R.I.P. my precious, perfect, good little Gibby. My heart is broken.

[newCH]

Sorry for your loss. You have taken some great pics of him, you might want to make a Gibby scrapbook. I lost my dog last year & I too
got a crash course in vet medicine. Its what you have to do to make informed choices. I wish you and your family the comfort to know you did the best possible for him and that Gibby knew that also.

 

[Mantissa3]

Sorry for your loss. You have taken some great pics of him, you might want to make a Gibby scrapbook. I lost my dog last year & I too
got a crash course in vet medicine. Its what you have to do to make informed choices. I wish you and your family the comfort to know you did the best possible for him and that Gibby knew that also.

Hi newCH: Thanks for this message, it means a lot to me. My husband was just saying the same thing- we are expected to go to herp vet school and become experts in 2 weeks. There was never a diagnosis for Gibby, the vet just kept prescribing medications- he had 5 prescribed, we only gave him one, and of course I'm second-guessing, but when I got THREE OPINIONS on the meds, only 1 had anything to do with his symptoms at all. The rest were for worms (prior to sending out for a fecal float she gave 3 meds for parasites, for crying out loud) and the other two were a diarrhea med and a mild antibiotic. Then she gave him the huge amount of fluids injected at the sites by his legs that made him swell up like a balloon, and we lost him a day-and-a-half after that, after he was paralyzed and his little kidneys shut down because these little guys are just not made to process so much fluid at once, I think.

I've seen some of the long-time members on here argue adamantly AGAINST taking the red foots to the vets- now I know exactly why! I think good husbandry is the answer, and letting their little bodies rest and heal. We are going to think long and hard prior to seeking vet help with the other two RF babies we rescued, unless it is something obvious and traditional like a respiratory infection that members here can confirm.

I feel like I let Gibby down because I took him to get medical help. No tortie companion should ever feel guilty for trying to get their loved ones help, this is awful!!!

I appreciate your message, and I'm so sorry for your loss last year. There is never an easy grief path. All our best,
Karen and Cliff

 

[rebeccalynn1208]

Just read through the whole story and now this; I am beyond sorry for what you've had to endure.

 

[newCH]

Two things you said stood out to me. Not really getting a diagnosis &
about how helpful the vet would be to a tort so small.
I think unfortunately we deal with the vets "best educated guess" which
is better that if I were guessing, but might not be correct either
~ after 1 week my dog wasnt breathing better, an x-ray led him to believe
it was COPD, he told me he could live up to 1 year. Rapidly declining &
a medical emergency within 2 weeks we had to put him to sleep.
I declined a lung biopsy, glad I did because it was the same day he had his emergency. It was too late, later vet said he probably had cancer, a blood disorder or both. It was unusual for such a dramatic decline. We made a bucket list, got it on video ! That helps.

Also, with torts, I made a comment to my fellow co worker that my 6 oz cup of yogurt weighed more than Sheldon did, now closing in on 4 oz. Im not sure with such a tiny animal
a vet could really help with a near death issue.

Take care of your 2 redfoots. Dont know if they had any interactions with Gibby, but they might miss him.

Take care ~

 

[Mantissa3]

Just read through the whole story and now this; I am beyond sorry for what you've had to endure.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read- I'm hoping my dear little Gibby's story of pain and loss will be shared, so that other people and baby torties will not have to go through the same terrible things they did to his body - some they "tried" to do, but I stopped them because there was no clear diagnosis, and when I said that, the vets backed way off giving him more chemicals and fluids.

I appreciate the time you took to post your support, it means the world to me right now! All my best, Karen

 

[Mantissa3]

Two things you said stood out to me. Not really getting a diagnosis &
about how helpful the vet would be to a tort so small.

I think unfortunately we deal with the vets "best educated guess" which
is better that if I were guessing, but might not be correct either
~ after 1 week my dog wasnt breathing better, an x-ray led him to believe
it was COPD, he told me he could live up to 1 year. Rapidly declining &
a medical emergency within 2 weeks we had to put him to sleep.
I declined a lung biopsy, glad I did because it was the same day he had his emergency. It was too late, later vet said he probably had cancer, a blood disorder or both. It was unusual for such a dramatic decline. We made a bucket list, got it on video ! That helps.

Also, with torts, I made a comment to my fellow co worker that my 6 oz cup of yogurt weighed more than Sheldon did, now closing in on 4 oz. Im not sure with such a tiny animal
a vet could really help with a near death issue.

Take care of your 2 redfoots. Dont know if they had any interactions with Gibby, but they might miss him.

Take care ~

Thank you for sharing this- so very painful for you, and to read, and I'm very grateful you chose to share your story here of losing your family member. They kept telling us that Gibby would require rest and quiet and offer bits of food and small sips of water and that this type of swelling in the legs and tail would gradually get better over a period of a few days to a week...

They said his little body would absorb the fluid and the kidneys would then process it bit-by-bit and then he would pass the urine. He never urinated, and by the time he died his swollen little legs were very pink - from the forum, it seems like that can indicate septicemia. So sad to me and I hope the paralysis in his lower body means he wasn't feeling any internal pain!

The profile picture of your little Sheldon is absolutely stunning. He's so dear, I remember when Gib was that teeny! That's when you bond the most- when they can fall asleep in the palm of your hand, with their little chins resting on your thumb. Gibby was 2 pounds, 3 ounces when he died, and he still crawled up in my lap and put his head on my thumb for rest and comfort.

