JunieJuneBug
New Member
I posted a few weeks ago about how to bathe a large sulcata (though I was informed 40lbs isn't large) for the first time. I had taken my sulcata to the vet for what sounded like a stuffy nose and she said I needed to move him indoors, and bathe him everyday. She prescribed him an antibiotic for a respiratory infection. He's been through the antibiotics and the vet would like to sedate the tortoise to draw blood for further labs. Another local tortoise owner felt like that may be extreme and also that the antibiotics aren't usually necessary when it's just a RI. There is only one vet clinic here that will see a large tort and apparently they set me up with the vet that isn't the reptile specialist.
So. I've followed her recommendations and I can't tell if he's getting better or not. He still sounds a bit congested but not always. He hasn't got a runny nose, he doesn't whistle when breathing, he eats a lot, moves around a lot, and has the occasional watery eye but only when I notice it feels dry in his room. He lives in my house now, which I don't think he likes much and his room stays between 75 and 84 degrees F. He has a heat lamp that is on all the time and a basking light during the day. He eats a mix of veg, Mazuri, and Timothy hay. I give him water that he never drinks but also soak his hay and Mazuri. He gets calcium sprinkled on his food every other day. I don't bathe him everyday as suggested because I just can't. Contrary to what some may think, putting a 40lb tortoise in your tub is rather difficult and keeping the water at 80 degrees F is not easy. When a 40lb tortoise poops in the bath it is damn near impossible to get it out before he mushes through it all. I can't imagine him swimming in poop water is terribly good for him either.
We got this tortoise last summer when he was surrendered by a previous owner. We followed all the instructions given by the pet store and pretty much just continued caring for him the way the previous owner did. I just want to do a good job and I don't want him to be sick or unhappy, and I don't want to sedate him unnecessarily. If someone can post helpful - not snarky - suggestions that would be great.
So. I've followed her recommendations and I can't tell if he's getting better or not. He still sounds a bit congested but not always. He hasn't got a runny nose, he doesn't whistle when breathing, he eats a lot, moves around a lot, and has the occasional watery eye but only when I notice it feels dry in his room. He lives in my house now, which I don't think he likes much and his room stays between 75 and 84 degrees F. He has a heat lamp that is on all the time and a basking light during the day. He eats a mix of veg, Mazuri, and Timothy hay. I give him water that he never drinks but also soak his hay and Mazuri. He gets calcium sprinkled on his food every other day. I don't bathe him everyday as suggested because I just can't. Contrary to what some may think, putting a 40lb tortoise in your tub is rather difficult and keeping the water at 80 degrees F is not easy. When a 40lb tortoise poops in the bath it is damn near impossible to get it out before he mushes through it all. I can't imagine him swimming in poop water is terribly good for him either.
We got this tortoise last summer when he was surrendered by a previous owner. We followed all the instructions given by the pet store and pretty much just continued caring for him the way the previous owner did. I just want to do a good job and I don't want him to be sick or unhappy, and I don't want to sedate him unnecessarily. If someone can post helpful - not snarky - suggestions that would be great.