Opo going to vet.

Ray--Opo

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I am taking Opo to the vet on Tues. On and off I have problems with loose stools. Thought I would have him checked for parasites.
Opo has never been to a vet. He is almost 2.
If he has parasites what should and shouldn't let the vet do?
I called and they say they have cared for many tortoises. But I would appreciate your input.
 

Yvonne G

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Some vets don't give the correct dose when giving the vitamin a,d,e injection and an overdose of vitamin a causes the skin to slough off. It's very easy to get vitamin a into a tortoise through diet, so no injection is necessary.
 

Ray--Opo

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What do you feed Opo ? Some food causes fluid poop. I would give a stool sample to the vet but not the tortoise.;)
You and @Lyn W are getting like me with your 1 liners o_O
I have tried to figure out the food Opo is eating. He is grazing a whole lot more and figured out grass is good this year. That's really the only difference. The loose stools will be gone for a week and then come back for not quite a week. He urinates plenty and no urates. I just figured he has never been to a vet. So have him checked for parasites. This way I can see if this vet seems capable.
Thanks everyone for your input.
 

Ray--Opo

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Do you have any cats or dogs that sneak into your yard. Cats especially are known to be worm carriers and cat [emoji90] is very enticing to almost every animal
Opo has 2 spots he checks out for some other animals poo. When he is outside my backyard is not fenced in. So I am always watching him. If he stops for to long in one area. I scoot over there to make sure it is grass he is eating.
 

RosemaryDW

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I think it’s a good idea to meet your vet at least once; at some point you may have an emergency need and that’s not the time to figure out of he or she is any good. Plus they can get a baseline on size and weight.

The stool sample needs to be no more than 24-hours old; my tortoise usually gifts the vet one as soon as she gets there.

They’ll check the eyes and mouth, check the shell for soft spots, weigh her; nothing very invasive.

The stool test they do while you’re there, if I recall correctly. If there is a high amount of parasitesfound they will offer an oral wormer. You give it for a week (two weeks?), wait two weeks to catch any eggs that have since grown to adults and dose again.

Cats and dogs don’t carry the same kind of parasites; don’t worry about that.

I would think the most important thing to do is write down the foods he’s eating. And maybe to keep in mind that when we have only one tortoise, we tend to worry about things the vet may know are not too serious. That’s my experience, anyway. :)
 

JoesMum

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As for the parasites. All that’s needed is a fresh stool (poop) sample. Usually one is supplied en route to the vet... there’s nothing like a car journey to get a tortoise pooping [emoji849]

If the vet suggests a vitamin injection, pick up Opo and head for the hills.

The usual cause of loose stools is insufficient fibre in the diet. Getting a parasite test done is a good insurance under the circumstances though :)

I disagree on the annual visit. Save money. It took 40 years before I needed to go the first time!
 

vladimir

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I think it’s a good idea to meet your vet at least once; at some point you may have an emergency need and that’s not the time to figure out of he or she is any good. Plus they can get a baseline on size and weight.

Good point about getting to know the vet before something urgent happens. Ray, is the vet you're going to on the list here on the forum?
 

Ray--Opo

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I think it’s a good idea to meet your vet at least once; at some point you may have an emergency need and that’s not the time to figure out of he or she is any good. Plus they can get a baseline on size and weight.

The stool sample needs to be no more than 24-hours old; my tortoise usually gifts the vet one as soon as she gets there.

They’ll check the eyes and mouth, check the shell for soft spots, weigh her; nothing very invasive.

The stool test they do while you’re there, if I recall correctly. If there is a high amount of parasitesfound they will offer an oral wormer. You give it for a week (two weeks?), wait two weeks to catch any eggs that have since grown to adults and dose again.

Cats and dogs don’t carry the same kind of parasites; don’t worry about that.

I would think the most important thing to do is write down the foods he’s eating. And maybe to keep in mind that when we have only one tortoise, we tend to worry about things the vet may know are not too serious. That’s my experience, anyway. :)
Thank you for the info. I was wondering what the treatment was for parasites. I didn't want Opo to get a shot if there was a alternative.
 

Ray--Opo

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As for the parasites. All that’s needed is a fresh stool (poop) sample. Usually one is supplied en route to the vet... there’s nothing like a car journey to get a tortoise pooping [emoji849]

If the vet suggests a vitamin injection, pick up Opo and head for the hills.

The usual cause of loose stools is insufficient fibre in the diet. Getting a parasite test done is a good insurance under the circumstances though :)

I disagree on the annual visit. Save money. It took 40 years before I needed to go the first time!
  1. That will be interesting if Opo pooped during the drive. Thanks for the info..
 
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