I'm glad you have Sheldon, he's lucky to have someone like you!
Karen

 

[Mantissa3]

Just read through the whole story and now this; I am beyond sorry for what you've had to endure.

Thank you so much RebeccaLynn - it helps to be able to post and hope that others can learn to put up good boundaries with vets, if they have to take in their torties to seek medical help. Just knowing that you should NEVER inject any turtle or tortoise in the back legs, especially where they injected Gibby, will probably save some lives - I hope we can honor Gibby by spreading the word here to all tortoise owners.

Thank you for standing with us in this time of loss and grief,
Karen

 

[bouaboua]

I'm so sorry for your loss! So sorry! ! !

 

[wolfkat]

I've been following all of your threads since they started but never commented because I am still learning with my own redfoot so I wouldn't have been of much help. I am so incredibly sorry for your lost. I felt everything you are only a few short months ago when my hatchling died. I felt like I should have done so much more and I felt awful about him suffering in his last few days. What gave me comfort was knowing he was no longer in any pain and having my other redfoot viva helped a lot. Being able to have her to still take care of really helped and made me realize sometimes things are just out of our hands. No matter what we did or could have done, if it was meant to be it will happen. You gave Gibby a great life!

 

[Mantissa3]

I'm so sorry for your loss! So sorry! ! !

Thank you so much, people here who adore their tortoises (and other animals, by the look of your lovebird picture) are so helpful at this time. It means a lot to me that you took time to reach out, thank you so much. It will be a long time before our home has any joy again... he was the center of our family time for 3 years.
Thank you,
Karen

 

[Mantissa3]

I've been following all of your threads since they started but never commented because I am still learning with my own redfoot so I wouldn't have been of much help. I am so incredibly sorry for your lost. I felt everything you are only a few short months ago when my hatchling died. I felt like I should have done so much more and I felt awful about him suffering in his last few days. What gave me comfort was knowing he was no longer in any pain and having my other redfoot viva helped a lot. Being able to have her to still take care of really helped and made me realize sometimes things are just out of our hands. No matter what we did or could have done, if it was meant to be it will happen. You gave Gibby a great life!

Oh no, Wolfkat- I'm so very sorry you lost a hatchling!!! What a terrible feeling, and I can perfectly relate right now, although my little baby was 3 when he passed away- still and always my little hatchling in my heart.

What you said here is perfect, and it really helps a lot, although I would never hope that anybody on tortoiseforum understands this grief, it's awful.

My husband (my best friend) keeps telling me exactly what you said here- so thanks very much for these words of comfort.

We can't control life and death, all we can hope for is to go "all-in" and do the best we can with the information and resources we have to work with, while the ones we care for share the Earth with us- both human and reptile (and others too.)

My husband also pointed out tonight when I cried my four-billionth tear for Gibby, that some tortoises are thrown into a cold box, fed cat food, mauled by dogs and children, dropped, and still live for 25 years.

Gibby was perfect, and he is not in pain any longer, and you are right- it wasn't my choice and was out of my hands. Thank you for these words of wisdom and comfort, it means a lot to me that you reached out, Karen

 

[Mantissa3]

Found more pictures, so I wanted to post them here too- Gibby loved "hiding" in plain site and climbing when we took him out in the back yard.

 

[newCH]

Gibby was a very a very handsome tort. He had a beautiful shell.
I'm sure he appreciated the way you took such good care of him.
Don't worry about the 4 billion-th tear, not everyone grieves the same.
Our beagle passed away almost a year ago & I miss him still.
We went thru so much over the years & he communicated so well with me. I was his pet parent.
It takes time. I have good days and so-so days.
Like you, pics help bring back the good memories. Take care ~

 

[kirsty Johnston]

I'm so sorry. Just know that he had an awesome owner who loved him. My heart goes out to you x

 

[gingerbee]

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Beautiful tort so sorry for your loss!'

 

[Mantissa3]

Gibby was a very a very handsome tort. He had a beautiful shell.
I'm sure he appreciated the way you took such good care of him.
Don't worry about the 4 billion-th tear, not everyone grieves the same.
Our beagle passed away almost a year ago & I miss him still.
We went thru so much over the years & he communicated so well with me. I was his pet parent.
It takes time. I have good days and so-so days.
Like you, pics help bring back the good memories. Take care ~

Thanks so much- so true that each grief path is unique. I still go look for Gib first thing in the morning and then my heart breaks all over again. We had a soak and he always wanted breakfast sitting on my lap, fruit for Gibby and my first cup of coffee. Then he would tuck up in my lap while I read the paper or my book for half an hour before work. Nobody except other tort companions understand how amazingly affectionate these lovely creatures are. Thank you for these conversations- you sharing your memories and your grief path helps so much.

 

[Mantissa3]

Beautiful tort so sorry for your loss!'

Thanks so much for reaching out to me during my family's time of loss. He was the joy of our household, every day.

 

[Mantissa3]

I'm so sorry. Just know that he had an awesome owner who loved him. My heart goes out to you x

That's very kind of you to say Kirsty, thanks so much.

 

[Aunt Caffy]

Thank you, hold them tight and love them dearly while they are here with us. Three weeks ago he was a lively happy perfect good baby.

Yes, we need to love them while we are lucky enough to have them. I lost my 5 year old golden retriever Scarlett to a rare cancer over two years ago. Those last two months were horrible but at the same time were precious and unforgettable because of the bonding we had. I felt cheated because she was so young. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to lose such a young tortoise. I am so sorry.