Kona update

[Wirewehear]

Thank you ladies for thinking of him. We are still fighting the impaction. I took him back to the vet on thursday and had the vet dremel his shell just a bit and vet gave him an enema. Because the impaction is bulging his tail area plus the swelling from surgery, the shell was digging into the top of his tail causing an abrasion. Thats been relieved with dremeling and I'm putting an antiseptic on it. The enema helped to stimulate him but he still cant push out a stool. I soak him, wait for him to push a little out and then I gently pull out as much as I can for him.
Last night was grueling for him. I kept at him for almost an hour but we managed to get enough out of him that at least his little tushy hole could close up to a more comfortable state. But we arent done with it at all. Everything I'm pulling out is still grass. I havent let him graze since the surgery, only feeding him market greens so he is still trying to pass pre-surgery waste.
I didnt push him too much today ... I wanted to give him a break after last night. This is damned uncomfortable for him and painful. Poor guy, breaks my heart to hear him struggle so when he pushes.
I've been sticking to the advice I got here and told the vet about it. He said "thats perfect". He also gave me extra syringes with long tapered tips and told me I could mix water and mineral oil and squirt a little into his tush. So I guess its just a matter of time and patience. Sigh ... but for his sake I wish things would get better soon. I know he has to hate me right now.
Annieski .... I reread your post on the other thread. I'll try to get him moving more but he really doesnt want to wander around. With the partial paralysis he isnt able to get his back end up off the ground much so the bulge from the impaction, his soft anal area rubs on the ground and it irritates him. He'll eat and go straight for a hide to stay in and doesnt come out. He has no urge to graze but will eat moist greens.
I also saw his spinal x-ray (I asked if he could e-mail them to me but he mumbled something about his e-mail skills ... I dont think he wanted to) it was a shot of him while laying on his back. I can see the straight line of his spine then a spot where a splinter sticks out. And not just a tiny splinter ... pretty obvious. Its just about where the place on his shell is that looks like something squashed it ... a little above it (meaning toward his head)
Anyhow ... so we are still working on it. Send him some thoughts please. He is not a happy guy these days.

 

[Annieski]

Believe me---I know what you are going through! I used to "hold-my-breath" when I saw Mortimer "starting to "poo". If Kona is still eating, I would add some cut-up aloe in with his "greens". And there is an "organic-drink"[for people] made of pure aloe juice that I found, that I would put OVER Morty's food. It works like a "natural" laxative. The Vet always stayed very calm with me and kept reassuring me that the days there was "no stool" were ok. The "whole" colon ends up being a bit inflammed and that is what is messing up the whole process. What goes in their mouths TODAY--- doesn't NORMALLY come out the other way for SEVERAL days[I tried this thinking out with "prickly pear fruit" because of the SEEDS---and it is true].
I know, the day "life" returns to "normal", this will all be worth it. Hoping each day gets "better and better"! Annie

 

[Wirewehear]

I know, the day "life" returns to "normal", this will all be worth it. Hoping each day gets "better and better"! Annie

I hope so and thanks. I cut some fresh aloe out of my neighbors yard (and dug up a couple nice size plants to grow myself) I chopped it up but he wasnt interested. But he did already eat a decent amount of greens with the calcionate and mineral oil. I'll try again later.
We did a morning round of pulling out more of his poop and getting ready for an afternoon soak and trying to pull more out. His stools are moving but are too big to come out more than a half inch. I'm not sure if there are sutures in the way or what. Vet said tho, he couldnt remove them for fear that he'll prolapse again. We are just going to have to deal with this until we get to the softer, more moist waste.
On a positive note ... him being only about 15lbs helps. I cant imagine dealing with this on a 100lb sully.

 

[dmmj]

I ain't no lady, but I was thinking of him.

 

[Laura]

what about getting hims some wheels.. like a mini skateboard attached to the back end so he CAN move around more.
thanks for update...

 

[Wirewehear]

I ain't no lady, but I was thinking of him.

lol ... I tried to figure out if you were or not and was too lazy to check your profile, if it mattered, so had to guess. I think it was the little cute dog pic that made me feel it was safe. Either way, now I know and thank you kind "Sir" for thinking of my boy.

---

what about getting hims some wheels.. like a mini skateboard attached to the back end so he CAN move around more.
thanks for update...

Hubby and I were just talking about that today. We arent sure how "wheels" would work going over grass and rock areas so we thought of something more along the line of sled runners. Or something that will give him just a bit of a "lift" on his back end. Like a skid plate, maybe? He actually gets around really well. Just right now the skin under his tail bulges out, beyond and beneath the shell so it scrapes on the ground as he walks. ...... Ah - just got your gist. You mean something temporary for the situation he is in now. Got it and good idea. I'll check the garage and see if there is something I can improvise with.

 

[Wirewehear]

Yanno ... we just had another "session". There is a suture in the way. Either it moved and is now blocking his ability to pass a stool or thats been blocking him all along. I didnt see it until today. His sutures have been to the side of the anal passage. I'll need to call the Vet again and ask specifically "how" and where he sutured.
Lately, I havent been too happy with Vets. Here in the desert valley vet services are not only much more expensive than any place else I've been too but after 4 yrs of trying numerous vets I still havent found one I'm satisfied with. Sigh ...

 

[Kristina]

Try feeding him some cooked or canned pumpkin (pure pureed pumpkin, NOT pie filling.) It acts as a natural laxative and will soften the stools and clean him out.

Poor baby, I hope he feels better soon.

 

[Annieski]

Yvie---I was thinking of Kona's "bottom" and the dragging. There are these halved "ball-disks" that are used as protectors for walls, so that when opening a door, the doorknob will not go into the sheetrock. They are made of , I think, pvc and a small rubber disk in the center. Maybe you could attach something like that near the center or nearer the end of Kona's bottom and it would give him "a little lift" but not get in the way. Or the little wheels that come with "Lego building kits", and attack with a little "fun tack" and perhaps a piece of "string" around his shell for some staying power[especially since it is just a temporary assist. There was, I think, a pic. of another tortoise that had a leg eaten or amputated and this was the "fix" that was used[it might have been a posting on this forum]. Since Kona is under your "watchful-eye",it might help and not cause any more difficulties than he already has. JMT