So a couple of days ago we had a poorly tort. Our female(?) (2yo) Russian started sneezing and clicking and got a runny nose. Finally got her to the vet today. She had an injection of amikin and we have to give her another every 2 days into her sort of collar area. She has to go back in 2 weeks. I'm looking for any advice on how to care for her during all this. I've put her in a smaller container with paper down instead of the organic top soil she usually has so we can keep her as clean as possible and so we can make sure she stays warm enough. She is not enjoying this situation at all. She's just trying to dig all the time. We're trying to keep her topped up with fluids as much as possible. She's not a big drinker but she likes cucumber so we're making sure there's a ready supply for her. The vet says to avoid her being damp but alot of stuff I'm reading online is saying to bath her more. Also Anybody got any tips for injecting a tortoise ? Do you still have to do the thing they do on tv where they knock the bubbles out ? Do we have to keep the medicine in the fridge ? Any advice would be really helpful.
You'll need to ask your vet to instruct you on how to give the injection (intra muscular or sub quetaneous) and if it needs to be refrigerated.
I've always heard that antibiotics are hard on the kidneys, so you need to soak the tortoise daily. Being wet from daily soaks is quite different from living in a damp environment.
Yes, you hold the syringe needle up and push the plunger until the fluid is at the tip with no air space.
Raise the enclosure temperature to 85F degrees day and night. This helps her fight off the bug.
I've always heard that antibiotics are hard on the kidneys, so you need to soak the tortoise daily. Being wet from daily soaks is quite different from living in a damp environment.
Yes, you hold the syringe needle up and push the plunger until the fluid is at the tip with no air space.
Raise the enclosure temperature to 85F degrees day and night. This helps her fight off the bug.
Thank you for the reply. Can I just say that the prompt help you give everyone on here is amazing. It always takes a load off the mind.
I've managed to Google the antibiotic (I was googling the wrong name earlier) and it says it's stable at room temperature so that's awesome. We actually had very little time with the vet due to the covid situation. A nurse basically came to the car, collected blink, then the vet brought her back and quickly demonstrated giving the injection. I was just curious if anyone had any tips for getting legs out of the way or stopping her moving or minimizing stress.
What temperature would you recommend the water be ? And also how long would you recommend the bath be?
Thanks again
I've managed to Google the antibiotic (I was googling the wrong name earlier) and it says it's stable at room temperature so that's awesome. We actually had very little time with the vet due to the covid situation. A nurse basically came to the car, collected blink, then the vet brought her back and quickly demonstrated giving the injection. I was just curious if anyone had any tips for getting legs out of the way or stopping her moving or minimizing stress.
What temperature would you recommend the water be ? And also how long would you recommend the bath be?
Thanks again
Hi when I first got Charlie a Russian tortoise I had the same problem, it took a ages to get better so don’t give up. We had to inject alternate legs. I held his leg ( he was tiny as well ) and my partner would give the injection.
I'm actually extremely phobic of needles. I'm freaking out that they're even in the house at the moment so the plan is for me to be nowhere near when this is going on. He may need his mother to come and hold her legs. Good job we've got plenty of face masks and gloves ??
You want bath water around 90-95 degrees up to where the top and bottom shells meet. Put the tortoise in there, then put the whole thing in the enclosure and let the enclosure keep the water warm. You want to let her soak for about half an hour. Even if she doesn't drink at all, she's still absorbing some of the water. After bath time, dry her off and set her free.
As far as the shots go, I get it. I have to give my dog subcutaneous fluids every other day now for his end stage kidney failure. It's horrible. But if I don't do it, he will die. Period. And that thought is much more upsetting than poking him with a little needle. Just focus on how awful the alternative is and you'll realize you're capable of anything.
As far as the shots go, I get it. I have to give my dog subcutaneous fluids every other day now for his end stage kidney failure. It's horrible. But if I don't do it, he will die. Period. And that thought is much more upsetting than poking him with a little needle. Just focus on how awful the alternative is and you'll realize you're capable of anything.
I give her baths frequently. About 4 days per week I don't usually bathe her that long but I'll definitely give that a go.
I'm sorry to hear about your dog that's aweful. He's extremely lucky to have such a caring owner ❤️. As for my phobia... Its so severe that I literally lose all sense of rational thought. I had to be physically held down for my own when I had cancer earlier this year because I wouldn't let them even near me. As much as I love my torts I'm just physically incapable of even looking at them. Good job my partner is willing to do it though haha.
Thank you for the reply. Can I just say that the prompt help you give everyone on here is amazing. It always takes a load off the mind.
I've managed to Google the antibiotic (I was googling the wrong name earlier) and it says it's stable at room temperature so that's awesome. We actually had very little time with the vet due to the covid situation. A nurse basically came to the car, collected blink, then the vet brought her back and quickly demonstrated giving the injection. I was just curious if anyone had any tips for getting legs out of the way or stopping her moving or minimizing stress.
What temperature would you recommend the water be ? And also how long would you recommend the bath be?
Thanks again
I was reading Yvonne's reply and was going to post a comment telling you that you are fortunate to have her post advice for you. She is amazing and really knows her stuff. She was one of the first people to help me out when I unexpectedly became an owner of a Russian. My knowledge pales in comparison to hers but the only thing I might suggest is if you have to give the injections around the collar area is to gently hold the neck outstretched while you do it. you can kind of point your tortoise towards the ground which generally encourages them to stick their head out some. what i do is gently pinch the neck behind the head by putting my ring and pointer fingers in an upside down "V" on either side of the tortoises neck. that allows me to gently stetch his neck out and still be able to hold one leg out of th way as well. If this is your first time you might ask someone to help you either hold the tortoise while you do the injection or to inject while you hold. Good luck and please keep us posted.
Amazing advice we'll definitely give that a go ! Thank you so much. I'll definitely keep you informed!
