You are good but you can do better! You should go and get what Yvonne told you 
! Try your best!
! Try your best!Moroccan tortoise squeaking and off its food : (
- Thread starter funmumlu
- Start date
Ok back from taking boy to tennis, hospital corner was just a temp arrangement to start warming "him" up as quick as poss and start organising the box.
Tortoise is loving the light, now I need to get it eating something soon ... its been far too long ... and refill the drink that it knocked over. It has shade and food in there so fine for another few hours.
Thank you, abdullaAli, but I don,t feel like we have done good
I love the box and lighting yvonne! This one is a moroccan spur thighed, what sort is/are yours?
Ok shall I dare a trip to the vet tomorrow and be further shamed?
Tortoise is loving the light, now I need to get it eating something soon ... its been far too long ... and refill the drink that it knocked over. It has shade and food in there so fine for another few hours.
Thank you, abdullaAli, but I don,t feel like we have done good
I love the box and lighting yvonne! This one is a moroccan spur thighed, what sort is/are yours?
Ok shall I dare a trip to the vet tomorrow and be further shamed?
- Joined
- May 18, 2013
- Messages
- 294
As Yvonne said, babies need heat and humidity. An enclosed chamber would be great. Am I right in thinking you are in the UK ( judging from lasagne box!)? If so pop to Asda or tesco and get one of those under bed tubs with a lid, Poundland do packs of potting soil,which you rehydrate with 3-4 ltrs water. You can get the substrate all set up in the box, cut some holes in the lid to allow the lights to hang through, and maybe even an ice cream tub upside down with on end cut out and packed with soil for a hide. Pop some large stones,as in pebble size that can't be eaten, and grab a terracotta saucer from garden centre for a water dish. It's will help the tort keep hydrated, which is essential for smooth growth.
Ask loads of questions on here....plenty of knowledgable folks willing to help out. Good luck.
Ask loads of questions on here....plenty of knowledgable folks willing to help out. Good luck.
Thank you too, stumac - yes, in uk, in the south but daughter is a student in edinburgh. Great suggestions for box and substrate, daughter had put garden soil in box for the first time recently and I wonder if microbes got to the tortoise.
Tell me about mouth rot please someone, because tort seems to be breathing ok but working jaws sometimes.. Any over the counter medicines?
Off to check hospital corner.
Tell me about mouth rot please someone, because tort seems to be breathing ok but working jaws sometimes.. Any over the counter medicines?
Off to check hospital corner.
It drank the water i offered (by sticking head in the little pot that dort (daughter) made from an apple pie compartment) ... about a tablespoonful. So happy! Then i kept sticking bits of lettuce in its face and suddenly it ate a few mouthfuls!!! Not a lot but considering it hasn,t eaten for days I see this as a minor miracle!
Can,t edit out this emoticon, I meant to say this:
Can,t edit out this
emoticon, I meant to say this:
Hooray! *imaginary clapping*
Didn't I tell you, you've done some good by researching and giving him the UVB raysIt drank the water i offered (by sticking head in the little pot that dort (daughter) made from an apple pie compartment) ... about a tablespoonful. So happy! Then i kept sticking bits of lettuce in its face and suddenly it ate a few mouthfuls!!! Not a lot but considering it hasn,t eaten for days I see this as a minor miracle!
Can,t edit out this
A few more mouthfuls. Basking like a ...happy basking thing.
Husband had just asked if I wanted him to find a vet who would put it down.
He, s not a pet person ... feels that it,s inherently cruel and has had enough examples in his life (eg an irresponsible sister) including this now, to convince him he,s right.
Determined to prove him wrong this time!
Still squeaking ... mustn,t count my chickens.
Husband had just asked if I wanted him to find a vet who would put it down.
He, s not a pet person ... feels that it,s inherently cruel and has had enough examples in his life (eg an irresponsible sister) including this now, to convince him he,s right.
Determined to prove him wrong this time!
Still squeaking ... mustn,t count my chickens.
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Squeaking is not always a sign of an RI. Four of my ten babies squeaked. None of them developed an RI and all of them are still alive and thriving. You can build a great enclosure for very little money. Get to Tesco. I don't know about the ones in the UK but the one in Warsaw Poland had everything you need to build a great enclosed enclosure. You don't need UVB if you can get it outside a few minutes a day. Tub, dirt, light fixture, medium sized plant saucer and a broken plant pot for a hide and you are set. plants can come later when the little guy feels better. You might also look into locals who have tortoises so you can get some face time and an actual person on sight helping you. Good luck! I hope the little guy makes it. Tortoises are so theraputic. He will help you as much as you help him.
proper yelping and stretching and gaping!
we were posting at the same time Saleama. Thank you for your advice and reassurance. Do your enclosures have lids?
Reptile shop man had me really panicking, I'm so glad I came here for a glimmer of hope
we were posting at the same time Saleama. Thank you for your advice and reassurance. Do your enclosures have lids?
