Tortoise not using back legs, not peeing, sensitive shell

Kski

New Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2022
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Buffalo NY
My Russian tortoise has stopped eating and she is dragging her back legs and I'm worried.
She is like 15 years old.
Took her to the vet. X ray and blood taken. No eggs or broken bones or kidney stones.
I have her in a 40 gallon tank with a power sun light bulb (heat and UVB and UVA all in one).
She won't eat but I normally give her romaine and kale and some green beans.
She used to drink when I put her in her water dish and now she won't.
As soon as she stopped using her legs I started to give her warm soaks everyday and that is also the day that I switched her from a light bulb that was just heat to the kind that has UV built into it.
She also weirdly seems to have an extreme sensitivity on the lower section of her shell, as in what would be her lower back. When I touch that part of her shell she uses her back legs to push up into the touch and I do not know if that means that she is in pain or if she likes it.
Although the veterinarian did not see any eggs in the X-ray she suspect that maybe my tortoise might be forming an egg which I guess is possible but then I read somewhere that when a tortoise is making an egg they become more active and my tortoise is the opposite of active.
He also weirdly has her tail tucked in, like it is either tucked to the side or it is straight with the tip of it like curling towards the underside of her shell.
I know it is definitely normal for tortoises to go through their hibernation phase and I would be less worried if it were not for her not using her back legs. Her eyes are alert and she raises her head to look at me especially when I talk to her or play guitar, so she seems fine in that regard. But I'm worried.
Can anyone help me? I'm going to take her back to the vet again for more bloodwork. I'd be happy to answer any questions to paint a better picture.
 

Lyn W

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
23,497
Location (City and/or State)
UK
Hi and welcome,
Sorry your tort is having problems.
If you could post pictures of her enclosure and the tort itself from a few angles - including the plastron showing the tail - then members with tort medical knowledge can advise you.

Is your vet a tortoise specialist? Vets can often do more harm than good so wait until you've had advice from experienced members here before going back.
What did the blood test show and what are the other blood tests for?

It isn't unusual for torts to curl their tails in, my male's tail is always tucked in except when he's peeing or pooping.
Are you sure you have a female? Pictures of the tail will help make sure.

Keep up the shallow luke/baby warm soaks because even if torts don't drink they can absorb water through the cloaca and I believe, through their skin.

Your tort needs a bigger enclosure. Juveniles and adults need a minimum of 4 x 8 feet so the sooner you can change that the better.

The more information you can give the better.
What are your temps in the enclosure cool side, warm side, basking and ambient?
The all in one lamps aren't recommended now because they have been found to dry and damage tort shells, and the uvb fades quickly so they need to be renewed frequently.
Many of us use T5 HO tube kits for uvb, with a separate flood basking bulb, and a CHE run through a thermostat for night heat if needed.
Does your tort have any outside time when its warm enough?

This is the caresheet you need to help you make the changes your tort needs
It starts with hatchling/baby care but a lot of the conditions stay the same for adults and gives good advice about a better diet. Your tort needs a more varied and should be mainly dark leafy weeds like dandelions, clover etc

I'm going to tag some members with much more medical knowledge than I and hopefully they will be more helpful @Yvonne @Tom @zovick @ZenHerper
 
Last edited:

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
My Russian tortoise has stopped eating and she is dragging her back legs and I'm worried.
She is like 15 years old.
Took her to the vet. X ray and blood taken. No eggs or broken bones or kidney stones.
I have her in a 40 gallon tank with a power sun light bulb (heat and UVB and UVA all in one).
She won't eat but I normally give her romaine and kale and some green beans.
She used to drink when I put her in her water dish and now she won't.
As soon as she stopped using her legs I started to give her warm soaks everyday and that is also the day that I switched her from a light bulb that was just heat to the kind that has UV built into it.
She also weirdly seems to have an extreme sensitivity on the lower section of her shell, as in what would be her lower back. When I touch that part of her shell she uses her back legs to push up into the touch and I do not know if that means that she is in pain or if she likes it.
Although the veterinarian did not see any eggs in the X-ray she suspect that maybe my tortoise might be forming an egg which I guess is possible but then I read somewhere that when a tortoise is making an egg they become more active and my tortoise is the opposite of active.
He also weirdly has her tail tucked in, like it is either tucked to the side or it is straight with the tip of it like curling towards the underside of her shell.
I know it is definitely normal for tortoises to go through their hibernation phase and I would be less worried if it were not for her not using her back legs. Her eyes are alert and she raises her head to look at me especially when I talk to her or play guitar, so she seems fine in that regard. But I'm worried.
Can anyone help me? I'm going to take her back to the vet again for more bloodwork. I'd be happy to answer any questions to paint a better picture.
Here are a few possibilities to examine:
1. Dehydration. What type of substrate is your tortoise on? What is the ambient humidity in the enclosure? How often did you soak and for how long, before the problem started?
2. Temperatures. What are your four temperatures? Warm side, cool side, basking area, and overnight low? What are you using for night heat, or is it not needed because your house is already warm enough for a temperate species?
3. Poor diet. None of the three times you listed are good staple food items for tortoises. All three are okay once in a while. Read the care sheet that Lyn linked for more info on this.
4. MBD. Metabolic bone disease. What type of UV bulb were you using before getting the Powersun? Have you put a meter under the Powersun or the previous bulb? Do you ever feed Mazuri, or supplement the greens with calcium powder with D3 in it? One of the reasons we recommend against using MVBs is because some of them stop producing any UV at all after a short period of time.
5. Enclosure size. A 40 is on the small side for a brand new tiny hatchling. For any Russian tortoise that is large than 4 inches, you need at least a 4x8 foot enclosure. Keeping them in small enclosures will often cause constipation and the other problems like what you are seeing.

Answers to these questions will help us get your tortoise back on track.
 

Kski

New Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2022
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Buffalo NY
I attached some pictures.
The vet confirmed that Regal is indeed a female but I could give some pics just to be sure.
This vet is not particularly a Tortoise specialist, but the assistant is an enthusistic tortoise owner and she is the one who gave me the advice and the Care Sheet printout.
The only thing that the vet said was different from the last blood test is that Regal's blood sugar was a bit higher than the last time. But I don't feed her any fruit.
The thermometer attached to the side of the tank is old and might not be accurate but it says like 64 degrees farenheight, which I doubt is accurate. I turn the heat on in my small apartment. The printout that the vet gave me specifcally recommended this bulb. The printout was from TortoiseSupply.com/RussianTortoiseCare.
It says "Our favorite light bulbs for all tortoises are ZooMed brand Powersun Mercury Vapor Bulbs (shout out to ZooMed on this great product). Mercury vapor bulbs are an all-in-one bulb that handles the heat, light, and UVB needs with a single bulb."
I normally take her out every day in summer. Right now it is cold and snowy, so I don't do that. In the summer, I feed her three leaf clovers and dandelion leaves from a lawn that has lots of weeds. I am 99% sure that no fertilizers or weed killers are put on there because this lawn is so overgrown and has lots of nice dandelions.
Before the Powersun, I mainly used the Thrive Desert Set UBV + Heat pack. One bulb for heat, one for UVB. I mainly had the Heat bulb on her and occasionally switched it out for the UB bulb, which is shaped like one of those energy efficient squiggly bulbs. "Includes 25W 10.0 UVB and Arcadia 100W Basking Spot Bulb" is what the box says.
When she was eating, I tried to put some calcium power on a couple leaves (she can tell when the powder is on it and doesn't like to eat leaves with the powder on it. Picky eater, I suspect.) The calcium powder is Zoomed Repti Calcium With D3. Maybe twice a week I put the ZooMed Reptivite reptile vitamin powder on her leaves, and this one is a multivitamin one.
This tank that I have has a metal mesh top that is broken up into two "lids". The "lids" are framed in plastic.
Thanks for getting back to me! Hope this helps. @Tom @Lyn W
 

Attachments

  • 20220223_232617.jpg
    20220223_232617.jpg
    19.4 KB · Views: 15
  • 20220223_232600 (1).jpg
    20220223_232600 (1).jpg
    21.1 KB · Views: 16
  • 20220223_232555.jpg
    20220223_232555.jpg
    16.4 KB · Views: 18
  • 20220223_235028.jpg
    20220223_235028.jpg
    25.9 KB · Views: 19
  • 20220223_235042.jpg
    20220223_235042.jpg
    27.1 KB · Views: 19

