Injections calcium!

[philipgreece]

Hello all of you! After the discussion with my vet she told if there is another vet in my town! I told her there is a vet that examines sea turtles! She told me its ok! They came in contact both and my main vet told her the exact instructions and the right medicine! By the way the vet in my town checked their shells of my both tortoises and she told me indeed the shells are flexible in belly and on shell too! She gave very very small dose of injections! So one injections
for vitamins and one for calcium! She told me no more injections for vitamins but we have to do another injections for calcium after 6 weeks and we will see if we will do another depends the situation! Wilma is ok! All injections were received in front legs! Danny though limps a little bit! I don't see anything bruise or swelling! I wonder if a nerve is sensitive and I'm afraid to go for the second injections! Any idea? The shell of danny especially yes its flexible!

 

[RandyTortoise]

Hello all of you! After the discussion with my vet she told if there is another vet in my town! I told her there is a vet that examines sea turtles! She told me its ok! They came in contact both and my main vet told her the exact instructions and the right medicine! By the way the vet in my town checked their shells of my both tortoises and she told me indeed the shells are flexible in belly and on shell too! She gave very very small dose of injections! So one injections
for vitamins and one for calcium! She told me no more injections for vitamins but we have to do another injections for calcium after 6 weeks and we will see if we will do another depends the situation! Wilma is ok! All injections were received in front legs! Danny though limps a little bit! I don't see anything bruise or swelling! I wonder if a nerve is sensitive and I'm afraid to go for the second injections! Any idea? The shell of danny especially yes its flexible!

Personally, I don’t think injections of calcium are any more effective than calcium powder with vitamin D that you can put on their food. You coild
Simply add calcium supplement to their food every few days until you see improvement and save a lot on vet bills. That is what I would do personally.

 

[Tom]

Hello all of you! After the discussion with my vet she told if there is another vet in my town! I told her there is a vet that examines sea turtles! She told me its ok! They came in contact both and my main vet told her the exact instructions and the right medicine! By the way the vet in my town checked their shells of my both tortoises and she told me indeed the shells are flexible in belly and on shell too! She gave very very small dose of injections! So one injections
for vitamins and one for calcium! She told me no more injections for vitamins but we have to do another injections for calcium after 6 weeks and we will see if we will do another depends the situation! Wilma is ok! All injections were received in front legs! Danny though limps a little bit! I don't see anything bruise or swelling! I wonder if a nerve is sensitive and I'm afraid to go for the second injections! Any idea? The shell of danny especially yes its flexible!

Tortoises don't need vitamin injections ever, and its a rare dire case that would need a calcium injection, and by the time it is needed, it would be too late anyway.

If your tortoises are getting a decent diet of weeds, or grocery store greens with calcium powder added occasionally, and have a UV source like the sun or an HO tube indoors, then they should not need any additional calcium. Tortoises shells are supposed to be a little flexible, they just sold not feel soft like a sponge. I think you are doing more harm than good by injecting calcium into them.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!
Watch Danny for a couple of days. If he is not getting better, then I would be worried.

As of the injections - both vitamin and calcium shots are acceptable if dosage is correct (sadly, not all vets can calculate it right). I agree with RandyTortoise that calcium-rich greens and some calcium powder applied on a regular basis would be effective too. I would not use calcium with D3 because sun in Greece is still hot and UV index is high.

One thing is concerning: as I remember, you provide your tortoises calcium supplements and feed them a good variety of greens. If shells are still notably soft, this could point to bad calcium absorption, which, in turn, can be a sign of kidney problems, for example.

Vet bills are probably not a big deal. At least in Cyprus, a visit + X-ray is around 60 USD (I guess in Greece it's close to that). Blood tests are rather expensive, though.

 

[philipgreece]

T

Tortoises don't need vitamin injections ever, and its a rare dire case that would need a calcium injection, and by the time it is needed, it would be too late anyway.

If your tortoises are getting a decent diet of weeds, or grocery store greens with calcium powder added occasionally, and have a UV source like the sun or an HO tube indoors, then they should not need any additional calcium. Tortoises shells are supposed to be a little flexible, they just sold not feel soft like a sponge. I think you are doing more harm than good by injecting calcium into them.

Thank you for your answer! Im afraid so much about the next appointment injections! Should I continue or stop them?

 

[philipgreece]

Hello!
Watch Danny for a couple of days. If he is not getting better, then I would be worried.