Reptile shop man had me really panicking, I'm so glad I came here for a glimmer of hope
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The one for my Sulcatas and Leopards does. For my Box turtles I prefer the old spray bottle and large swimming area routine. All of my indoor boxies are pretty young and spend most of their time (about 90%) buried in very wet dirt.proper yelping and stretching and gaping!
we were posting at the same time Saleama. Thank you for your advice and reassurance. Do your enclosures have lids?
Reptile shop man had me really panicking, I'm so glad I came here for a glimmer of hope
- Joined
- May 18, 2013
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I set this up for my friend the other day. She had the vivarium already but all she had was pellet substrate and a wicker hide. The soil was £2 in Poundland, the plants are fake from aquarium she had, and she has a UV strip, with slate to eat from. I buried the basket so the Russian can dig in, and she mists it with warm water. A plastic tub with a lid, holes cut for lamps, would do the same thing. Hope this can help!
Agreed, that is way way too small and super dry. It's the equivalent of you trying to live in a closet without the proper amount of heat, light and water.
Take a look around the enclosure section of this website. There are several examples of inexpensive set ups that will allow George to thrive. Don't fret about it too much, you're a good tort grandparent. Just read up and fix his habitat.
Take a look around the enclosure section of this website. There are several examples of inexpensive set ups that will allow George to thrive. Don't fret about it too much, you're a good tort grandparent. Just read up and fix his habitat.
Thank you again - the healing vibes are most welcome, Flipper!
The water/dampness thing has really surprised me - this is meant to be a desert tortoise and I had really tried to avoid too much dampness in case the rot set in! But now I see it's a different set of rules for babies who need humidity - if George survives I hope s/he forgives us for all our mistakes!
Both pics are not of how the set up has normally been - there has usually been substrate (from the shop) and more recently Dort added some earth. There have been more obstacles and hideaways and places to bask. She has given it lots of "exercise" and cuddles so it has been well loved in probably not the right way. But she has been worried about the squeaking and that s'he's so light.
So off I go home from work now to see how the day has been in Tortoise land.
THank you tort dad, I will go looking for more ideas.
Stumac, that is beautiful, your friend is very lucky and so is their tortoise!
The water/dampness thing has really surprised me - this is meant to be a desert tortoise and I had really tried to avoid too much dampness in case the rot set in! But now I see it's a different set of rules for babies who need humidity - if George survives I hope s/he forgives us for all our mistakes!
Both pics are not of how the set up has normally been - there has usually been substrate (from the shop) and more recently Dort added some earth. There have been more obstacles and hideaways and places to bask. She has given it lots of "exercise" and cuddles so it has been well loved in probably not the right way. But she has been worried about the squeaking and that s'he's so light.
So off I go home from work now to see how the day has been in Tortoise land.
THank you tort dad, I will go looking for more ideas.
Stumac, that is beautiful, your friend is very lucky and so is their tortoise!
The feeling of being too light usually means they are dehydrated so make sure you are giving him a soak at least once a day in shallow warm water for 15-25 mins, twice a day if your schedule allows it.
Well I took the little chappie to the vet. Vet was not happy. Said he had a lung infection and was very weak (not having eaten for ages - perhaps not having eaten properly ever). Gave him an antibiotic injection and 4 doses for me to syringe in to his mouth every other day. Also a jar of baby food - vegetable- said I should syringe 1/4 of a jar per day. l have managed about half that (it's quite tricky if you're not a tortoise-whisperer and the tort is reluctant) And some supplement powder.
He seemed to get better but is back to squeaking and gaping. Dort isn't back til Thurs, I see the vet again tomorrow. Really worried she won't see improvement.
I have weighed him daily- gradually creeping up, 2-5g a day.
occasionally he start behaving normally-scoffing some leaves- but then has squeaking bouts. Quite distressing. l wonder if the vet will try anything else ... I hope she'll be nice to me - and the tort.
Oh dear.
He seemed to get better but is back to squeaking and gaping. Dort isn't back til Thurs, I see the vet again tomorrow. Really worried she won't see improvement.
I have weighed him daily- gradually creeping up, 2-5g a day.
occasionally he start behaving normally-scoffing some leaves- but then has squeaking bouts. Quite distressing. l wonder if the vet will try anything else ... I hope she'll be nice to me - and the tort.
Oh dear.
Vet again today I really thought he'd die in the night but he was quite poky and feisty this morning (wouldn't be fed) and Vet thought he looked better, gave more Baytril and wants to see hiuim a week-says it will take weeks and months to get him right but to keep up the baby food till he starts eating properly by himself again. Also that thing about soaking because they aborb water through their skin.
so-intensive care unit is still operational and, more importantly, daughter gets back tomorrow and I can share the load!
so-intensive care unit is still operational and, more importantly, daughter gets back tomorrow and I can share the load!
