free as possible.

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Dexterous? As in precise hand movements? Spinich is something that can be fed, but not often.

 

[Hesh1212]

I might be spelling it wrong but it helps with swelling. So far today it's been in so I'm hopping I don't have to see another rep vet, which I just might cuz I care for my tort so much, even if its 2 hours away..you guys/girls help a lot and your opinions really matter to me.

 

[theelectraco]

I think he means dextrose( glucose)

 

[sibi]

Omg! That's outrageous. What kind of rep vet is she? A prolapse that had come out twice now, and she gives you a home remedy? I would go to another vet! Someone who can tell you if he has done this before. The tissue has to be examined and checked for dead tissue, and if there is, it needs to be cut out before being stitched back in. I'm so surprised at that vet. Prolepses can kill your tort if not treated properly. If he prolapse again, be more demanding with whoever you see. Keep us posted.

 

[abclements]

Hesh your little one is a red foot right? I'm sorry Courtney but redfoots do need protein. Not as much as a boxie but the still need more protein than the average tort... a high quality, low fat dog or cat food is a decent way to up both calcium and protein intake... and that's how some people do it. Now honestly if you are gonna go the dog food route, it may be better to consider Mazuri instead, same nutritional benefits and it has been proven. With a soft shell you may even want to consider dusting Mazuri with a little calcium powder too. Also I would use the zoomed forest tort food not the grassland tort food, if you're gonna go that route, and also dust that with calcium powder. I don't mean to step on anybody's toes, I just want to set the record straight. I hope your little guy gets better without stitches! I think your vet knows more than were giving her credit for, she just wants to try the least invasive things first.

 

[CourtneyG]

Hesh your little one is a red foot right? I'm sorry Courtney but redfoots do need protein. Not as much as a boxie but the still need more protein than the average tort... a high quality, low fat dog or cat food is a decent way to up both calcium and protein intake... and that's how some people do it. Now honestly if you are gonna go the dog food route, it may be better to consider Mazuri instead, same nutritional benefits and it has been proven. With a soft shell you may even want to consider dusting Mazuri with a little calcium powder too. Also I would use the zoomed forest tort food not the grassland tort food, if you're gonna go that route, and also dust that with calcium powder. I don't mean to step on anybody's toes, I just want to set the record straight. I hope your little guy gets better without stitches! I think your vet knows more than were giving her credit for, she just wants to try the least invasive things first.

I am glad you know their diet, really not familiar with diets of the Redfoot species. I know that majority of prolapse are normally caused by improper diet, try changing his diet first to a correct one and see I that helps. But you really do need to find a proper vet, a second prolapse is extremely serious and needs to be stitched back in. Where do you live? Is there a zoo nearby? if so call the switchboard and ask to talk to the vet and see what can be done.

 

[deadheadvet]

The amino acid type in dog food is backwards for tortoises. Not a good idea. You are better off adding either Mazuri or Marion Zoological Diet. It has the correct formulation for tortoises and they generally like it. Spinach every so often is fine, very high in calcium.
If you don't have any tortoise diet, you can get it from coastal silkworms or I would be willing to sell you some. Just PM me. I keep large amounts of both on hand for all my tortoises.