As of the injections - both vitamin and calcium shots are acceptable if dosage is correct (sadly, not all vets can calculate it right). I agree with RandyTortoise that calcium-rich greens and some calcium powder applied on a regular basis would be effective too. I would not use calcium with D3 because sun in Greece is still hot and UV index is high.

One thing is concerning: as I remember, you provide your tortoises calcium supplements and feed them a good variety of greens. If shells are still notably soft, this could point to bad calcium absorption, which, in turn, can be a sign of kidney problems, for example.

Vet bills are probably not a big deal. At least in Cyprus, a visit + X-ray is around 60 USD (I guess in Greece it's close to that). Blood tests are rather expensive, though.

I think danny doesn't absorb calcium correctly! Are there any exams for more health issues? Danny eats good though! Should I stop the injections?

 

[philipgreece]

T

Personally, I don’t think injections of calcium are any more effective than calcium powder with vitamin D that you can put on their food. You coild
Simply add calcium supplement to their food every few days until you see improvement and save a lot on vet bills. That is what I would do personally.

Thank you a lot! I worry about his movement now! The first 2 days was ok! Now 5 days he limps in his left arm! He can walk but not perfect!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I think danny doesn't absorb calcium correctly! Are there any exams for more health issues? Danny eats good though! Should I stop the injections?

One of the tests is blood biochemistry (and this one is expensive ) and the second is an X-ray to assess bone density (to my knowledge, it should be done in multiple projections).

I should see my reptile vet next week. I'll ask about your situation and, hopefully, will come back with some recommendations.

 

[philipgreece]

One of the tests is blood biochemistry (and this one is expensive ) and the second is an X-ray to assess bone density (to my knowledge, it should be done in multiple projections).

I should see my reptile vet next week. I'll ask about your situation and, hopefully, will come back with some recommendations.

Please yes ask! Thank you so much!

 

[zovick]

T

Thank you a lot! I worry about his movement now! The first 2 days was ok! Now 5 days he limps in his left arm! He can walk but not perfect!

If I were you, I would forget about any more injections of calcium or vitamins. The sore leg is no doubt a result of the injection(s). Tortoises can get all the calcium they need by eating a good diet (and having access to UV light).

 

[philipgreece]

If I were you, I would forget about any more injections of calcium or vitamins. The sore leg is no doubt a result of the injection(s). Tortoises can get all the calcium they need by eating a good diet (and having access to UV light).

Thank you! That's I'm going to do! No more injections! I have to give him good diet! All I see is that he search for dandelions but in Greece the summer is difficult to grow these! Only in winter!

 

[COmtnLady]

NO!!!!
No vitamin injections, NO calcium injections. If you are lucky no damage has been done, but BOTH of those are completely unnecessary AND frequently do more harm than good. Any vet that recommends them does NOT KNOW tortoises!!!

The universities that Veterinarians go to put most of the instruction on mammals and more common pets. The students get very little about reptiles in general, and that small amount is further parceled into even less about tortoises. Many Vets cannot even tell one species of tortoise from another, which can be very harmful due to the differences in diet and care, and end up recommending things that are wrong. On top of that, the bulk of information available online and in textbooks, even from other tortoise keepers, is severely out-dated. The information on Tortoise Forum is unique, and better, but most Vets are not aware of it.

 

[philipgreece]

NO!!!!
No vitamin injections, NO calcium injections. If you are lucky no damage has been done, but BOTH of those are completely unnecessary AND frequently do more harm than good. Any vet that recommends them does NOT KNOW tortoises!!!

The universities that Veterinarians go to put most of the instruction on mammals and more common pets. The students get very little about reptiles in general, and that small amount is further parceled into even less about tortoises. Many Vets cannot even tell one species of tortoise from another, which can be very harmful due to the differences in diet and care, and end up recommending things that are wrong. On top of that, the bulk of information available online and in textbooks, even from other tortoise keepers, is severely out-dated. The information on Tortoise Forum is unique, and better, but most Vets are not aware of it.

Do you think that my danny has damage? I see him about 6 days and he limps a little bit!

 

[COmtnLady]

Just watch him. Probably the limp is from the injection and should go away in several days, but watch it closely anyhow. If it gets worse or doesn't seem to improve tell us about it. The vitamin and calcium injections can easily overload a tortoise's system, they sometimes damage internal organs. Again, keep an eye on him over the next week or two to see if he becomes lethargic or acts like he's not feeling well.

