severe pyramiding/respitory infection questions

[lvstorts]

Hi all,
I'm new to the Sulcata thread but not tortoises. I take in lots of rescues and just took my first Sulcata in today. Here is the scoop:

She's 4 years old, 8 inches long, weighs about 5 pounds (feels light as a feather), severe pyramiding, respiratory infection (snot and mouth breathing), has been kept totally dry, fed lettuce, no uva/uvb nor sunlight, only light through closed curtains. At this time she's enjoying being outside for the first time. Eating weeds like a horse and spent a good hour sitting in a water basin. She's bright eyed and interested in her surroundings.

My question: her carapace is soft, with force i think I could poke my finger through, that soft. It also sounds really hollow when tapped on. Is this the sound of a severe respiratory infection, skeletal problems or just long term ill health, or just a really low body weight?

And yes, I will be taking her to the vet and providing the best possible care I can. The end goal is health and a new home.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Yvonne G]

She/he is very thin.

If the tortoise has thick mucous coming out of its nose, then yes, there is a respiratory infection going on. But the hollow sound when thumped isn't from the infection. Its because of MBD.

You're doing the best thing possible for that, and that's getting the tortoise out into the sun.

Whatever possesses people to think they can treat a living animal like that? Spend money to buy a pet then don't even research its care? No excuse for it.

 

[lvstorts]

Thanks for the thoughts. I'm right there with you! How/why do people do that? Drives me crazy. I have to fight yelling at them when I do pickups like these!

She/he is very thin.

If the tortoise has thick mucous coming out of its nose, then yes, there is a respiratory infection going on. But the hollow sound when thumped isn't from the infection. Its because of MBD.

You're doing the best thing possible for that, and that's getting the tortoise out into the sun.

Whatever possesses people to think they can treat a living animal like that? Spend money to buy a pet then don't even research its care? No excuse for it.

 

[zesty_17]

She/he is very thin.

If the tortoise has thick mucous coming out of its nose, then yes, there is a respiratory infection going on. But the hollow sound when thumped isn't from the infection. Its because of MBD.

You're doing the best thing possible for that, and that's getting the tortoise out into the sun.

Whatever possesses people to think they can treat a living animal like that? Spend money to buy a pet then don't even research its care? No excuse for it.

i agree, sun + good diet & vet care will be the most beneficial chance. It may take months/years to get this tort back to optimum health & visual lessening of shell issues, but it has been done before, torts are resilient animals.

 

[Tom]

Ugh....

I just wanna strangle some people. I wish you the best of luck with her.

 

[Laura]

sun, better diet, ( mazuri too) and calcium! liquid in the soaks, cuttle bone, powder on her food and more sun....

 

[AnthonyC]

It's a wonderful thing you're doing! It rekindles my faith in the human race!

 

[Sky2Mina]

Great you're taking him in. He does look really thin! But with your good care, I hope he'll gain weight quickly and get healthy! Good luck!

I'm amazed that he survived as long in conditions like that.
Reptiles need Sun. I wonder, what's so hard to understand about that?

 

[dbsneed69]

Thanks so much for taking that poor girl in. I'm sure she will have a much happier life with someone who will give her the care that she needs.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Don't you live in Washington? If there is anything I can do to help you just let me know. I think we're only a few hundred miles apart.

 

[elvis]

Oh dear God, I'm just so sick of hearing these stories. Makes me so angry !

 

[Kristina]

Oh, look at those poor skinny little legs... Poor poor baby. My Gwen was like this when I got her. She felt empty and hollow, like a card board box.

I can guarantee that she is dehydrated, and that is part of why she feels so hollow. Keep up the soaks! If she was kept on sand, I would also absolutely feed her some pumpkin and get her flushed out. When they are that hungry they will eat anything.

I would let her stay out as much as you can and just let her eat and get some weight on. Poor kid.

 

[lvstorts]

Thanks for all the thoughts and suggestions. She's not responding very well to the anitbiotic (Batril) I have her on. I think I'll finish the round and change to something stronger or have a culture done, I'll see what the vet thinks.