- Joined
- Mar 27, 2016
- Messages
- 32
Can anyone here give me details about their experiences with gout in tortoises? I did see a post from @Kasia somewhere on here. Medicine/dosage? Did you see improvement over time?
Sorry this is so long, but here’s a little history, if you care: My CDT is about 15 yo. Last year, I had noticed that he had an abscess on his front leg and some swelling in the back legs. Went to the vet and got an initial diagnosis of Osteomyelitis (bone infection). Doctor said he couldn’t get a needle into the abscess to do tests, but the bones looked a little opaque in the X-ray. He was given a two week course of Baytril and we left it at that. No follow up instructions. My little guy was still eating and moving about after treatment, so that was it, I figured he was ok. Last month or so, I noticed that he was limping a bit on his back leg. With the quarantine going on, I decided to monitor and wait a bit before going to the vet. Then one day, he just didn’t want to really move at all. I wanted to see the same vet since he is the recommended one on the TFO list, but didn’t want to wait a week, so thought I would check the other vet out (same office).
New vet says bones look a little more opaque than before and suspects gout. (Why wasn’t this suggested before since it seems to be more common than osteomyelitis?) Prescribes Meloxicam for pain (.4ml orally as liquid per day) and Allopurinol pills (I’ll get back with dosage). After the last experience, I wanted to get a confirmation of diagnosis, so I asked if there were any blood tests that could be done. She took blood and called me back. Said that all results look to be within normal ranges, even Uric acid (?) which is at 9.5 (top of range is 15). She says it’s hard to know what real ranges are for reptiles as there just aren’t as many cases and she suspects the Uric acid is still on the high end and holds that it is gout. I ask if there are other tests. She suggests getting a sample of the abscess. I told her doc couldn’t get needle in before but she says it can be done. I hate to talk about my baby’s health in terms of dollar signs, but I’m $400 in at this point. I’ll gladly pay the extra $200 to test the abscess if it will give a definitive answer, but everything just sounds so vague, with no real answers. I don‘t want to just wait and see like I did last time and I don’t want to give him the wrong medicines either. She said that I wouldn’t see improvement because gout is not curable, but that it would just stop it from getting worse. I feel so helpless right now. Thankfully, he’s still a hungry, hungry hippo at this point. Easing him into his meds slowly right now.
Since I know this will be asked, I soak him occasionally, though he rarely drinks that way, so I make sure his greens are always super wet. After doing some reading, I don’t think I have been keeping his enclosure as humid as it should be, so I’m working on that (substrate: orchid bark and coco coir). Also working on improving his diet and incorporating more weeds and grasses. He’s mainly been eating dandelion greens, romaine, endive and escarole when I can find it. Goes out for sunshine a couple days a week. I hope to have a better living area for him once I move out of this place, but I’m doing what I can in the meantime.
Any thoughts or suggestions or experiences are appreciated.
Sorry this is so long, but here’s a little history, if you care: My CDT is about 15 yo. Last year, I had noticed that he had an abscess on his front leg and some swelling in the back legs. Went to the vet and got an initial diagnosis of Osteomyelitis (bone infection). Doctor said he couldn’t get a needle into the abscess to do tests, but the bones looked a little opaque in the X-ray. He was given a two week course of Baytril and we left it at that. No follow up instructions. My little guy was still eating and moving about after treatment, so that was it, I figured he was ok. Last month or so, I noticed that he was limping a bit on his back leg. With the quarantine going on, I decided to monitor and wait a bit before going to the vet. Then one day, he just didn’t want to really move at all. I wanted to see the same vet since he is the recommended one on the TFO list, but didn’t want to wait a week, so thought I would check the other vet out (same office).
New vet says bones look a little more opaque than before and suspects gout. (Why wasn’t this suggested before since it seems to be more common than osteomyelitis?) Prescribes Meloxicam for pain (.4ml orally as liquid per day) and Allopurinol pills (I’ll get back with dosage). After the last experience, I wanted to get a confirmation of diagnosis, so I asked if there were any blood tests that could be done. She took blood and called me back. Said that all results look to be within normal ranges, even Uric acid (?) which is at 9.5 (top of range is 15). She says it’s hard to know what real ranges are for reptiles as there just aren’t as many cases and she suspects the Uric acid is still on the high end and holds that it is gout. I ask if there are other tests. She suggests getting a sample of the abscess. I told her doc couldn’t get needle in before but she says it can be done. I hate to talk about my baby’s health in terms of dollar signs, but I’m $400 in at this point. I’ll gladly pay the extra $200 to test the abscess if it will give a definitive answer, but everything just sounds so vague, with no real answers. I don‘t want to just wait and see like I did last time and I don’t want to give him the wrong medicines either. She said that I wouldn’t see improvement because gout is not curable, but that it would just stop it from getting worse. I feel so helpless right now. Thankfully, he’s still a hungry, hungry hippo at this point. Easing him into his meds slowly right now.
Since I know this will be asked, I soak him occasionally, though he rarely drinks that way, so I make sure his greens are always super wet. After doing some reading, I don’t think I have been keeping his enclosure as humid as it should be, so I’m working on that (substrate: orchid bark and coco coir). Also working on improving his diet and incorporating more weeds and grasses. He’s mainly been eating dandelion greens, romaine, endive and escarole when I can find it. Goes out for sunshine a couple days a week. I hope to have a better living area for him once I move out of this place, but I’m doing what I can in the meantime.
Any thoughts or suggestions or experiences are appreciated.
