Good afternoon tortoise forum, Sulcata owners specifically.
Everyday I browse the sulcata threads, and it always amazes me just how me owners/keepers post questioning the behavior of their tortoise in relation to their health. Normally it starts out, my tortoise isn’t moving, or isn’t eating, or is doing something abnormal but I don’t know if I should be worried.
For the experienced owners who have been thru the rough patches with various success rates, we now know what it is we are looking for in a healthy tortoise. What I hope this post will achieve is the documentation of symptoms, their cause, and solution. I have looked thru the posts and how-to’s, I have not seen a thread that specifically lists what the owner sees and the most likely cause or resolution.
As with all sick animals the progression of the sickness would require different levels of treatment, if this could serve as a guide for what needed to be done depending on severity of symptoms, I think it would help the new owners to treat the problem(s) more effectively.
An example would be:
Upper respiratory infection:
* warning indicator: tired animal sleeps a lot, not interested in food. Solution: raise temps, reduce handling, warm water vita sol/baby food soaks.
*Onset: same as above but bubbles from nose. Solution: Same as above but make a vet appointment, anti-biotics needed.
*Full blown infection: Same as above but with open mouth breathing and wheezing, eyes closed, no movement. Solution: STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING, AND RUSH ANIMAL TO VET!!!
If we could just have people post like this, with no running commentary in between. It will prevent this thread from becoming a 15 page monster which will defeat the point, since nobody wants to search when their baby is sick.
Thanks all.
Rob
Everyday I browse the sulcata threads, and it always amazes me just how me owners/keepers post questioning the behavior of their tortoise in relation to their health. Normally it starts out, my tortoise isn’t moving, or isn’t eating, or is doing something abnormal but I don’t know if I should be worried.
For the experienced owners who have been thru the rough patches with various success rates, we now know what it is we are looking for in a healthy tortoise. What I hope this post will achieve is the documentation of symptoms, their cause, and solution. I have looked thru the posts and how-to’s, I have not seen a thread that specifically lists what the owner sees and the most likely cause or resolution.
As with all sick animals the progression of the sickness would require different levels of treatment, if this could serve as a guide for what needed to be done depending on severity of symptoms, I think it would help the new owners to treat the problem(s) more effectively.
An example would be:
Upper respiratory infection:
* warning indicator: tired animal sleeps a lot, not interested in food. Solution: raise temps, reduce handling, warm water vita sol/baby food soaks.
*Onset: same as above but bubbles from nose. Solution: Same as above but make a vet appointment, anti-biotics needed.
*Full blown infection: Same as above but with open mouth breathing and wheezing, eyes closed, no movement. Solution: STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING, AND RUSH ANIMAL TO VET!!!
If we could just have people post like this, with no running commentary in between. It will prevent this thread from becoming a 15 page monster which will defeat the point, since nobody wants to search when their baby is sick.
Thanks all.
Rob