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I attached some pictures.
The vet confirmed that Regal is indeed a female but I could give some pics just to be sure.
This vet is not particularly a Tortoise specialist, but the assistant is an enthusistic tortoise owner and she is the one who gave me the advice and the Care Sheet printout.
The only thing that the vet said was different from the last blood test is that Regal's blood sugar was a bit higher than the last time. But I don't feed her any fruit.
The thermometer attached to the side of the tank is old and might not be accurate but it says like 64 degrees farenheight, which I doubt is accurate. I turn the heat on in my small apartment. The printout that the vet gave me specifcally recommended this bulb. The printout was from TortoiseSupply.com/RussianTortoiseCare.
It says "Our favorite light bulbs for all tortoises are ZooMed brand Powersun Mercury Vapor Bulbs (shout out to ZooMed on this great product). Mercury vapor bulbs are an all-in-one bulb that handles the heat, light, and UVB needs with a single bulb."
I normally take her out every day in summer. Right now it is cold and snowy, so I don't do that. In the summer, I feed her three leaf clovers and dandelion leaves from a lawn that has lots of weeds. I am 99% sure that no fertilizers or weed killers are put on there because this lawn is so overgrown and has lots of nice dandelions.
Before the Powersun, I mainly used the Thrive Desert Set UBV + Heat pack. One bulb for heat, one for UVB. I mainly had the Heat bulb on her and occasionally switched it out for the UB bulb, which is shaped like one of those energy efficient squiggly bulbs. "Includes 25W 10.0 UVB and Arcadia 100W Basking Spot Bulb" is what the box says.
When she was eating, I tried to put some calcium power on a couple leaves (she can tell when the powder is on it and doesn't like to eat leaves with the powder on it. Picky eater, I suspect.) The calcium powder is Zoomed Repti Calcium With D3. Maybe twice a week I put the ZooMed Reptivite reptile vitamin powder on her leaves, and this one is a multivitamin one.
This tank that I have has a metal mesh top that is broken up into two "lids". The "lids" are framed in plastic.
Thanks for getting back to me! Hope this helps. @Tom @Lyn W
We all recommended powersun bulbs before we figured out why they shouldn't be recommended and we realized all the problems with them.

There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
  2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night.
  3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
  4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.
 

Lyn W

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
23,497
Location (City and/or State)
UK
I attached some pictures.
The vet confirmed that Regal is indeed a female but I could give some pics just to be sure.
This vet is not particularly a Tortoise specialist, but the assistant is an enthusistic tortoise owner and she is the one who gave me the advice and the Care Sheet printout.
The only thing that the vet said was different from the last blood test is that Regal's blood sugar was a bit higher than the last time. But I don't feed her any fruit.
The thermometer attached to the side of the tank is old and might not be accurate but it says like 64 degrees farenheight, which I doubt is accurate. I turn the heat on in my small apartment. The printout that the vet gave me specifcally recommended this bulb. The printout was from TortoiseSupply.com/RussianTortoiseCare.
It says "Our favorite light bulbs for all tortoises are ZooMed brand Powersun Mercury Vapor Bulbs (shout out to ZooMed on this great product). Mercury vapor bulbs are an all-in-one bulb that handles the heat, light, and UVB needs with a single bulb."
I normally take her out every day in summer. Right now it is cold and snowy, so I don't do that. In the summer, I feed her three leaf clovers and dandelion leaves from a lawn that has lots of weeds. I am 99% sure that no fertilizers or weed killers are put on there because this lawn is so overgrown and has lots of nice dandelions.
Before the Powersun, I mainly used the Thrive Desert Set UBV + Heat pack. One bulb for heat, one for UVB. I mainly had the Heat bulb on her and occasionally switched it out for the UB bulb, which is shaped like one of those energy efficient squiggly bulbs. "Includes 25W 10.0 UVB and Arcadia 100W Basking Spot Bulb" is what the box says.
When she was eating, I tried to put some calcium power on a couple leaves (she can tell when the powder is on it and doesn't like to eat leaves with the powder on it. Picky eater, I suspect.) The calcium powder is Zoomed Repti Calcium With D3. Maybe twice a week I put the ZooMed Reptivite reptile vitamin powder on her leaves, and this one is a multivitamin one.
This tank that I have has a metal mesh top that is broken up into two "lids". The "lids" are framed in plastic.
Thanks for getting back to me! Hope this helps. @Tom @Lyn W
 

Lyn W

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
23,497
Location (City and/or State)
UK
Your torts tail looks female to me too, (males have longer tails and a concave plastron).

