I think Rusty is a fine name for him. 
Miniature sully or something else....???
- Thread starter mctlong
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He's POOPING!!!!!!! Finally!!!!
And its a whole lot of sand. All sand. A ton of it! This little guy was compacted up the wazoo (literally)! I'm soooo glad its coming out! We're finally making some progress.
Doing my happy dance.
And its a whole lot of sand. All sand. A ton of it! This little guy was compacted up the wazoo (literally)! I'm soooo glad its coming out! We're finally making some progress.
Doing my happy dance. 
I'm guessing you'll be removing the sand from the enclosure if you haven't already? Haha
LeopardTortLover said:I'm guessing you'll be removing the sand from the enclosure if you haven't already? Haha
I don't use sand. His previous owner had him on a red calcium sand. He must've eaten a whole lot of the stuff.
I'm very glad its all coming out now. This is a very good sign!
I imagined that would be the case. Congrats on the sandy poop in that case. Bet he's sore now though
LeopardTortLover said:I imagined that would be the case. Congrats on the sandy poop in that case. Bet he's sore now though
His butt may be sore now, but I bet his tummy's feeling better. Hopefully the freed-up space will stimulate his appetite.
pumpkin and mineral oil...
hope he does better...
hope he does better...
He started eating on his own today. Not just tasting or nibbling, actually eating.
This is one resilient little fella.
This is one resilient little fella.
mctlong said:He started eating on his own today. Not just tasting or nibbling, actually eating.
This is one resilient little fella.
How exciting!! Goo Rusty!!
Glad to hear doing better you have a fighter on your hands good things to come I'm sure
you have a fighter on your hands good things to come I'm sure
Its been a month since I picked this guy up, so I thought I'd post a quick update. He weighed in at 98 grams today. Thats a more than 20% increase in overall body mass. He's been doing much better since passing the bulk of that sand compaction (he's still passing sand, but much less than before). With the weight gain, I'm confident that he's eating enough now and so I've stopped the TNT (weed/grass flour) soaks.
He still retains water. The liver/kidney damage will take time to heal (if it does), but he's on the right track. If I look really really close and squint a little, I can even see some new growth on his shell.
This guys gonna be fine.
I still am unsure what species he is, but the more I research, the more I lean towards Chaco. He'll need to grow significantly before he'll get a positive ID. Despite his age, his development still appears very hatchling-like and its hard to distinguish those markers that differentiate chacos from sulcatas at this stage.
I'll keep everyone posted on his progress.
Cheers!
He still retains water. The liver/kidney damage will take time to heal (if it does), but he's on the right track. If I look really really close and squint a little, I can even see some new growth on his shell.
This guys gonna be fine.
I still am unsure what species he is, but the more I research, the more I lean towards Chaco. He'll need to grow significantly before he'll get a positive ID. Despite his age, his development still appears very hatchling-like and its hard to distinguish those markers that differentiate chacos from sulcatas at this stage.
I'll keep everyone posted on his progress.
Cheers!
If his growth had been stunted because of the conditions be grew up in, than his shell will look like a hatchlings. That would explain why his carapace is smooth looking instead of pyramiding. Also, he looks a lot like a rescue I got from AZ. with the exception of his coloring. For two months, this 3 year old sully didn't gain an ounce. He remained 4 oz for a couple of months. I started to hand feed him, and he started to gain more weight. Now, he's 4 years old and just reached 16 ounces.
If this tort is a sully, it is totally possible that he can be so small and look like a hatchling. Lack of water and adequate food, besides other things, can cause a tort's growth to be severely stunted. It probably wouldn't have lived for much longer if he didn't find his way to you. The one thing your tort and my rescue have in common for sure is a strong will to survive! I believe, among all the species of torts, sullies have a tenacity that is unlike any I've seen or read about. It's amazing how some of them can survive with so little.
