That's really good. He is clearly much better hydrated now. Well done
Many vets don't have tortoise experience sadly. Good luck with finding one.
Sick Russian Tort
- Thread starter CathyNed
- Start date
When i was first looking for a vet i rang many and a few even laughed on the phone. One even said - bring him in. I wont be able to do anything for him but id like to see him. I rang the animal hospital and they told me they had a vet with knowledge and that he had a couple of tortoises himself so i felt pretty confident going. He filed his beak because there was a split in it which was moving in the direction of his eye he kept him overnight in case he had to knock him out to do it. (Poor Ned kept tryig to eat his finger when he was tryping to look at the beak) This time i went straight back to the animal hospital but it appears that vet is no longer there as i saw a different man. He knew how ro gwt his mouth open,checked shell etc but im not sure how much exp he has. Im half afraid that if i go there again he will tell me Ned is too sick rather than bother to do any tests.I guess im afraid theyl find something bad. Also to note, when Ned poops it is sometimes coated/has a bit of a layer of urate around part of it.That's really good. He is clearly much better hydrated now. Well done
Many vets don't have tortoise experience sadly. Good luck with finding one.
@CathyNed, how long have you had the UVB lighting he's using?
One i've got in now is new about 3 wks old see pic... one before that i have no idea but based on what ive read up now it should have been replaced a long time ago.
Waiting for a 24" light fixture arriving tomorrow or tuesday to replace the new bulb again with a 24" tube repti glo 10.0 uvb see 2nd pic. Do you think its a uvb problem
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New bulbs all fitted today. His appetite has improved but activity levels not so much yet.... more large difficult poops. Ive started feeding him a little cucumber to see if it eases. Peeing regulary. He looks very dry and scaly though even though im soaking him twice a day.
Soaking improves the poop and urates but not the skin.
All animals shed skin. Snakes do it in one go, you do it in little tiny bits that become house dust and a tort does it in bigger bits and looks pretty tatty at times. "Dry" skin is nothing to worry about.
All animals shed skin. Snakes do it in one go, you do it in little tiny bits that become house dust and a tort does it in bigger bits and looks pretty tatty at times. "Dry" skin is nothing to worry about.
Ok thanks...he just looks dried out tops of his legs and between neck and legs is like peeling leather. Shell looks dried too. Guess ill just keep bathing. So the appetite is back anyway but the back legs are stilk a worry. Have cuttle bone and calcium on order should be here in next day or two in case its a calcium problem.he is moving them, bending them and using them to push forward but he is still rubbing his plastron at the real and his poor tail is becoming raw underneath.
If skin is becoming raw then use a little antiseptic ointment on it to prevent infection and maybe a little vaseline to reduce chafing
Update: Neds appetite has really improved. He will eat as much as I let him. I had stopped tube feeding him critical care as he had begun eating by himself but when i spoke to his vet about the improvement he told me to continue tube feeding to get as many of the nutrients into him as possible. Looks as though i wont have to however as Ned will now willingly eat the critical care himself if i hide it on his leaves.... Im still bathing him twice a day and he is very alert afterwards and wants ro wander around. Little or no urates....hoping this improvement continues....p.s. the cucumber worked....now if only i could find a happy medium!!!
How's Ned?
@Gillian Moore @BrianWI
Hi guys. Its been a long road and ive detailed it all in another long thread updated on a daily basis. My tort Ned was very unwell. The vet i had been bringing him to was not a reptile specialist and although i think he was trying his best i think he was limited in what he could do. My tort in addition to the problems stated here also began to swell around his neck and back legs. Hus appetite since tube feeding has remained very good and i have no trouble feeding him anything at all.
I found an extremely good reptile specialist 3hrs drive from where i live and took him to her because i was really worried.
When she saw him and i explained his history she feared kidney damage/ failure and i was gutted but she said she would do anything and everything she could for him. She ruled out mbd as his shell was solid and didnt show signs. She did xrays and blood tests, fecal sample etc.
She found he was low in protein and iron which went against the fact that he had a good diet of protein/iron rich foods when he was eating. Blood tests revealed high levels of uric acid? but not so high as to show renal failure which gave her and I hope. She felt it was a kidney infection.
Ned stayed in her clinic and recieved antibiotic injections and saline fluid to hydrate him every day. She said he ate very well which she felt was a good sign as very sick torts dont eat.
About 4days in she told me that the swelling had started to go down and that if all went well i could take him home in a couple days. An update over that weekend however revealed that the swelling hadnt fully reduced and he had stopped eating which left me feeling very worried and very far away.
