rachellain
New Member
Hello all, kept meaning to do an update on here and have finally gotten around to it.
Start off by saying Sam is well and back to normal so the injections worked like every other time and the vet discharged her without further treatment.
The blood and lymphatic fluid results showed high calcium, phosphorus and protein which the vet said all backed up that she is in reproductive stage and should be spayed - always with that option!
I have since spoken to a member of the local tortoise club who suggested cutting out certain foods to see if that makes a difference. Sam likes kale and apparently that can affect the calcium/phosphorus balance. The vet didn't mention this at all or even ask what Sam eats.
Results also showed "liver levels up" which the vet said was due to tissue damage in swelling.
I asked the vet more about the option of spaying and she said that no other spays she has done has the tortoise been swollen. All egg bound, showing symptoms of digging and going off food which Sam does not do. I cannot see how she thinks spaying her will solve this swelling issue. Apparently the longer it's left the harder it will be to spay Sam as she will have adhesions from previous scarring making it harder to get everything out. She pushed me to go back next May and have the spay done but I said I would think about it.
I'm going to try and change a few things and hope that next year she doesn't swell, and if she does I'll apologise to the vet and say I wanted to try a different, non evasive, way first.
The lady at the tortoise club suggested keeping Sam awake longer and waking her up sooner from hibernation. Plus growing things that she would eat on her natural habitat such as cactus. Does anyone else do this and if so any idea where I get some from?
Thanks for all your time and advice.
Rachel
Start off by saying Sam is well and back to normal so the injections worked like every other time and the vet discharged her without further treatment.
The blood and lymphatic fluid results showed high calcium, phosphorus and protein which the vet said all backed up that she is in reproductive stage and should be spayed - always with that option!
I have since spoken to a member of the local tortoise club who suggested cutting out certain foods to see if that makes a difference. Sam likes kale and apparently that can affect the calcium/phosphorus balance. The vet didn't mention this at all or even ask what Sam eats.
Results also showed "liver levels up" which the vet said was due to tissue damage in swelling.
I asked the vet more about the option of spaying and she said that no other spays she has done has the tortoise been swollen. All egg bound, showing symptoms of digging and going off food which Sam does not do. I cannot see how she thinks spaying her will solve this swelling issue. Apparently the longer it's left the harder it will be to spay Sam as she will have adhesions from previous scarring making it harder to get everything out. She pushed me to go back next May and have the spay done but I said I would think about it.
I'm going to try and change a few things and hope that next year she doesn't swell, and if she does I'll apologise to the vet and say I wanted to try a different, non evasive, way first.
The lady at the tortoise club suggested keeping Sam awake longer and waking her up sooner from hibernation. Plus growing things that she would eat on her natural habitat such as cactus. Does anyone else do this and if so any idea where I get some from?
Thanks for all your time and advice.
Rachel