If this tort is a sully, it is totally possible that he can be so small and look like a hatchling. Lack of water and adequate food, besides other things, can cause a tort's growth to be severely stunted. It probably wouldn't have lived for much longer if he didn't find his way to you. The one thing your tort and my rescue have in common for sure is a strong will to survive! I believe, among all the species of torts, sullies have a tenacity that is unlike any I've seen or read about. It's amazing how some of them can survive with so little.
sibi said:
I agree completely. Rusty is severely stunted. Regardless of species, he should not look like hatchling at 4+ years old. He should be more than 3 inches long. If he had grown in the last several years, he would probably be a deformed-looking tort, but he didn't grow, so he looks smooth. This smooth shell is misleading and is not a sign of good health. This stunting is a direct result of a poor environment (i.e. inadequate habitat, diet, and hydration) and his resulting health complications (liver/kidney damage & compaction).
sibi said:
Yes. On the upside, torts are amazing animals. If any animal could overcome this, a tortoise can. I really do think both our little rescues are going to be okay.
2 month update -
The little runt weighed in at 116 grams today, almost a 50% increase in overall weight since day 1. Most of the gain appears to be hydration and fattening-up (if you compare the before and after pics, his little legs are much thicker). There doesn't appear to be much growth in length yet, but there are some new growth lines appearing between the scutes. His activity level has increased ten-fold since I first got him and he now grazes outdoors on fresh grass and weed sprouts daily (in addition to his daily feeding). Now that he's more active, I've noticed that the muscle tone in his legs is a little weak, but I anticipate that those legs will stengthen in time. He still tends toward retaining water and gets some swelling. Thats a result of organ damage and will take some time to heal. Overall, I give this little guy an A+ for effort. He has surpassed my expectations.
Here's some updated pics.
For scale, thats my hand he's resting on. That'll give you an idea of how small he is. Definately not the norm for a tort his age (4+ year old).
He's developed a very healthy appetite and LOVES danedelions. He can really enjoy them now with his recently-manicured beak.
We were able to scrub most of the red sand stains off his plastron using a soft toothbrush. Also, his skin started peeling shortly after we got him, revealing a healthy, sulcata-colored tan skin underneath the dry brownish-red skin (see page 1 of this thread for the before pics). Looks like there was a tiny sulcata hiding under all that staining and swelling afterall.
The little runt weighed in at 116 grams today, almost a 50% increase in overall weight since day 1. Most of the gain appears to be hydration and fattening-up (if you compare the before and after pics, his little legs are much thicker). There doesn't appear to be much growth in length yet, but there are some new growth lines appearing between the scutes. His activity level has increased ten-fold since I first got him and he now grazes outdoors on fresh grass and weed sprouts daily (in addition to his daily feeding). Now that he's more active, I've noticed that the muscle tone in his legs is a little weak, but I anticipate that those legs will stengthen in time. He still tends toward retaining water and gets some swelling. Thats a result of organ damage and will take some time to heal. Overall, I give this little guy an A+ for effort. He has surpassed my expectations.
Here's some updated pics.
For scale, thats my hand he's resting on. That'll give you an idea of how small he is. Definately not the norm for a tort his age (4+ year old).
He's developed a very healthy appetite and LOVES danedelions. He can really enjoy them now with his recently-manicured beak.
We were able to scrub most of the red sand stains off his plastron using a soft toothbrush. Also, his skin started peeling shortly after we got him, revealing a healthy, sulcata-colored tan skin underneath the dry brownish-red skin (see page 1 of this thread for the before pics). Looks like there was a tiny sulcata hiding under all that staining and swelling afterall.
Nearly brought a tear to my eye! Fantastic job, well done.
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Any updates... Pics please
Kycatfishing90210 said:
Today -
Compared to Day 1-
Today, enjoying a treat -
Compared to Day 1 -
this is really great! yay Rusty! and kudos to you for helping him out. I have a feeling he wouldn't have lasted much longer in his previous conditions.
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