I am new to this site and to owning a tortoise in general. My husband and I just bought a Russian from PetCo about 3 weeks ago. He seemed ok and was eating a little when we got him but he had a wheezing which turned out to be an upper respiratory. He hasn't really been eating recently either. He seems tired all the time. When he stopped opening his eyes a few days ago I took him to the vet. Now I am giving him eye-drops(Gentak) for not opening his eyes, antibiotics in a syringe every 3 days(20 doses altogether) for the upper respiratory, a vitamin supplement on his food(which he is still not eating) they also gave him a shot of vitamins when we were there just in case he has a vitamin A deficiency, which he is scheduled to have another shot of this week along with a fecal test for parasites although he hasn't pooped in a couple days. Overall the Vet said it's very hard to tell what is really wrong with him and I feel like they are just making me buy a crapload of meds from them that he said may not even work. I need help or advice from someone with experience! After the last visit to the vet costing about $500 I honestly don't think I can afford the other two he is scheduled for, one this week and next week. He is in a 6x2 enclosure that my husband built for him, his substrate is a mix of top soil and play sand, it was wood mulch but then we were told some woods are toxic so we changed it. He has two lights on one end a uvb and a heat light both from Petco. He has a house and a half log (from petco)to hide in. He has a shallow water and food dish. His food is leafy greens, collard, spring, etc. I have added calcium to his food since we got him, he also has little colored pebbles from petco for land turtles. I soak him everyday most recently and before that every few days. We live in NY, our house is kept at 75 degrees. I don't know what I am doing wrong?! Please help!
New/Sick Russian
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First when you go back to the Vet, please refuse the vitamin shot. They seldom need them and they can be hard on the tortoise. Next what are the temps (down at the tortoise's level) in his warmest spot, the coolest, and also at night?
Too low of temps are normally the biggest issues with healthy tortoises not eating. Your tortoise has a URI, which also will cause him to not eat, add to it some meds also make them not eat, and the final topper is he is under stress which, yep you got it causes them to go off food. So I am not surprise with him not eating. Do you know what kind of meds he is on? Is he of good weight? Sorta like a rock, not a feather? If he is, I would not be concerned but not overly worried at this point with his not eating with all that is going on. I would be doing dialy long soaks (or even twice a day), but adding to that warm water with some baby food (carrots are my top choice)and some pedialtye. (some Oxbow critical care added would be okay too). This makes the soaks as another source of possible food to a tortoise that is not eating.
Have you told Petco this animal is sick? I think your now over the guarantee time period, but still they may offer you some financial relief.
Too low of temps are normally the biggest issues with healthy tortoises not eating. Your tortoise has a URI, which also will cause him to not eat, add to it some meds also make them not eat, and the final topper is he is under stress which, yep you got it causes them to go off food. So I am not surprise with him not eating. Do you know what kind of meds he is on? Is he of good weight? Sorta like a rock, not a feather? If he is, I would not be concerned but not overly worried at this point with his not eating with all that is going on. I would be doing dialy long soaks (or even twice a day), but adding to that warm water with some baby food (carrots are my top choice)and some pedialtye. (some Oxbow critical care added would be okay too). This makes the soaks as another source of possible food to a tortoise that is not eating.
Have you told Petco this animal is sick? I think your now over the guarantee time period, but still they may offer you some financial relief.
New and need help
Welcome to the Forum, JWILLIAMS!
Please tell the vet on your next visit that you would prefer he not give the tortoise a vitamin A injection. Too much vitamin A causes the tortoise's skin to slough off. I've seen it happen first hand many times.
Ok, First thing to do is take him out of his large habitat (good job on the large habitat, by the way!!) and place him in a smaller, hospital habitat. Make it all over 85F degrees. If you have to cover it, then do so. I use a couple strips of aluminum foil, folded together at the long edge to make a wide strip and just put it over the whole habitat, lights and all.
Because the tortoise is getting antibiotics, soak him in warm water every day. You can add a jar of Gerber strained carrots baby food to the water. The tortoise will absorb some of the vitamin A from the baby food through the thin skin on his neck and around the cloaca. This helps reduce the eye swelling.
If you have any days with sun shining, and you can find a protected spot in the sun outside, he would benefit from some real sunshine. Otherwise, you need a UVB light for him.
Good luck in getting this little guy well. Please keep us informed.
(I see Jacqui and I posted at the same time. Sorry for the repetition.)
Welcome to the Forum, JWILLIAMS!
Please tell the vet on your next visit that you would prefer he not give the tortoise a vitamin A injection. Too much vitamin A causes the tortoise's skin to slough off. I've seen it happen first hand many times.
Ok, First thing to do is take him out of his large habitat (good job on the large habitat, by the way!!) and place him in a smaller, hospital habitat. Make it all over 85F degrees. If you have to cover it, then do so. I use a couple strips of aluminum foil, folded together at the long edge to make a wide strip and just put it over the whole habitat, lights and all.
Because the tortoise is getting antibiotics, soak him in warm water every day. You can add a jar of Gerber strained carrots baby food to the water. The tortoise will absorb some of the vitamin A from the baby food through the thin skin on his neck and around the cloaca. This helps reduce the eye swelling.