Unfortunately there is a lot of old information still being circulated, by pet stores, some websites, social media. other keepers and even breeders and vets etc. but the caresheets here are updated regularly so forget the rest.
Tom has decades of experience and been involved in research to find the best care methods to improve tortoise welfare so I would try to follow his caresheet and advice as closely as possible.
I knew nothing about tortoises when mine adopted me, and I made lots of mistakes but thanks to Tom and other experienced keepers , I was able to put things right and thankfully my tort has always been healthy. Keeping a leopard in the UK climate certainly has its challenges but there's always someone here to help.

A larger 4 x 8 feet enclosure is definitely needed so that the tort has room to roam which is very important for digestion and bone and muscle strength; with the correct heating and lighting hopefully you'll see a difference. There are lots of ideas in the Enclosures thread.

As for the higher sugar level, even foods like carrots and tomatoes and even some lettuces are too high in sugar for torts so use the caresheet to find a more varied diet .
You may also find wwww.thetortoisetable.org.uk useful for finding better foods.

I don't know this for sure but torts are easily stressed and I wonder if going to the vets and having bloods would cause a spike in sugar? I know stress does that to humans.

Torts can be picky eaters but you can introduce a new food by cutting it up small and mixing it with food they like, then gradually increase the goo d food and reduce the other. If you wet the leaves they'll stick together and she won't be able to avoid them. Patience may be needed but your tort will eat if he's hungry.

As well as pinches of calcium powder on food you could also put a cuttlefish bone in the enclosure (as sold for birds with cage clips removed) She may ignore it for ages but she also may nibble on it when she needs.

So read the caresheet but please come back with any questions - someone will get back to you.
 

Kski

New Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2022
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Buffalo NY
For now I switched back to the heat bulb without UV built in. I also have the squiggly bulb that does UV but I only have one lamp.
Can you tell me if the tube lights can burn through plastic? As I said, the metal mesh on the top has two panels lined with plastic.
As far as getting a bigger tank, I just think that's not going to happen. I live in a studio apartment the size of a hotel room and Regal has had a 40 gallon tank her whole life. Although I do feel bad when I remember how she used to pace around in the summer. When she did that (we called it "bombing around") we would take her outside or feed her.
She has also gone months without eating during winter so I am hoping that's what is happening here. As soon as she starts eating again, I will vary her diet and give her more of the stuff on that care sheet.
The vet offered to do a digital exam to see if she could feel an egg but since the egg didn't show up on the X-Ray and I just don't feel like subjecting my tortoise to that, I declined. Should I take her up on it? You've seen the size of her tail. Do you think a vet can shove a finger up there?
I'm still soaking her daily and I warm up the water a little bit in the microwave just so it is above lukewarm. I use filtered water from my Brita pitcher.
 

Kski

New Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2022
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Buffalo NY
Hey y'all! An update:
Took Regal to the vet and they gave her some injections of Calcium and fluids and a couple other drugs I don't know what they are because they have fancy scientific drug names.
I have to give her an antibiotic injection every three days. Also I put laxatives in her mouth every morning to help. The doctor said that on the X-Ray, he saw a lot of gas. I went to the store and bought the UBV tube light that was recommended by someone in this thread. I also use the blue "night" heat bulb for heat and that gets the tank up to like 85 degrees F. I also bought a Ceramic heater and one of those stick-on dome suspenders to lift the dome off the top of the tank. However, this Ceramic heater thing needs a particular type of dome (some product with the word "clamp" in it) so I might hold off on using that Ceramic thing if the blue bulb thing can get her warm.
She is still lethargic. The vet said the antibiotics are for something he saw in her eyes. Apparently her eyes are swolen and he suspects a respiratory infection. If Regal does not start eating in 5 days, I need to go to the Avian and Exotic specialist, a 35 minute drive away from my home.
 

Kski

New Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2022
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Buffalo NY
Guys I'm getting worried. I am scared I might have administered the laxative incorrectly. She is not making the "chewing" motion that I see her doing while eating or drinking. When I put the laxative in her mouth using the syringe (not the kind with a needle), she just closes her eyes and fails to do the "chewing" motion I normally observe her doing when she used to eat or drink.
I also hear her making that noise that she makes when startled; it is the sound of her quickly exhaling. She now makes that noise while sitting still with nothing to startle her.
I also saw some liquid on her nose while giving the laxative in her mouth and I'm not sure I put the stuff in her mouth wrong and she got it up her nose or what. She also moves her head in and out almost like someone invisible is pulling her head. She seems to be "squirming" with her head and neck almost as if the movement helps her breathe and it is labored.
After doing some research on problems with a tortoise I am fairly certain that this is indeed a respiratory infection and I continue to give the injections every 3 days. Today is Sunday and the vet clinic that is near to me is closed on weekends as well as the clinic that is 35 minutes away. I will call tomorrow.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
For now I switched back to the heat bulb without UV built in. I also have the squiggly bulb that does UV but I only have one lamp.
The squiggly bulb (cfl) is probably the source of the eye irritation. Those should not be used over tortoises.

