My baby Sulcata is very sick and I don’t know if there is anything left to do :(

[franklindatortoise]

My baby Sulcata named Franklin is about 4 months old. He is about 2 1/2 inches long, 1 3/4 wide. He was doing fine for a little but after a few days, he stopped walking as much, his eyes are shut, and he lost his appetite. I took him to the vet and they said they couldn’t tube feed him since he is so small. They gave my a bag of food powder that I’m supposed to mix with water for Franklin to eat instead of solid food. This was about five days ago and there have been no changes in my tortoise. Oh and his shell is soft. The vet said if he is not better in a week we should probably euthanize him. Does anyone have any kind of advice?

 

[Yossarian]

If you seriously want help, we need to see good photos of your tort and the enclosure you have been keeping it in.

Tell us where you got the tort from? How long have you had it?

All that said, it sounds like it is unlikely to survive if it is as bad as it you have described

 

[SKOLsuper]

My baby Sulcata named Franklin is about 4 months old. He is about 2 1/2 inches long, 1 3/4 wide. He was doing fine for a little but after a few days, he stopped walking as much, his eyes are shut, and he lost his appetite. I took him to the vet and they said they couldn’t tube feed him since he is so small. They gave my a bag of food powder that I’m supposed to mix with water for Franklin to eat instead of solid food. This was about five days ago and there have been no changes in my tortoise. Oh and his shell is soft. The vet said if he is not better in a week we should probably euthanize him. Does anyone have any kind of advice?

Oh that is so sad I will pray that he will get better bless you both xx

 

[zovick]

My baby Sulcata named Franklin is about 4 months old. He is about 2 1/2 inches long, 1 3/4 wide. He was doing fine for a little but after a few days, he stopped walking as much, his eyes are shut, and he lost his appetite. I took him to the vet and they said they couldn’t tube feed him since he is so small. They gave my a bag of food powder that I’m supposed to mix with water for Franklin to eat instead of solid food. This was about five days ago and there have been no changes in my tortoise. Oh and his shell is soft. The vet said if he is not better in a week we should probably euthanize him. Does anyone have any kind of advice?

Do you see any yellow bumps on the tortoise's skin anywhere? Usually they are on the skin near the head, neck, and front legs.

If it has those, then the best bet would be to euthanize it.

Look up the thread "Yellow Bumps on Tortoises" and read the horror stories of what suffering they cause for both the animal and the owner.

 

[KarenSoCal]

If there are no yellow bumps, get those pictures of your baby and his enclosure and lights posted ASAP!

There is a chance we may be able to help, but time is working against us.

 

[franklindatortoise]

His enclosure stays around 70% in humidity, and 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. He keeps his back legs tucked in

 

[SKOLsuper]

My baby Sulcata named Franklin is about 4 months old. He is about 2 1/2 inches long, 1 3/4 wide. He was doing fine for a little but after a few days, he stopped walking as much, his eyes are shut, and he lost his appetite. I took him to the vet and they said they couldn’t tube feed him since he is so small. They gave my a bag of food powder that I’m supposed to mix with water for Franklin to eat instead of solid food. This was about five days ago and there have been no changes in my tortoise. Oh and his shell is soft. The vet said if he is not better in a week we should probably euthanize him. Does anyone have any kind of advice?

Have you put her in a warm soak bless her and if so dose she move her back legs in the water

 

[franklindatortoise]

Yes, I put him in a warm soak every morning and evening

 

[franklindatortoise]

I’ve had him for about two months. My husband got it for me from Pet Kingdom, a pet store nearby

 

[SKOLsuper]

I’m I’m the uk I don’t know if you can Try and feed you some mash up dandelion balls they go very Soggy a mache and also do you give her vitamins kettle bone Powder

 

[Toddrickfl1]

His enclosure stays around 70% in humidity, and 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. He keeps his back legs tucked in

Just a heads up that's a leopard tortoise, Not a Sulcata.

 

[SKOLsuper]

Just a heads up that's a leopard tortoise, Not a Sulcata.

I know but there must be something you can do to help her it’s so sad ? to see her like that

 

[Toddrickfl1]

You can try soaking in a a warm mix of 50/50 water and carrot baby food. Unfortunately that's about all you can do to help at this point. Gluck.

 

[pacific chelonians]

Pet Kingdom is great I’ve bought a lot of stuff there and I am local if I had to say anything about it it’s most likely micro plasma you should probably take him to the vet and get treatment as micro Priesmeyer is pretty much a reoccurring respiratory infection

 

[AgataP]

First of all the housing conditions are bad. Your tortoise needs warm space. Get the temp up and humidity. I know people do carrot baby food and warm water mix to soak the tortoise in - oh wait it’s been already recommended above.
Provide a proper housing situation. Read care sheets and good luck.

 

[AgataP]

I know but there must be something you can do to help her it’s so sad ? to see her like that

We can give an advice but providing proper housing, diet and so on is in hands of the owner.
This is not how any tortoise should ever be kept.

 

[ZenHerper]

Your temps are too low. This is the care sheet for African tortoises:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

www.tortoiseforum.org

If you then have questions about how to change your set up, post them here so your baby's info stays all in one thread.

 

[Lyn W]

This is the caresheet you need to help you with temps,, diet substrate etc. You need to make some changes and get rid of that water dish which is a danger to you tort. Use a terracotta plant saucer sunk level with the substrate.

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Look at the temps range in the caresheet and and raise yours to warm him up.
He will need night heat too - a che run through a thermostat is your best option.
Torts will not eat, digest food properly or move of they are too cold.

 

[Yossarian]

Basically everyone is focusing on your husbandry because if you have any chance of saving this little guy, you must correct the conditions it lives in immediately. It may be too late, but torts are survivors, if you get the enclosure warm enough, and with the right humidity and lighting levels, followed by getting nutrition into it one way or another, then it could pull through, but regardless of what a vet does, if you dont fix the other things right way, it wont matter.

 

[KarenSoCal]

I agree...raise the temps now! In the daytime it needs to be 85°-90°. At night, no lower than 85°. Measure at the height of the tort's shell.

Here are the instructions for how to do the carrot soaks. You should do this once a day. The other daily soak should be just warm water.

Gerber Carrot Baby Food Soaks

This "trick" is only for turtles and tortoises that aren't eating and have swollen shut eyes. It's not a cure-all, and unless you fix the reason why the eyes swelled shut in the first place, they're just going to swell shut again after the soaks. Using a bowl with tall sides (so the animal...

www.tortoiseforum.org