Looking for some opinions regarding my vet visit...

[mercurysmom]

This Tuesday, (August 21st), I noticed bubbles on Mercury's nose (my 3-year-old Sulcata). I knew that was a bad sign, and was going on vacation, so I took him that day to All Creatures Care cottage in Costa Mesa (this is on the vet list).

About a month ago, I'd gotten two new baby hatchlings, and decided to bring them along with me to get them in the database, and a basic check up. (it's a 30 minute drive so I just thought I'd get the most out of the trip)

To my surprise, the vet told me that Bowser, my smaller hatchling, was severely dehydrated, and losing his sight because of it. His shell was soft, and he was very weak. (he'd always had trouble opening his eyes, and he had a softer shell, but I thought it was because he was so young)

I knew he was behind in his growth, he was always pretty light, and he hadn't grown at all while my other hatchling's shell scutes had started separating. but he'd been eating and pooping and drinking: so I hadn't been too worried. I thought maybe he was just a runt.
I took her word tho, and she prescribed him some calcium syrup and gave him an injection of vitamin A and D.

This morning, bowser was no longer with us.

I can't help but wonder if the vet made a mistake. I know that she had the best intentions, but my tortoise is dead less than 48 hours after his visit to the vet. Should I have brought him sooner? Should she have done something differently? Maybe the vitamins overwhelmed his weak system... If I hadn't brought them
along, would he still be with us?

 

[Yvonne G]

I always tell people to refuse the vitamin a,d, e injection. Tortoises can get their vitamin a quite easily from the food they eat. Normally an overdose of this injection causes the skin to slough off, not death the next day. I would have to GUESS/SURMISE that the baby died from whatever ailed him from before the vet visit. I don't think the vet had anything to do with it. Eyes not opening right away is a very good indicator of something wrong.

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

I'm sorry for you loss. If you read this thread you will learn everything you need to know about raising baby sulcatas. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz24Pgl6vJ0

 

[Laurie]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[wellington]

Sorry for your loss. Sounds like the baby was very sick and I too don't think the vet had anything to do with it. Check out the threads at the bottom of my post. They are very good for raising a smooth, healthy, happy sulcata.

 

[mercurysmom]

Thank you all for your replies. Its comforting to hear that the vet wasn't responsible. I guess this means that he was ill from the day I got him, because he never changed during the month that I had him. His shell was always soft underneath, and his eyes always had trouble opening completely. I just didn't know that he was seriously sick.

 

[Madkins007]

One of the really sad parts about raising animals in general, and that especially affects tortoises, is that they hide how sick they are. In lots of cases, by the time we really notice anything, it is pretty late.

This frustrates us all, but really bothers vets. They end up getting blamed for it when the animal dies, and all too often it was just too late for anything to really help.

I'm sorry to hear about Bowser.

 

[l0velesly]

Sorry for your loss of Bowser It's never easy to lose a pet. I've heard Vit-A injections can kill young tortoises if given at too high of a dose, but can't say for sure if that was really the cause. Do you normally give your sulcatas daily soaks?

 

[Tom]

The cure for dehydration is water. Not vitamin injections...

How often were you soaking?

 

[mercurysmom]

I typically soaked him and his brother every other day for about thirty minutes. I now soak his brother daily because I've learned how important it is. I had been soaking bowser three times a day after we'd gotten back from the vet, but I guess it wasn't enough.

 

[Tom]

If you were soaking every other day, it is unlikely that he was dehydrated. How close to the coast are you? Cold clammy weather can make them sick too.

Where did you get your babies and how we're they housed before you got them. Sounds like you might be another victim of the old "dry routine". Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Julius25]

Sorry for your loss

 

[mercurysmom]

What is the old "dry routine"? I'm about 10 miles from the coast, and it's been kind of humid(60%ish), and hot lately.

I know that where I got him was part of the problem; he was hatched out of the guys backyard, never brought inside to regulate temperatures. He told me all of his tortoises just live happily in his backyard with no special attention whatsoever. Bowser was the smallest one of the lot, and I took him because I thought he was the youngest.( he had about 3 clutches each a month apart) I thought grabbing the youngest would be ideal, because then I would have more of a chance at reversing any damage caused by neglect.

Who knows, maybe he was the oldest but had just never grown. If I had to do it again, I'd choose the biggest, from a better breeder.

 

[Tom]

Even to this day many breeders skip the whole brooder box thing, keep hatchlings on dry rabbit pellets with no water bowl and only soak them once a week or not at all. This is the dry routine. By contrast, I keep them warm and humid all the time, soak them daily, they always have an appropriate water bowl to drink from, they have a moisture friendly substrate like orchid bark or coco coir and they get their shells sprayed 3-4 times a day.

For the last two decades most people have chosen to try to simulate the 8 month African dry season for babies. They don't experience this in the wild since they are underground, and it doesn't work in captivity either. In contrast, I try to simulate the African rainy season instead. This is the time when babies hatch out and it's hot, humid, rainy, marshy, and very green. THIS is where babies thrive and grow, both in the wild and in captivity.

To leave sulcata babies outside exposed to the elements 24/7 in CA is just plain ignorant. So sad.

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

I agree with Tom, there is just way too many breeders keeping there babies dry (rabbit pellets and very little soaking at all) from the very day they hatch and you most likely got one of those "dry" babies.