- Joined
- Nov 29, 2016
- Messages
- 17
Hi I have a 8 and 1/2 year old sulcata named Razie and I have been concerned about a respiratory issue for awhile now. I have gone to 3 different vets over the course of his lifetime with the respiratory issues seeming to come and go. The first vet was honest about not knowing much about tortoises they gave him baytril shots I believe and it kinda worked? Went back later on, then to see another vet, the vet that our local reptile zoo (in Washington state) used. This vet too scared me because when we arrived everyone came out excited to see a large tortoise like it was their first time seeing one. The reptile zoo did have 2 large sulcatas. After 4 or 5 visits with them, I first was prescribed shots I couldn't finish because he wouldn't walk and wouldn't eat after them and I wasn't positive that was the correct treatment anyways.. then he was prescribed this nebulizer type deal where I was supposed to put him in a box and attach a nebulizer to the box and smoke him out for 15 min. I couldn't find a box big enough, and had made 5 DIY boxes by the end, never finishing the full 30 day regime they wanted. He seemed to be kinda better after just one time in the box, the respiratory symptoms had lessened and I wasn't sure about this medication either. I stopped trying when I (forgetting the instructions) held the nebulizer up to his nose and he had an extremely hard time breathing for the entire night. I swore I would never use the nebulizer again. My next course of action was to go on this website and from the recommended vet list I googled every doctor in the state reading to see if any had experience with tortoises. And one doctor had written 2 sections on tortoises in a couple textbooks or something like that which was better than anyone else could say on their websites so I booked an appointment. When we got there it seemed like the whole office kinda hated each other, the doctor kept repeating she's done this for 27 years, was very rushed I had to push my questions for a few word response, but she did swab his mouth which was a first from any doctor I've been to, and they did not have a scale big enough for him. A week and a half later he was prescribed an oral medication 6mL every other day which I could not get him to eat. He could smell it in everything I tried to hide it in and I even went to squirt it in his mouth when he went to take a bite of something else and he would not open his mouth for the rest of the night. He was very suspicious of me feeding him after that for at least a month. It was like I betrayed him. I know I should be a good mom and do what's right but I'm not sure what is. What doctor do I trust? What medication do I trust? His breathing sounds worse these days. Every time I pick him up he makes this weird noise. He sounds very mucus-y with no discharge on the outside of his nose. His breathing sounds like he has to get past the mucus to take a breath each time. If I have to do shots I will have to take him somewhere to get them as I cannot bring myself to do them on my own. I can't seem to get him to eat 6 whole mL of medicine ... I've tried every trick I could find at the time on the internet. I've taken to looking up doctors from out of state thinking maybe they'd do a tele visit? I feel like I could trust the mouth swab results but the doctors was so unhelpful and unnerving that idk what I should do. Thank you for any advice. Me and Razie.