Tort seems to be rapidly deteriorating...

[Gemzyfish]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and have troweled through Internet forums for advice on my young Horsfield bu to no avail :-( I don't want it to seem like I'm barging in or anything but I've been getting quite upset.

Henry is two and has had a couple of visits to the vets recently as he hadn't been eating or going to the toilet. It's been three weeks now since he has been to the toilet for either number 1 or 2. He also cannot use his back legs to walk. He does retract them into his shell when you touch them or when I've injected his antibiotics.

The vets have carried out: bloods- all fine for kidneys and liver but elevated white blood cells, hence the antibiotics, X-rays - all ok and have given a barium meal.

I've injected antibiotics for the last fortnight. He is now eating dandelion leaves when offered them and I am bathin him twice daily in warm water for 20 minutes. He is still not going to the toilet. Now he appears to be slightly opening his mouth to breathe?! I've tried syringing oil into his vent hole but I don't want to distress him and make him gasp for breath anymore.

I apologise for the long message, I'm just really despairing and I'm not sure what the vet will do next, or what I need to be asking the vet?

It would be great if someone could shed some light on this.

Thanks
Gemma

 

[Torty Mom]

I am so sorry, I wish I could offer you some advice. I hope your tortie is better soon, I am sure someone will be along later today or tomorrow am to help you out. You can try baby food soaks. That's about all I have, sorry!

 

[ascott]

Welcome to the Forum

Is your tortoise eating a "normal" amount? or is he simply taking a little bit at a time? If he is not consuming more than a bite or two at a time then I would not expect him to have much to offer as poo...

Where are injecting his antibiotics, front legs, back legs....in the muscle or under the skin? Are you alternating legs for each injection? Are you giving injections once every day? Or every third day? What type of antibiotic are you using?

Have you had your tortoise since hatchling? How long have you had him?

The barium meal procedure can disturb the bowels for some time (especially in a tortoise whos system moves items slowly as it is, you know?)

What temps are the enclosure you house him in at on the hot side and the middle and the cold side? What type of substrate are you using currently?

Also, I would stop the syringe of oil into his vent...if you want him to be aided in achieving poo....perhaps dip a bit of the dandelion into some mineral oil and feed it to him....let it work from the start through his shute.....

---

also....continue the warm water soaks for around 30-40 minutes and make sure to keep the water warm and not allow it to cool....

May we see a pic of your tortoise please?

 

[Torty Mom]

What kind of oil are you using?

 

[DixieParadise]

I had the same problem a few months ago with one of my Redfoots. It had a parasite and I had to give oral treatment and that was not very much fun.

I did the babyfood soaks... orange baby food, squash, pumpkin, carrots..mixed with your water soaks. This allows the tort to drink the food. Sounds silly, but let me tell you within a couple of weeks "Gypsy" was up and out with the rest of the torts. I also put baby vitamin drops in the water. Have you tried putting mineral oil in a syringe and shooting it in the torts mouth? Yvonne usually jumps in about now...so wait and I am sure better advice will be coming.

Sorry to hear about your Tort...a sick one is not much fun...

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Please tell us more about your set up with the temps, humidity ... etc. What kind of antibiotics is he taking? Has he been checked for parasites?

 

[Laura]

xray to check for obstruction?

 

[Tom]

We need more info. It sounds like he might have been simply trying to hibernate. This is pretty typical this time of year.

Where are you?

 

[wildchild]

So this means the Vet found no stones, slightly opening his mouth to breathe usally means phenomia, but you are giving him antibiotics. Sounds like he has Gout, it is very common in reptiles. I had a turlte w/gout. Here is a web site, http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1796&aid=2496
I had a turtle that lost use of her back legs. Soak

 

[Gemzyfish]

Hi everyone. Apologies but I'm in the UK and I've been asleep. I havent Slept very much knowing Henry is at the vets this morning!

Thank you for all of your comments, it's really quite overwhelming.

Henry is having injections of "Fortum" every third day. I do alternate the back legs everytime I do it.
When he eats he definitely doesn't eat more than a leaf of dandelion I'd say. I'm keeping him in a tortoise table with a topsoil/sand substrate. The daytime warm area is around 35 degrees Celsius and at night I've kept it quite high still at 30 Hilary he's been ill.

I haven't had him since he has been a hatchling. When I got him two years ago he was so bumpy and full of worms.

I do hope I've answered questions thoroughly, it's so early this morning. I hate imminent vets visits! :-(

 

[JoesMum]

Whereabouts in the UK are you? Is your vet a tort specialist? I use a fantastic one in Kent

This forum is US based, so less active at this time of day.

Http://www.Shelledwarriors.co.uk is UK based and there may be more people around just now. They can probably put you on to a good vet local to you

You really need a second vet opinion on this tort... I can understand your worry.