The vet recommened more treatment as she said she felt she hadnt done everything in her power and he was not beyond hope but understood that as i work and because of the distance and cost this may not be possible.
Ned stayed with her for 11 days in total. The swelling was alnost gone when i collected him. His appetite was back and his skin was in much better condition from the hydration. She went through his aftercare with me as he still had a few meds to finish out course but were easily administered.
I am delighted to say that Ned is well. He is active and alert and a real little piggy at the dinner table. He is 100 % improved from his poorly condition prior to any vet visits.All swelling is completely gone. I really believe that she brought him back from the brink and am indebted to her for that as i know that she really did everything she could and was unwilling to give in.
She also spoke with me twice a day (even Saturay and Sunday) to let me know how he was doing and how he was progressing as she knew i was very worried.Since he has come home she has contacted me to see how he is getting on.
Ned is back to his usual antics. I am so glad that i have this type of story to share as i am only too aware that complications and sicknesses in tirts arenot alwats easily identified or remedied. In the 8years ive had him he has never been unwell prior to this. Whatever caused it, i really hope that we never encounter it again.
I intend to bring him back soon to her for a checkup just to make sure that everything is ok and so that she can see how much he has perked up. I know that she and her staff had a really soft spot for him while he was with them and would be delighted to see him up and running.
Thanks for your concern and for checking up on my little guy. I started a different post on this matter entitled vet visit questions when i decided to take him to the new vet and wanted to get advice here. I kept that thread updated daily with his condition/treatment and the members here very extremely helpful and comforting. Thanks again guys!
Hi guys. Its been a long road and ive detailed it all in another long thread updated on a daily basis. My tort Ned was very unwell. The vet i had been bringing him to was not a reptile specialist and although i think he was trying his best i think he was limited in what he could do. My tort in addition to the problems stated here also began to swell around his neck and back legs. Hus appetite since tube feeding has remained very good and i have no trouble feeding him anything at all.
I found an extremely good reptile specialist 3hrs drive from where i live and took him to her because i was really worried.
When she saw him and i explained his history she feared kidney damage/ failure and i was gutted but she said she would do anything and everything she could for him. She ruled out mbd as his shell was solid and didnt show signs. She did xrays and blood tests, fecal sample etc.
She found he was low in protein and iron which went against the fact that he had a good diet of protein/iron rich foods when he was eating. Blood tests revealed high levels of uric acid? but not so high as to show renal failure which gave her and I hope. She felt it was a kidney infection.
Ned stayed in her clinic and recieved antibiotic injections and saline fluid to hydrate him every day. She said he ate very well which she felt was a good sign as very sick torts dont eat.
About 4days in she told me that the swelling had started to go down and that if all went well i could take him home in a couple days. An update over that weekend however revealed that the swelling hadnt fully reduced and he had stopped eating which left me feeling very worried and very far away.
The vet recommened more treatment as she said she felt she hadnt done everything in her power and he was not beyond hope but understood that as i work and because of the distance and cost this may not be possible.
Ned stayed with her for 11 days in total. The swelling was alnost gone when i collected him. His appetite was back and his skin was in much better condition from the hydration. She went through his aftercare with me as he still had a few meds to finish out course but were easily administered.
I am delighted to say that Ned is well. He is active and alert and a real little piggy at the dinner table. He is 100 % improved from his poorly condition prior to any vet visits.All swelling is completely gone. I really believe that she brought him back from the brink and am indebted to her for that as i know that she really did everything she could and was unwilling to give in.
She also spoke with me twice a day (even Saturay and Sunday) to let me know how he was doing and how he was progressing as she knew i was very worried.Since he has come home she has contacted me to see how he is getting on.
Ned is back to his usual antics. I am so glad that i have this type of story to share as i am only too aware that complications and sicknesses in tirts arenot alwats easily identified or remedied. In the 8years ive had him he has never been unwell prior to this. Whatever caused it, i really hope that we never encounter it again.
I intend to bring him back soon to her for a checkup just to make sure that everything is ok and so that she can see how much he has perked up. I know that she and her staff had a really soft spot for him while he was with them and would be delighted to see him up and running.
Thanks for your concern and for checking up on my little guy. I started a different post on this matter entitled vet visit questions when i decided to take him to the new vet and wanted to get advice here. I kept that thread updated daily with his condition/treatment and the members here very extremely helpful and comforting. Thanks again guys!
Oh wow! What a story!!! We all learn from those. I am so happy to hear yours has happy ending
What a relief. I'm so glad to hear it!
Goodness! Glad to hear that things are better.
