So Overwhelmed

[MildredsMommy]

I am so stressed and overwhelmed with what my RF Jerry Lee is going thru I can't think straight. After 5 Baytril injections which ended on 4/19, Jerry Lee still does not seem to be improving (to me). I am giving warm soaks twice a day, as well as his prescribed eye drops. His appetite has waned (still eating but not as much) which I heard was normal for Baytril. I have him set up in a "hospital set up" which is a 12 gallon tub with his Ecco Earth, moss, water bowl, and MVB that is 100 watts. (I have ordered a 60 watt CHE for nighttime which should come tomorrow). While he seems to perk up during his soak, when I place him back in the enclosure he just sits there. (He has actually fallen asleep while in the food bowl). He hardly moves although he does react when I touch him, and I notice he moves his neck and legs in and out every now and again. I have put in another call to the vet as I am just out of my mind at this point. I am already invested to the tune of 400 since purchasing him on 4/6, and I want him to be okay-but I have 8 other animals so I have to limit my money at some point. Advice? I feel horrible and anxious and just want my baby better.

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41 views and no advice Please can anyone help???

 

[erica anne]

How old is he? I wish I had some good advice. I have not heard great things about the injections. Sounds like you are doing everything you can. I hope someone that can give you good info replies!

 

[Redari]

I'm sorry MildredsMommy, I don't have the experience to help. Lots of people mention the baby food soaks in these situations, maybe that would help get some nutrition into Jerry Lee? I hope someone else comes along to give you advice.

In the meantime, *hugs* for you and *shell pets* for Jerry Lee.

 

[MildredsMommy]

I'm sorry MildredsMommy, I don't have the experience to help. Lots of people mention the baby food soaks in these situations, maybe that would help get some nutrition into Jerry Lee? I hope someone else comes along to give you advice.

In the meantime, *hugs* for you and *shell pets* for Jerry Lee.

Thank you!

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How old is he? I wish I had some good advice. I have not heard great things about the injections. Sounds like you are doing everything you can. I hope someone that can give you good info replies!

From what I was told, he is about a year and a half old. Its sad when they get care then still dont do well-although a very nice, patient member of the forum, tortadise, did tell me it may take about a month-to baby him...I just wish someone would baby me now! LOL

 

[tortoise007]

OK. There are MANY things you can do! First off, give us a read out of all the temps. Temp is key to torts health. (check out my link: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66977.html ) many other people have had this same problem with there tortoise being very lethargic and not eating and just not being them selves. one of two things happen: they do what the good folk on TFO tell them and the tort is OK, or they don't and he dies. all the info is on these threads here: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-68489.html http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66552-page-2.html all you nee to do is bump up the temp, give him lots of places to hide and feel safe, make sure he doesn't stop eating and continue with the warm soaks once or twice a day.

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I think that enclosure is to small also. he doesn't have any roaming space or a decent place to hide. He may feel trapped and is stressed out. I know this is a recovery enclosure but the tortoise will not recover if he has no room to be a tortoise. as I look at it, I see that he can either be in the basking spot, or in a water dish... not an ideal set up he needs somewhere to hide and get out of the world. Hope he gets better soon.

 

[MildredsMommy]

OK. There are MANY things you can do! First off, give us a read out of all the temps. Temp is key to torts health. (check out my link: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66977.html ) many other people have had this same problem with there tortoise being very lethargic and not eating and just not being them selves. one of two things happen: they do what the good folk on TFO tell them and the tort is OK, or they don't and he dies. all the info is on these threads here: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-68489.html http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66552-page-2.html all you nee to do is bump up the temp, give him lots of places to hide and feel safe, make sure he doesn't stop eating and continue with the warm soaks once or twice a day.

The temp in his temp hospital set up is at 95. There is a bit of a dark corner in the back with his water saucer that is a tad cooler (I am waiting on my temp gages to come with the CHE tomorrow). In the pic I attached which is his hospital set up, you can see it is pretty small. Is that sufficiant? I am open to any and all suggestions/advice-thats how I learn

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OK. There are MANY things you can do! First off, give us a read out of all the temps. Temp is key to torts health. (check out my link: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66977.html ) many other people have had this same problem with there tortoise being very lethargic and not eating and just not being them selves. one of two things happen: they do what the good folk on TFO tell them and the tort is OK, or they don't and he dies. all the info is on these threads here: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-68489.html http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66552-page-2.html all you nee to do is bump up the temp, give him lots of places to hide and feel safe, make sure he doesn't stop eating and continue with the warm soaks once or twice a day.

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I think that enclosure is to small also. he doesn't have any roaming space or a decent place to hide. He may feel trapped and is stressed out. I know this is a recovery enclosure but the tortoise will not recover if he has no room to be a tortoise. as I look at it, I see that he can either be in the basking spot, or in a water dish... not an ideal set up. Hope he gets better soon.

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See here is where it gets confusing. I was told repeatedly by members he needed to be in a small container (around 10 gallons). (He was in a 4 ft long guienea pig enclosure). So what is the ideal size? It gets very confusing with all the conflicting advice-which is starting to make me worry even more.

 

[tortoise007]

It's not so much that your enclosure is to small, it's that he doesn't have a good place to hide. what is you just normal temp? The basking spot sounds OK but the rest should be at 80-85.

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if you want to keep using that space, you should use a smaller water dish so he has more room, and put the moss on the corner opposite the basking spot with the plant next to it so he can burrow in to the moss with the plant sheltering him to. Just so he can feel nice and cozy

 

[MildredsMommy]

It's not so much that your enclosure is to small, it's that he doesn't have a good place to hide. what is you just normal temp? The basking spot sounds OK but the rest should be at 80-85.

