Tort First Aid

[TaraDodrill]

He scariest thing happy yesterday with Babette. I had just reminded her not to scarf down so much food at once or she would choke, and then she did, kind of. She got a piece of cuttle none lodged sideways just past where her jaws could crush it. She kept contorting her head and tongue trying to get it loose. I picked her up and put her in the water dish hoping if it got wet it would disintegrate enough to fall apart. No luck. She was to frantic to drink. I scooped some water into her mouth, cuttle bone didn't budge.
I went to the kitchen and got a metal BBQ grill appetizer scewer and used the non-sharp edge to dislodge the damn cuttle bone. It broke in half and part went down her throat and the rest flew out.
It was very scary.

 

[l0velesly]

RE: Tort Firsr Aid

How scary!! I'm glad everything was fine in the end.

 

[wellington]

RE: Tort Firsr Aid

That is very scary. Good thinking on your part. Glad it turned out good. You don't think she will have a problem with the piece that went down her throat do you? I sure hope not.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

RE: Tort Firsr Aid

You did good tho

 

[TaraDodrill]

RE: Tort Firsr Aid

Sorry for typos, auto complete can be so infuriating. It was very scary. I don't think she will, it was a small piece. We watched her closely for an hour and she walked, drank and ate well. She is her normal happy self today too. She loves cuttle bone, but now I'm afraid of it. I crushed up what was left from that bone into small pieces and sprinkled it onto her greens.

 

[Zamric]

RE: Tort Firsr Aid

ever try to Highnlick a tortoise?

 

[TaraDodrill]

RE: Tort Firsr Aid

Zamric, lol. That's exactly what I told Babette i didnt know how to do when she was taking too big of bites before the cuttle bone got stuck.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

RE: Tort Firsr Aid

How scary!! I'm glad everything was fine in the end.

 

[Zamric]

all I can say is Quick thinkin!... maybe you aught to stick with the powdered stuff for awhile!

 

[TaraDodrill]

Powdered stuff is definitely a safer bet for Babette. She is quite the little piggy! She tipped the scales at her firt weigh in. Have to start using a regular household scale for her now. She is more than 610 grams and that is all the lil scales does. Scarlet is 403 grams.

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My little piggies a week ago. I swear they grow everyday!
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[Madkins007]

I actually have a section on choking tortoises in the Library- but thankfully everything is OK for you!

Should this ever happen to anyone else- with tortoises and similar animals, it is best to try to reach and remove the problem with long tweezers, forceps, needle-nosed pliers or similar tools based on the animal's size.

Classes like the Red Cross's Dog First Aid or Cat First Aid shows how to do CPR, choking, and so forth for big mammal pets, but some of the ideas can apply to tortoises, sometimes with some modification.

 

[TaraDodrill]

Thanks Madkins. I'm going to print of the info and add to my tort care binder.