My tortoise Ares crashed after vet visit. Please help!!!

RhodaE

New Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2022
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Thousand Oaks, CA
Thank you all very much! I has been a very hard 24 hours! I kept checking him in middle of night, and this am, and he remained so very weak. So, I carried him out to his outdoor enclosure and house about 9am. The second I put him down, he steadied his head, flexed his legs and started walking!! He walked right into his house, went to his usual corner and stayed there. Until this moment, he had been splayed on the floor in my spare room with a little roll under his head. It was like he was raised from the dead!! Letting him rest now, will check him a bit later to see if he is still able to walk.
No other injections besides the meloxicam, which is indicated for pain in reptiles as Yvonne says. The injection site was the back fleshy part of one of his hind legs.
He had close to 120 ml SQ fluids, administered at 3 or 4 different sites on his legs. That seems like alot to me, he weighs about 12 lbs.
I will not soak him today, because he should be well hydrated from SQ, and well, I think he needs a tiny break from handling. He has endured 4 invasive vet appointments in about 10 days.
I bought pedialyte and carrot baby food. Not sure how much to add to the kiddie pool. Any formula for how much per gallon of water? I could calculate volume of pool.
I will start soaking him again tomorrow if he seems stable. Does that sound like a good plan?? I wish I had been able to get in to see Tom's vet in Calabasas...
I don't know how big your guy is, but (after moving, another story) I switched from a kiddie pool to a plastic cement-mixing tub which is smaller and sturdier than the typical kiddie pool. My tortoise would ram and crumple our baby pool terribly. Still good to have, but for frequent soaks (like during the hot spell we had here recently) the smaller tub from hardware store works great. So glad your tortoise is feeling better, whew. I am on here a lot lately as I need to learn how to provide indoor care during winter in new region.
 

MaNaAk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2021
Messages
1,226
Location (City and/or State)
Southend
I would do the warm soaks and add baby food carrot and piediyte to the soak water. Keep him warm at all times, 85F
Yes carrots are more for eye problems. I recommend this combo all the time for a few years now. Have had many let me know it seemed to really help their tort.

@Yvonne G
Hope you don't mind if I ask what is piediyte?

MaNaAk
 

MaNaAk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2021
Messages
1,226
Location (City and/or State)
Southend
Sorry didn't see this till now. But yes what she said.
They should have a flavorless get that.
Thankyou I need to mention to the vet that Daisy isn't going to the toilet but then she is on medication and she does have unfertilised eggs. Other than this she is okay she is alert, she is eating and I've seen more movement her back legs. This vet knows what he's talking about and he is very good.

MaNaAk
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,658
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Be sure to soak her in a large area with enough water she has to constantly be moving even if you have to help her. This really helps to get things inside her moving. Daily do this and daily do a second soak with a smaller container with the piediyte and baby food.
 

MaNaAk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2021
Messages
1,226
Location (City and/or State)
Southend
Be sure to soak her in a large area with enough water she has to constantly be moving even if you have to help her. This really helps to get things inside her moving. Daily do this and daily do a second soak with a smaller container with the piediyte and baby food.
Thankyou

MaNaAk
 

MaNaAk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2021
Messages
1,226
Location (City and/or State)
Southend
Dear @wellington,

I hope you don't mind if I ask a silly question but do I need to feed these items to Daisy and what is the baby food? Is it tortoise food?

MaNaAk
Sorry I've just read your previous reply again and it is baby food.

MaNaAk
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,658
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Sorry I've just read your previous reply again and it is baby food.

MaNaAk
Don't need to be sorry. Not silly either. The baby food is the human jar baby food. You add that and some of the piediyte to the warm soak water.
 

MaNaAk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2021
Messages
1,226
Location (City and/or State)
Southend
Don't need to be sorry. Not silly either. The baby food is the human jar baby food. You add that and some of the piediyte to the warm soak water.
Thankyou again @wellington. I also can't see Daisy being able to hibernate this year either and she will a new indoor enclosure so I will need to look into this as the one she had last year isn't suitable for this flat. I think she will need a bigger one so I shall have to have a look around. To be honest her old one was rickety is there a section on indoor enclosures on this forum.

MaNaAk
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,384
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
But you'll need to use a smaller soaking container, not his normal water dish. Something with a small footprint but tall sides so he can't climb out. 50/50% ratio warm water/babyfood
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,658
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
There is an enclosure section. Not sure how many are on it or for inside.
A cheap enclosure is pop up green houses or portable raised planting beds. Google those.
 

MaNaAk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2021
Messages
1,226
Location (City and/or State)
Southend
Looking good.
Her spurs are very good and scratched me when I brought her in and drew blood. Her partner Daisy who is 79 with inflamed joints also managed to prove that she could shove me if she is picked up. Greeks aren't called Spur-thighed tortoises's for nothing 😂🤣

MaNaAk
 

New Posts

Top