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if you want to keep using that space, you should use a smaller water dish so he has more room, and put the moss on the corner opposite the basking spot with the plant next to it so he can burrow in to the moss with the plant sheltering him to.

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TO be honest I think the rest of the little tank is at about 80..but I will know for sure when I install my temp gages tomorrow. I will move it around like you suggested-I am willing to try anything for my little guy-do you think I should remove the ecco earth and use paper towels instead? (keeping the moss). I thought maybe that would irritate his eyes less.

 

[Redari]

Maybe start a new thread with Help Sick Tortoise in the title? I am afraid people aren't seeing this :/

Also you could try PMing Yvonne or one of the other more knowledgeable members? I've seen her give advice on these threads before.

Here is her advice to someone with a Yellowfoot who got Baytril:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-42189.html

Good luck!!

 

[MildredsMommy]

Maybe start a new thread with Help Sick Tortoise in the title? I am afraid people aren't seeing this :/

Also you could try PMing Yvonne or one of the other more knowledgeable members? I've seen her give advice on these threads before.

Here is her advice to someone with a Yellowfoot who got Baytril:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-42189.html

Good luck!!

Thank you-Yvonne is a great help-I have bugged her on many occasions! You know how it is when one of your babies is sick-it throws your world off and I feel downright Bi-polar from the back and forths "Hes eating!" "He's not eating"...ect. I feel like I am on an emotional rollercoaster and can only imagine what Jerry Lee feels like!!!

 

[Redari]

Haha okay good to hear! I was worried that you were stressed out because no one was helping.

I totally know what you mean, my boyfriend keeps giving me side-eyes and joking that he's not having kids with me because I keep freaking out over the littlest things with my tort baby.

I hope things turn around for him soon. You are being an excellent mommy, it sounds like he's getting the very best care and love

 

[MildredsMommy]

Haha okay good to hear! I was worried that you were stressed out because no one was helping.

I totally know what you mean, my boyfriend keeps giving me side-eyes and joking that he's not having kids with me because I keep freaking out over the littlest things with my tort baby.

I hope things turn around for him soon. You are being an excellent mommy, it sounds like he's getting the very best care and love

Thank you that means a lot. Yes, my Hubby almost fell over when I even took Jerry to the vet the first time-but now he is attached as well. Meanwhile my Juvie Boxie Mildred is growing like a weed and stomping her little elephant legs up and down her enclosure-lol

 

[tortoise007]

Glad to hear he is loved I would leave the coco coir so he can burrow in it if he wants.

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I might stop going to the vet for a while and just see if you can nurse the little dude back to health without stabbing him all the time. he may be stressed from going to the vet so much and getting shots.

 

[MildredsMommy]

Glad to hear he is loved I would leave the coco coir so he can burrow in it if he wants.

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I might stop going to the vet for a while and just see if you can nurse the little dude back to health without stabbing him all the time. he may be stressed from going to the vet so much and getting shots.

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That was my thought-he had five injections and was basically given a clean bill of health although the vet said it would take time to recover. But yes-with all I know now, I would not put my little boy thru that again! Thanks for all the advice/encouragement-it helps more than you know!

 

[tortoise007]

Your VERY welcome.

 

[Balboa]

Hello Mildred's Mommy,

I went and looked over some of your older threads to get some background. First advice I'll give you is to relax

Both of my redfoots were rescues and came to me in poor condition, lethargic, pyramided, stressed out. They need time to adjust and recover, you won't likely see an overnight change from a sickly tort to a healthy active tort. At least I didn't. It took months until I felt we were "out of the woods".

Give him a secure, warm (85 degrees in the majority of it) and humid place, with some nice hides to feel safe in, and give him some time and he may recover. I used 40 breeder tanks that were almost completely covered, and for the first month both tortoises hardly left their hides. Every day they got warm (not hot) soaks in the bath tub. I made it deep enough they could swim in the deep end, and they often did. I think this helped them to build back their strength (its easier to swim than walk).

Over a couple months time mine started eating more. Started moving around more. Started walking instead of just dragging themselves around. I expect you should be able to see the same.

I guess I'm just saying, do the best you can to meet his needs and relax and be patient. Worrying yourself to death won't help.

 

[MildredsMommy]

Hello Mildred's Mommy,

I went and looked over some of your older threads to get some background. First advice I'll give you is to relax

Both of my redfoots were rescues and came to me in poor condition, lethargic, pyramided, stressed out. They need time to adjust and recover, you won't likely see an overnight change from a sickly tort to a healthy active tort. At least I didn't. It took months until I felt we were "out of the woods".

Give him a secure, warm (85 degrees in the majority of it) and humid place, with some nice hides to feel safe in, and give him some time and he may recover. I used 40 breeder tanks that were almost completely covered, and for the first month both tortoises hardly left their hides. Every day they got warm (not hot) soaks in the bath tub. I made it deep enough they could swim in the deep end, and they often did. I think this helped them to build back their strength (its easier to swim than walk).

Over a couple months time mine started eating more. Started moving around more. Started walking instead of just dragging themselves around. I expect you should be able to see the same.

I guess I'm just saying, do the best you can to meet his needs and relax and be patient. Worrying yourself to death won't help.

Thank you I know I tend to get worked up when it has something to do with my babies-which I know does neither one of us any good. Thank you so so much for letting me know about your RFs...that gives me hope. As a matter of fact, this morning I got up and gave Jerry Lee his morning soak (with baby food today). When I put him back in his little hospital tank he went right to his food dish and promptly sat in it-but he was moving around and appearing to want to eat-which made me feel like jumping up and down! I am taking your advice and going one day at a time-that should help immensely! Thanks again!!!