So weird. Please any insight.

[bootai]

We've had our turtle for over 6 years (desert Tortoise) and a few days ago for the first time ever we found him on his back. Luckly we found him and where able to help him out, he was sorta slow for the next few days but was getting better as the days went by. Now here's the shocker...last night we came home and imidiatly noticed that our water flow to our Koi pond was not running. My hubby took a flash light and went out to the pond and to his shock found our tutle upside down in the middle of the pond!!!! He took him out right then and there put him on his belly and told me what he found. I couldn't beleive it, WHY??!! WHAT??!! OH NO!! is all I could think, I started to cry, we let the kids know what happend and the rest of the night is a blur. We where all so sad. He had to have fallen in during the day, he doesn't move around at night. For some reason me and my hubby thought that this couldn't be true and we would wake up to him ALIVE. The kids where heart broken.
Anyways, this morning we wake up, my little 7 year old was first up and she said she had a dream that the turtle died last night and the next morning Zoe (our rabbit) and the turtle where eating green green grass together. I told her that I'm sorry and Turtle's in heaven now. She asked if she could go out side and see him because she wanted to give him her favorite dolly to be by. Next thing you know she's screaming out that he's alive. His head is moving and his eyes are a little open!!! Again all I could this is WHAT??!! We went out to investigate and it's true, he's alive. It's kinda surreal. I'm thinking the worse, brain damage...ect.
I don't know what we sould do, it's Sunday and there are NO vets around here that our open. He seems exactly the way he was when we flipped him over on his belly a few days ago. There is just one thing, his mouth is full of slime green mucus. His body, legs, arms and neck are almost completly out and relaxed. I'm so worried about him. Is this at all possible??!! Last night I had hope that perhaps he went into sleep mode/ like hybernation type thing, or maybe I just couldn't beleive it. Does anyone have a clue what is happening, or is going to happen? Anything at all. He deffintly is going to the Vet first thing tomorrow. I would think that his lungs are full of water. Thanks everyone for reading.

 

[Kristina]

I am sorry I don't have any insight on the health issues, but I think that you have now realized that you need to block the pond off so that he cannot get to it. I would not temp fate a second time if he survives this.

 

[dmmj]

A sad but interesting story. I can offer a suggestion why your DT might be flipping over. One is he is trying to climb something and he flips over, the second is some type of bird is flipping it over. I do not know what state you are in but here in Calif. ravens and crows will flip baby and in a group flip over older DT's and then eat them. I can not say for sure what is happening though, BTW is your koi pond blocked from your tortoise having access? I would work on that myself. Let us know what has happened to your DT .

 

[bootai]

thanks guys, yeah for sure the pond is getting a fence aournd it, it's in the process as I type. My tortoise is pretty big, he's at his full size, I really don't think it's a bird. I just think it's super weird that never before has anything like this happend and now twice in a matter of days we almost lose him. He's totally on suicide watch!

 

[reptylefreek]

If there is an Emergency vet you need to take him ASAP... other wise im not sure what you can really do for him. I would keep him a a shaded area, assuming he isn't moving, so he doesn't get overheated and try to keep his stress level down. A forum member just recently said when they have a sick baby who is having problems breathing, she carries it around to keep its arms and legs slightly moving and I believe this helps the lungs draw in air. But that would depend on how big your DT is. I would definetly keep the kids away for the time being. I hope everything works out and you are able to get him to a vet tomorrow.

 

[Yvonne G]

From now on you need to make sure that your desert tortoise is put away inside of his hide at night. You obviously have some sort of marauding nighttime creature trying to eat the tortoise.

Hold the tortoise with two hands, one on either side, with his head pointing away from you. Give some support to his head and neck and raise your arms above your head. Swing the tortoise down towards the ground with some force. What you are trying to do is make centrifical force get the water out of his lungs. Be sure you support his head so you don't break his neck. Swing him several times, then place him in a quiet spot in the shade with his rear end slightly elevated and his head down.

He's going to need a regimen of antibiotics to counteract the water in his lungs so he doesn't get pneumonia.

Please keep us informed as to how your tortoise is doing, and WELCOME to the forum!!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I was going to tell you the same thing Yvonne said. Swing him down between your legs I am so sorry this is happening to you, and your tortoise. I hope our advice helps you some. I would also take your finger with him upside down and see if you can clean out his throat and mouth. Have your husband hold him with his head hanging down, (the tort not your husband) and squeeze him and see if you can squeeze some fluid out.

 

[Nay]

Wow, that is so bizarre.
I am so glad to hear you didn't go right out and bury him or something...
Good luck to you.
Na

 

[RascalDesertTort]

Wow, that is so bizarre.
I am so glad to hear you didn't go right out and bury him or something...
Good luck to you.
Na

Oooo...you ever think if she did bury him and then 2 days from now a "zombie" tort crawls out of the ground?? lol

 

[bikerchicspain]

We do the swing with cesearean born kittens and puppys at work,It really does work very well although nerve racking the first time you do it. Good luck with your DT.Keep us posted!

 

[Nay]

Any news???
Na

 

[bootai]

oh my gosh. Thanks everyone for all the responses. He's totally Alive. Normal, walking moving...it's so surreal. A miracle. How can he have lived. He had to have been under the water for two three hrs. or more!!! He had some really green mucus stuff in his mouth, hes doing better. Thanks again.

 

[pugsandkids]

Wow, so glad he's alive!

 

[goodsmeagol]

In all the commotion, and advice...
People forgot to say one IMPORTANT VERY IMPORTANT thing!
PICTURES!!!
Glad hes doing better, but LETS SEE EM!

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Thank the tortoise gods.

Now he's a walking miracle, and you've got a fence and an indoor enclosure to build.

 

[Tom]

Fence implies something flimsy and see through. Can we agree there needs to be a WALL between the tortoise and the pond? Just a low one, but a wall none the less. Glad your tortoise made it. What part of the country are you in? Even non-aquatic reptiles can hold their breath for a very long time. I had a baby monitor lizard stay under water in one of my fish tanks for 56 minutes. He seemed totally content and fine, but I got nervous and brought him up to the surface. He looked at me like, "What? I was having a nice nap down there, why'd you bother me?"

I think Yvonnes' right about the critter. I'd bring him in at night and set some raccoon traps out. Never know what you might catch.

 

[reptylefreek]

Good point Tom... i think since its not a baby and she implied he's quite hefty, more then a fence is clearly needed. I hear cinder blocks work very well. Except for Maggie's Bob. She also uses rebar in the middle on the cinder blocks

 

[jackiedots]

I am so pleased he is OK. I love happy endings !!