Oops! Caught by the first rain

[Janet B]

I woke up last night to the sound of rain and realized that our tortoise was outside in her summer-only burrow. It was totally filled with water and she had turned around so her nose was up in the air. I brought her in and dried her off with a blow dryer, gave her some heat from a lamp. Now she's in a cardboard box, scratching in the corner as usual. So I have some questions
1) I checked the vet list and there aren't many around my area of Fremont. Does anyone know of one in Fremont?
2) She's inside now and can go in and out. The burrow will be shut down for the winter now. Should I keep her awake a little longer? She has been slowing down. Hasn't been eating much and spends part of the day in the sun.
3) what's the best way to give her some warmth inside? A heat lamp? pig-blanket?

Janet B

 

[wellington]

I don think you need a vet, not yet anyway. If you start seeing running nose or any other signs of illness, then take her to a vet and then do not let her hibernate. If all is fine with her, continue as if it never happened, and give her a hot spot of 95-100 to bask under if your days aren't warm enough.

 

[Tom]

Where are you? There are lots of "Fremonts" in the world.

What species are we talking about?

 

[Janet B]

Oh, sorry! I don't post very often. I'm in California in the San Francisco Bay Area. Fremont is between San Jose and Oakland on the East Bay.
I will be going on vacation in a couple of days, so I want to make sure that she doesn't catch a cold.
She's a desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii. She's been in my family for about 55 years.

 

[Tom]

Oh, sorry! I don't post very often. I'm in California in the San Francisco Bay Area. Fremont is between San Jose and Oakland on the East Bay.
I will be going on vacation in a couple of days, so I want to make sure that she doesn't catch a cold.
She's a desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii. She's been in my family for about 55 years.

Has this tortoise been in that area for the last 55 years? What has been the routine for the last 55 years? It must work, so I'd stick to that.

 

[Janet B]

No, she has not been in this area for that whole time. This burrow is new as of 3 years.
This is the first time that she has nearly drowned with her burrow filling up with water in the middle of the night.
She was stone cold, wet, and I don't know if she inhaled water.
We have had an extended drought over the last years and this earlier rain was never a problem.

We don't have hot days now. I let her sit under my desk lamp and she seemed to like that.
Do I keep her that warm even at night? She just went into the cardboard box out of the light.

My main worry is that I'm going on vacation.
My kitty/tortie sitter works, so she can't travel a long distance.
There aren't any herp vets listed in my town.
I scanned the list again and see there is one in Pleasanton, so that might be the answer.
Fingers crossed she is ok.
janet

 

[Janet B]

also, what is the best way to provide heat? I am just using my desk lamp with an incandescent bulb.
Should I have a heat lamp?