Take a look at SensorPush then. They are step ahead of "household" smart sensors (however, mid-level devices like Govee or TPLink Tapo are not awfully bad).
Major Vet Gripe
- Thread starter BoxyDorothy
- Start date
BoxyDorothy
New Member
She’s been on ceftazadime injection for 2 weeks. Today was her last dose. So they are changing to Baytrilthis is a box turtle? i would use ceftazidime injectable, i doubt it's mycoplasma..... the baytril rant got my attention, i should have went back and read the other post.... i wouldn't use baytril unless it was necessary...... mycoplasma never appeared to me to be very common in any turtles i've had........ i would agree husbandry is a big deal...... i keep baby box turtles in soaking wet sphagnum moss, deep enough they can completely bury themselves..... with a hot end at 90F and a cold end 75F.... ceftazidime injections are a lot less stressful than trying to get something oral down there throats.......
thats all they need
BoxyDorothy
New Member
This thing? Does it need that Wi-Fi gateway router thing also?
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understood..... been there, we went to amikacin injections..... amikacin is pretty toxic to their kidneys, so it's not ideal...... baytril can be diluted to where the injection appears to be less painful..... oral meds and a box turtle sounds stressful to everyone involved... let him hide in a warm wet environment , stress can kill them.....
good luck, sick baby's is a tough one....
good luck, sick baby's is a tough one....
Yes. Gateway is required for Wi-Fi/Internet connection. On the good side - when gateway connection is lost (due to power outage, for example) you will get a notification on your phone.
If you need only one sensor, this is probably an overkill. You can start with something more simple and not requiring gateway (just avoid chinese no-name products and Xiaomi).
BoxyDorothy
New Member
Thankfully it’s literally one small droplet, and I can usually get it in during a yawn or biting for a worm(though she’s not really eating anything at this point).
BoxyDorothy
New Member
Out of stock on their site and Amazon for 2 weeks.
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That's what I use (and a couple of cheaper, without a display). No issues so far in high humidty enclosure (but don't submerge it in water). Govee has a sensor not requiring a gatewayOut of stock on their site and Amazon for 2 weeks.
BoxyDorothy
New Member
I ordered two Govee delivery for tomorrow and have the gateway in My Amazon cart for when it’s in stock.
Our set up, it’s a zoomed light and it’s been flickering the last week. It’s brand new - 2 months or so. Idk if it’s the bulb or the device.
Don’t mind the grass, she was just outside for a bit and my son thought she would like grass. She actually comes alive and walks around outside, but shuts down inside. It is open top mesh, maybe more heat? It’s a 75 watt heat lamp. I know the bulbs go bad but we just replaced it last week and I measured the temperature that reaches the substrate.
I’m not trying to bother her much today as she had a busy vet visit this morning.
Our set up, it’s a zoomed light and it’s been flickering the last week. It’s brand new - 2 months or so. Idk if it’s the bulb or the device.
Don’t mind the grass, she was just outside for a bit and my son thought she would like grass. She actually comes alive and walks around outside, but shuts down inside. It is open top mesh, maybe more heat? It’s a 75 watt heat lamp. I know the bulbs go bad but we just replaced it last week and I measured the temperature that reaches the substrate.
I’m not trying to bother her much today as she had a busy vet visit this morning.
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BoxyDorothy
New Member
Also you’ll notice there is no water dish because she was literally laying in it drowning herself. So she gets soaks everyday.
This looks damp enough, but it needs MUCH more hiding areas. They sell "sterilized" leaves, but I just go outside and get oak, magnolia, and mulberry leaves to throw in there. Just pile them in. When you can't find your turtle, your turtle will be happy and less stressed. I don't use long fibered sphagnum moss for tortoises because they eat it, but none of my baby box turtles have ever tried to eat it. They only ever want the meaty stuff like earthworms, roaches, and canned cat food. Likewise, you can drop a bunch of fake plants in there too. Or live plants. The areas they come from in the wild are heavily wooded with loads of brush and cover.
Also, cover the top with aluminum foil to try and hold in the heat and humidity. It needs to be very humid for a baby box turtle. Try to keep it over 80% all the time.
I don't know what kind of water bowl you had, but use a terra cotta saucer sunk into the substrate for food and water. The daily soaks are good for baby tortoises, but baby box turtles are different in my experience. They are little scaredy cats and they stress easily. I prefer to leave them alone more than a baby tortoise. I check the water bowl daily to see if the turtle has been in it. If it hasn't touched the water, then I know to go looking and make sure nothing is wrong.
BoxyDorothy
New Member
She had a larger terracotta dish, bigger than the one that’s in there now, sunk into the substrate, not deep just wider. But her being to lethargic she would go in and lay there.
She was very happy in her cave and would come out for food twice a day up until she went down hill a month ago. She greeted us every morning, every night. Ate from the tongs, would eat 7 worms if I let her. Now I can’t get one in her. I’m going to buy some new ones, maybe something is wrong with this batch? Try some shrimp, you mentioned cat food?
One of the things I did "wrong" with my first box turtles, was to have too small a water dish. They do spend a lot of time in the water just sleeping and laying there. This might have been a good thing. I actually used a kiddie pool filled with water and a couple of cinder blocks on their sides as an outdoor sunning enclosures for mine when they got bigger.
I used canned cat or canned dog food as a base for mixing in lots of good stuff about twice a week for mine. It worked okay as long as I didn't go too heavy with the "good" stuff like fruit and minced greens. I would squash the heads of a few roaches to use as a wiggling garnish, and they would come running to eat it all.
I love box turtles, but my climate is just terrible for them. Too hot and dry here. I sent mine to more humid wooded states when they aged out of my indoor enclosures. If you can get this one to pull through, it should be great in your climate.
Based on what you've told us, and my "feelings" based on my very limited box turtle experience, I think your issues are stress from lack of hiding areas and low humidity.
BoxyDorothy
New Member
We are still battling with Dorothy, we are trying one last round of ceftazadime injections. Her cultures were positive for a heavy overgrowth of steno maltophilia and staph aureus. If we see no improvement we will likely let her rest. 
we wanna make sure we do whatever we can without having to drag it out too long.
There has been no change in activity level, take her out for soaks and put her back in. She goes right back to hiding, she is still quite strong. The vet recommended taking her outside for an hour every day. She has fight in her not limp. Even being 40 g shes strong enough to push your fingers right off of her. She has not lost weight in the past month though she’s not eating she obviously must not be using any energy.
we wanna make sure we do whatever we can without having to drag it out too long.There has been no change in activity level, take her out for soaks and put her back in. She goes right back to hiding, she is still quite strong. The vet recommended taking her outside for an hour every day. She has fight in her not limp. Even being 40 g shes strong enough to push your fingers right off of her. She has not lost weight in the past month though she’s not eating she obviously must not be using any energy.
Oh. I wish this little fighter to win this battle. Keep my fingers crossed.
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
Sending you and your tortoise the best wishes!
