Hole in Jaw

M

Maggie Cummings

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Where did you acquire the tortoise from? What was the set up that the tortoise was in before you got him?

Her set-up is perfect. Temps are good and she has a machine that blows humidity in. it's a closed chamber. I liked it. After holding him for a bit and putting him in warm water his eyes were open. She got him from a pet shop. I think he has an URI. She is doing good by him. I believe he was sick when she got him. Pet shop made her sign a paper saying they weren't responsible for him anymore. She's putting him in the sun as often as possible.And he's on Baytril
 

J_Alba1980

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I got him from a pet store.. The place I got him from had the babies hot and humid, and the guy stressed to me that they are NOT to be kept dry. He also said that he couldn't guarantee how they were kept before I got him. The other pet store nearby had their babies hot and dry. Walter is still not eating, it's been almost 3 weeks. His whole shell is soft and squishy, he won't open his eyes and has become more lethargic. I read a post on here from Tom called Hatching Failure Syndrome, and it describes Walter perfectly. It doesn't sound like he is going to pull through, but I"m not going to stop doing everything I possibly can until....
 

J_Alba1980

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Quoted from Tom's Hatchling Failure Syndrome Post : "Here are the symptoms: Everything seems fine for weeks or months with your newly acquired hatchling and then their appetite drops a little and they hide or sleep a little more. Then the shell starts feeling a little softer than you remember. Then the eyes don't want to open and the lethargy really sets in. Eating stops or is greatly reduced. Usually the hatchling has barely grown even when they make it through this period for several months. The shell ends up feeling "squishy" and sometimes changes color a little. Within a week or two of this, they usually die. No amount of time or money spent seems to stop this process once it gets to a certain point."


Maggie, I can't thank you enough for coming to asses Walter. His shell is even squishier now than when you were here. He won't open his eyes even when in his bath (still with carrot food). I guess a small glimmer of hope is that he had a teeny tiny, super weird looking poo in his cage this morning. It was black, kinda shiny but dry and stringy.
 

J_Alba1980

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:( Ugh. Today his entire undershell feels like a water balloon. When I gently press on it, the whole thing jiggles like jello when I let up pressure. It whooshes in and out when he breathes. Is there a point where I should consider euthanasia so he isn't suffering?
 

katieandiggy

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It really does sound like he is suffering, I would personally be considering it. I hate to see an animal suffer so much when the end is inevitable. So sorry [emoji170]
 

daniellenc

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I would euthanize even though he can’t say he’s in pain that can’t feel good after three weeks with progressive decline
 

ascott

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:( Ugh. Today his entire undershell feels like a water balloon. When I gently press on it, the whole thing jiggles like jello when I let up pressure. It whooshes in and out when he breathes. Is there a point where I should consider euthanasia so he isn't suffering?

Perhaps, have you asked Maggie if she is willing to take on this little one? I mean you no dis respect....sometimes a person who has "done it before" may be helpful? Just a thought...
 

J_Alba1980

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I picked up Walter for his bath and did our daily inspection of condition, and his under shell was translucent. I could see what I can only guess were organs sloshing around. He wasn't moving, so I took him to my work and we did an ultrasound to see if his heart was still beating. It was not. I did my very best for him, I feel like a failure :(
 

Yvonne G

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You're not a failure. I've been doing this for a very long time, and, in my experience, once the shell develops that "see through" appearance, he can't be saved.

Please accept my most sincere condolences. You did a very good job trying to save him.
 

ShirleyTX

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You went above and beyond what many of us would be able to do. No way you are a failure. In fact, we know that tortoises are smart and at some level, I know he felt cared for. His baths no doubt comforted him. Remember in the wild, the survival rate for hatchlings is very low.... this just wasn’t to be for him. I’m so sorry.
 
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