Nice warm daily soaks will help him even if he doesn't have a poor reaction to the injections. The water should only be as deep as where his two parts of his shells come together, and the water needs to be 35C/95F. Because the water is shallow it will cool off quickly, so monitor it closely and warm it up whenever it drops a few degrees.

Keep him warm and in humidity, to help also.

Don't get any more injections. Why did you go to the Vet in the first place?

 

[philipgreece]

Just watch him. Probably the limp is from the injection and should go away in several days, but watch it closely anyhow. If it gets worse or doesn't seem to improve tell us about it. The vitamin and calcium injections can easily overload a tortoise's system, they sometimes damage internal organs. Again, keep an eye on him over the next week or two to see if he becomes lethargic or acts like he's not feeling well.

Nice warm daily soaks will help him even if he doesn't have a poor reaction to the injections. The water should only be as deep as where his two parts of his shells come together, and the water needs to be 35C/95F. Because the water is shallow it will cool off quickly, so monitor it closely and warm it up whenever it drops a few degrees.

Keep him warm and in humidity, to help also.

Don't get any more injections. Why did you go to the Vet in the first place?

I watch him everyday! He eats but not so much! He loves dandelion greens and other greens but I can't find at the moment! I went to the vet because for 1 year and half his shell was the same and his belly! Flexible! I regretted and I will stop the other injections too! I soaked him and I see better movement when I release him! I have warm weather here! At night I have 22 degrees out but I have a lot of humidity! Should I take him inside or to leave him in his enclosure?

 

[TammyJ]

Does your tortoise have an indoor enclosure with all the correct conditions of temperatures, lights and humidity?

 

[philipgreece]

Does your tortoise have an indoor enclosure with all the correct conditions of temperatures, lights and humidity?

Yes! But the sun its too hot in Greece!

 

[COmtnLady]

It is difficult for us to know what is going on with him when you use generalities in your descriptions. For example : Other people have come here with a problem and said they had a good enclosure, only for us to to discover, twenty or thirty posts later, that they had the wrong types of lights, or their substrate was sandy, or they couldn't keep the humidity at the correct levels because there was no top - and once that detail was changed their problem went away. So - please be specific when you explain.

What do you mean when you say, "He eats but not so much! He loves dandelion greens and other greens but I can't find at the moment!"?
It is important to offer as much as he will eat. Think of your tortoise's shell as a bowl, and give that much "salad" at each feeding. If your tortoise does not eat it all, give a little less the next day. If your tortoise eats all of it, give a little more. Most tortoises eat different amounts at different times of the year, you have to constantly adjust the quantity. But, at all times it is important that you make sure your tortoise is getting enough variety and quantity. He has no way to get the types of food, or the amount of food, that he needs if you don't give it to him.

It would be good to keep a whole cuttlebone in each of the enclosures where your tortoises can easily reach them. That way he (or your other tortoise) can bite of small pieces anytime they need more calcium. Also, continue to put powdered calcium on his food two or three times per week.

Please post pictures of the enclosures.

Does his limp seem to be going away yet? Is it getting worse? Does the injection site look irritated or puffy? Can you still see the mark where his skin was pierced?

When you say his shell and plastron are soft, can you compare what it feels like to something everyone everywhere has touched, so we can understand exactly what you are concerned about. Does it feel like a loaf of bread? Does it feel like a full wine skin? Does it feel like a bag of uncooked rice? Does it feel like a pie pan/tin? What would you compare it with?

I seem to be guilty of generalizations, too. When I say "watch him", a better term would be monitor him. Is he as active as before the trip to the vet? Or is he not moving as much. Is he eating at all? Does he duck his head (withdraw into his shell) if something startles him? Much like when you have a sick child, how is he acting the same or different?

Soaking is a magic tonic for so many problems! It hydrates the tortoise, provides exercise, it encourages urination and elimination of excrement, can open up a constipated tortoise. It almost isn't possible to soak too much. If he's that energetic when when you put him back into his enclosure, soak him more often!

 

[philipgreece]

It is difficult for us to know what is going on with him when you use generalities in your descriptions. For example : Other people have come here with a problem and said they had a good enclosure, only for us to to discover, twenty or thirty posts later, that they had the wrong types of lights, or their substrate was sandy, or they couldn't keep the humidity at the correct levels because there was no top - and once that detail was changed their problem went away. So - please be specific when you explain.