If you have any days with sun shining, and you can find a protected spot in the sun outside, he would benefit from some real sunshine. Otherwise, you need a UVB light for him.
Good luck in getting this little guy well. Please keep us informed.
(I see Jacqui and I posted at the same time. Sorry for the repetition.)
His paper from the Vet says "Exotic Injection" I'm assuming this is the Vitamin shot, "INJ Fortaz(ceftazadime)" which is the antibiotic he now gets every 3 days. Nekton mineral supplement, I sprinkle this on his food. Gentak Gentamicin Sulfate Ophthalmic Solution, his eyedrops i put one drop on each eye as close to the slit as i can every 12 hours.
His warmest spot is 93-94 during the day, his coolest is 72. His light is shut off from 11pm-7am where his temp goes down to 72.
He does feel more like a rock. His weight was 306 grams at the vet. We have no idea how old he is. PetCo said they didn't know and there was no way to tell his age or gender. We looked up how to tell genders by the tails and referred to their photo examples. We think he's a male? The Vet had no input as to his age or gender either.
I didn't contact Petco because our vet visit was after the 15 day period they allow. I figured I wouldn't get anywhere.
His warmest spot is 93-94 during the day, his coolest is 72. His light is shut off from 11pm-7am where his temp goes down to 72.
He does feel more like a rock. His weight was 306 grams at the vet. We have no idea how old he is. PetCo said they didn't know and there was no way to tell his age or gender. We looked up how to tell genders by the tails and referred to their photo examples. We think he's a male? The Vet had no input as to his age or gender either.
I didn't contact Petco because our vet visit was after the 15 day period they allow. I figured I wouldn't get anywhere.
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Is this what the vet said...the same vet that does not have much experience and "thinks" he should have a vit A shot just incase?
If a tort is kept too dry wheezing can occur also----did he have bubbles or wheeping from his nose or do alot of stretching his neck out and grasping for air? Or was his wheezing smooth and low in volume sounding?
and absolutely ditto
Yes, the vet heard the noise during his wellness check-up and said that URI's are very common with them and he thought he has one. He hasn't had anything coming from his nose. When he lays down he does stretch his neck pretty far but I don't think I have really seen him gasp for air. It does sound low to me but I don't really know what he's supposed to sound like normally I guess. He only really makes noises a few times throughout the day now and when you are holding him sometimes. It seems like he was more noisy when we first brought him home. I thought when we got him that he just made weird noises and didn't think much of it. I keep a spray bottle of water next to his enclosure and mist him and the whole substrate a couple times a day. I am also a stay @ home Mom so I am here with him 24/7.
What you've read about misting the habitat was instructions for raising smooth BABY tortoises. Your tortoise doesn't need to be misted, and especially with a RI he shouldn't be wet. He's probably about 8 or 10 years old...that's usually the age of russians sold at PetsMart and PetCo. I know they may have told you differently, but they don't know any better.
I ended up just canceling the appointment with the vet last week because it was only for his second vitamin shot and his fecal check which he hadn't had a bm. Now he is seeming to be doing better. I stopped the misting immediately! Thank you! I have been soaking him at least once a day and doing the baby carrot soaks as well. I still haven't actually seen him eat. He is starting to be more active the last few days and he just had a bm today so I will be getting him into the vet this week for his parasite test. I even saw a sliver of his eye today after his soak! We also added another heat lamp into his enclosure. I don't hear him making wheezing or really any noises at all for the last week. Should I still give him the antibiotic shots anyway??? He really hates them and i feel so bad having to do it. There were 20 syringes altogether and he's had i think 4 now (once every 72 hours).
Yes. Continue the antibiotic injections until you're finished with them. But I think it would be prudent if you were to call your vet and ask him to double check the dosage. I think that 20 injections, one every 72 hours, is way more than I've heard of giving in the past. I looked it up online and it says to give the injection every 72 hours, but it doesn't say how long to continue giving the injection. So I'm GUESSING that you continue giving it every 72 hours until you stop seeing the symptoms. Hopefully you won't have to give 20 injections. I'm going to send the link to this thread to one of our veterinarian members for a double check.
Yvonne asked me to chime in here about the Fortaz injections. I would definitely call the prescribing vet to touch base with him/her about whether or not you need to give all twenty injections. If I were giving one of my torts or recommending injections to a client my instructions would be to continue for at least 3 injections past the time in which you see no more clinical signs of illness and then monitor very closely for any backsliding, at which time you may need to restart the injections. Had there been a culture and sensitivity done on any respiratory secretions, I would recommend having a followup C&S done and base the need for further injections on that information. doc
We have our re-check and parasite test with the same vet this Monday. Since after my last post he has been so much more active, eating everyday, even started eating from my hand which he didn't do before, both eyes are open also without issue.
Thank you, Dr. Todd!
Thanks everyone for helping with this tortoise!
And JWilliams, way to be on top of this. You did your research and went into action when you received advice.
Sounds like your tortoise is lucky to have you!
And JWilliams, way to be on top of this. You did your research and went into action when you received advice.
Sounds like your tortoise is lucky to have you!
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