Help needed please

[jules70]

Had my baby tortoise to the vets 2 days ago and he diagnosed respitary infection, he gave him/her an antibiotic injection and he said it should make him/her better within a few days.
I have only had it 2 weeks and i bought him/her from a pet shop. He/she is making a squeaking sound and holding his/her head stretched out asif it is choking. It seems to be off its food and all it does is sleep and squeak!
It is an horsefield tortoise and its around 4 months old. He lives in a table top vivarium that is made of wood and he has a uv light and a heat lamp, the hottest part is 30degrees the coldest part is 22degrees. I have bathed him to see if he will drink whst having a bath but he just seems to lay there doing nothing. I dont see any bowel movement in his home either but i have read that they eat it sometimes, due to me working most days i only get to spend evenings with him/her.
Can someone please give me any advice i feel so sorry for it as its just not doing anything.
Another thing i have noticed is that when he/she stretches the neck out as if to breath it rubs its head on its front legs afterwards??

 

[ascott]

Welcome to the Forum We LOVE PICS

I am sorry to hear of your ailing little tortoise....I would be concerned if your vet simply gave one antibiotic injection and sent you home without follow up injections to give and/or feed? I might call your vet to make sure that there are not any follow up instructions/medication.

It usually takes more than one treatment of antibiotics to bring them around.....what was the medication that your vet gave? Was it even an antibiotic or was it a wormer?

Okay, so if your little one is trying to overcome the RI I would increase the temps on your hot side to 35-37 celcius and not let the cool side drop below 30 celcius....and in the night time the lowest over all temp should not fall below 30 celcius.

I would also be sure to soak your tortoise every day in warm water for at least 45 mins (and be sure to keep the tortoise soaking and the soaking water warm the entire soak---if he does do his business while soaking but before the 45 mins then please change the soiled water for fresh warm water and continue the soak). Even if they do not drink the water they are absorbing the water.

I have not used the baby food soaks myself, however, very experienced and hands on keepers/rescuers here have and suggest this for a sickly tortoise....I would absolutely try this as well, from what it sounds like ---your little one will do nothing but benefit...I believe the ratio is 50 % baby food (carrot) to 50 % warm water.....I am sure the folks here that use it will absolutely be along to give better information on the mixing if I have not relayed it to you correctly

Please do call your vet and confirm what the medication was that they injected in your tortoise (unless you already know the exact med) also check with them as to why the med that they used only required one dose and no additional follow up treatments....

Continue to offer food to your tortoise in the event he feels the desire to munch a little....

 

[Shelly]

I agree. Typically antibiotics will be administered every other day for about 10-14 days for a RI. Improvement is noticeable pretty quickly, but it may take several weeks for them to be %100. But more than a single dose of medication is needed.