What do you mean when you say, "He eats but not so much! He loves dandelion greens and other greens but I can't find at the moment!"?
It is important to offer as much as he will eat. Think of your tortoise's shell as a bowl, and give that much "salad" at each feeding. If your tortoise does not eat it all, give a little less the next day. If your tortoise eats all of it, give a little more. Most tortoises eat different amounts at different times of the year, you have to constantly adjust the quantity. But, at all times it is important that you make sure your tortoise is getting enough variety and quantity. He has no way to get the types of food, or the amount of food, that he needs if you don't give it to him.

It would be good to keep a whole cuttlebone in each of the enclosures where your tortoises can easily reach them. That way he (or your other tortoise) can bite of small pieces anytime they need more calcium. Also, continue to put powdered calcium on his food two or three times per week.

Please post pictures of the enclosures.

Does his limp seem to be going away yet? Is it getting worse? Does the injection site look irritated or puffy? Can you still see the mark where his skin was pierced?

When you say his shell and plastron are soft, can you compare what it feels like to something everyone everywhere has touched, so we can understand exactly what you are concerned about. Does it feel like a loaf of bread? Does it feel like a full wine skin? Does it feel like a bag of uncooked rice? Does it feel like a pie pan/tin? What would you compare it with?

I seem to be guilty of generalizations, too. When I say "watch him", a better term would be monitor him. Is he as active as before the trip to the vet? Or is he not moving as much. Is he eating at all? Does he duck his head (withdraw into his shell) if something startles him? Much like when you have a sick child, how is he acting the same or different?

Soaking is a magic tonic for so many problems! It hydrates the tortoise, provides exercise, it encourages urination and elimination of excrement, can open up a constipated tortoise. It almost isn't possible to soak too much. If he's that energetic when when you put him back into his enclosure, soak him more often!

Hello and sorry about the delay! Ok lets take it from the beginning! When i took them from a pet shop I took advice from pet shop! For almost 2 years no good sun and food! In winter too! So I started ask more advanced! I found a vet and she gave me advices! So 2 years now I give my best! Now danny and wilma are 4 years old! Danny is 820 grams! Wilma 640 grams!Danny has flexible belly and some parts on shell! Its like rubber! Not like sponge! Before I take them for injections danny was moving nice! My enclosures are 4×2 with coco coir and I mist them every 3 days! At night the temperature is 22 degrees and 70%humidity! The routine is this! I wake them up 9 o'clock and I release them outside in a space 8×8 feet! I feed them cactus twice a week,hibiscus,mulberry leaves twice per week with mix grassland food from zoo med,lettuce,arugula,ruellia flowers! I sprinkle 2 times per week calcium! 3 fays per week soaking for 40 minutes! Should I wake them up everyday? They don't wake up on their own now in September! What should I change? As for the injection danny has no swelling leg or something weird on it! Today i saw a little bit improvement! Danny also has some pyramid! I have also to go for xray because he has some rocks but he poops normally!

 

[philipgreece]

Hello and sorry about the delay! Ok lets take it from the beginning! When i took them from a pet shop I took advice from pet shop! For almost 2 years no good sun and food! In winter too! So I started ask more advanced! I found a vet and she gave me advices! So 2 years now I give my best! Now danny and wilma are 4 years old! Danny is 820 grams! Wilma 640 grams!Danny has flexible belly and some parts on shell! Its like rubber! Not like sponge! Before I take them for injections danny was moving nice! My enclosures are 4×2 with coco coir and I mist them every 3 days! At night the temperature is 22 degrees and 70%humidity! The routine is this! I wake them up 9 o'clock and I release them outside in a space 8×8 feet! I feed them cactus twice a week,hibiscus,mulberry leaves twice per week with mix grassland food from zoo med,lettuce,arugula,ruellia flowers! I sprinkle 2 times per week calcium! 3 fays per week soaking for 40 minutes! Should I wake them up everyday? They don't wake up on their own now in September! What should I change? As for the injection danny has no swelling leg or something weird on it! Today i saw a little bit improvement! Danny also has some pyramid! I have also to go for xray because he has some rocks but he poops normally!

@Alex and the Redfoot what's your opinion? Should I keep ye routine? I mean To wake them up and give them exercise and food or leave them sleep and wake up when they want?