Please can you help . My 23yr old Herman’s has broken his palette and beak and is struggling to eat . He’s been to vets but the only advice was not to hibernate him ( which I wouldn’t have done anyway ). I’m so worried about my boy , any advice would really help .
Help (broken palette and beak)
- Thread starter MrbJake
- Start date
Find a different vet. If he can't eat or open and close his mouth he would need to be tube fed.
How do you know it's broken? What happened that you think this?
How do you know it's broken? What happened that you think this?
Hard to tell what you're talking about, but what I'm seeing is his beak isn't sharp enough to be able to bite off chunks. I suggest you cut thefood up into ver,y ,VERY small pieces. That way he can just tongue it into his mouth.
A friend got him out of his run to show her child and she did what I asked her not to do and that was not to take her eyes off him as they move quicker than you’d think and my garden is huge . He’d been missing since end of July . I found him heading into my greenhouse. I’m giving him a bath twice a day and I have noticed him putting his mouth in to drink but wether he can drink I’m not sure . . I am using a syringe to put a drop or 2 of water in his mouth, just enough to wet his mouth and gives him a chance to swallow if he wants to . I have set his indoor run up with extra lights/uv/ heaters and have given him an extra large bath but I need him to eat . He has lost weight and was dehydrated when I found him .
The vet told me that it’s broken . I wasn’t really impressed with the vet myself but it’s the only one in my area that deals with reptiles . I am going to call the vets again monday . If he needs to be tube fed then I need to be shown how to do it properly and know what I should give him .
Yes I am doing that and putting watermelon in the mix to help his dehydration but he’s not eating hardly anything . I’ve even blended his food for him but again hardly anything .
You could try soaking him in warm water with piedialyte and pureed baby food carrots or squash mixed in the soak water. This will give him some nutrition and maybe get him to eat. You can also give him canned pure pumpkin to try and eat. Make all foods mushy.
Hadn’t thought of baby food . Ta
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Does he like Mazuri? Even if he hasn't eaten it before, he might eat it now. That can be soaked until it's mush, and provides good nutrition.
I’ve not heard of Mazuri but I’ll get some . Thanks
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
In EU/UK it can be sold as Nutrazu (both Mazuri and Nutrazu are Purina brands). If you want to give it a try, seek "classic" 5M21, not newer LS formula. LS has better composition but most tortoises don't like it (but some have just the opposite preference for LS and ignore 5M21).
Also, Hikari Mulberrific can be used instead of Mazuri. Good composition and highly palatable.
Thank you I’ll get some asap .
Thank you,
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
Keep us updated with him!