Can you tell me if the tube lights can burn through plastic? As I said, the metal mesh on the top has two panels lined with plastic.
No. UV does not pass through plastic and screen filters out a large percentage of it too. There ca't be anything but air between the tortoise and the UV tube.

As far as getting a bigger tank, I just think that's not going to happen. I live in a studio apartment the size of a hotel room and Regal has had a 40 gallon tank her whole life. Although I do feel bad when I remember how she used to pace around in the summer. When she did that (we called it "bombing around") we would take her outside or feed her.
This is not optional. The current enclosure does not meet this tortoise's needs. Not even close. Tortoises need large enclosures to roam around in for their GI tracts to function. Not being able to walk around enough in their enclosure causes the problems you were asking about in your first post. If you can't provide this tortoise with what it needs to meet its most basic needs, then it is time to give it to someone who can. Tortoises just are not pet for people with no space. There are other reptile pets that do fine in smaller enclosures, but not tortoises.

Took Regal to the vet and they gave her some injections of Calcium and fluids and a couple other drugs I don't know what they are because they have fancy scientific drug names.
Most vets don't know what they are doing with tortoises and they do the wrong things. You tortoise didn't need fluids, calcium, or antibiotics. It needs the proper enclosure with the correct temperatures.

They should have given you a receipt that shows what they did. They probably used Baytril, which literally burns them and causes terrible pain. You need to find out what they are using.

I have to give her an antibiotic injection every three days.
I wouldn't do that until you know what it is.

Also I put laxatives in her mouth every morning to help. The doctor said that on the X-Ray, he saw a lot of gas. I went to the store and bought the UBV tube light that was recommended by someone in this thread. I also use the blue "night" heat bulb for heat and that gets the tank up to like 85 degrees F.
What laxatives? I've never needed to do this.

Gas in the GI tract can simply be from not eating.

Which UV tube did you get? Maybe post a pic of the package?

You don't need night heat for a Russian, and 85 is much too hot at night, but fine during the day. Colored bulbs should not be used.

also bought a Ceramic heater and one of those stick-on dome suspenders to lift the dome off the top of the tank. However, this Ceramic heater thing needs a particular type of dome (some product with the word "clamp" in it) so I might hold off on using that Ceramic thing if the blue bulb thing can get her warm.
She is still lethargic. The vet said the antibiotics are for something he saw in her eyes. Apparently her eyes are swolen and he suspects a respiratory infection. If Regal does not start eating in 5 days, I need to go to the Avian and Exotic specialist, a 35 minute drive away from my home.
You can use the CHE if you want things a little warmer at night than room temp, but you need a thermostat to control it so that it doesn't over heat the whole enclosure. If your house is 65 or higher, you don't need night heat. You can buy ceramic based light fixtures (aka: clamp lamps) at home depot for about $13. Don't use the clamp. The clamps fail and it can cause a fire. Hang the lamp from over head. These are to correct type of fixture to use, just remove the clamp that comes with it ad don't use that clamp.

The vet said the antibiotics are for something he saw in her eyes. Apparently her eyes are swolen and he suspects a respiratory infection. If Regal does not start eating in 5 days, I need to go to the Avian and Exotic specialist, a 35 minute drive away from my home.
The eye problem is probably due to the cfl bulb, and Turing that off will solve the problem. Even if that is not the problem, the tortoise needs eye drops or eye ointment for an eye problem, not injectable antibiotics.

I don't think Regal is going to eat with all that is being done to her, on top of all the things that were wrong and still aren't fixed, which is what caused to problem in the first place. Fix the problems, and the symptoms will go away on their own. This vet has now added more problems on top of the pre-existing problems that we already talked about.

Guys I'm getting worried. I am scared I might have administered the laxative incorrectly. She is not making the "chewing" motion that I see her doing while eating or drinking. When I put the laxative in her mouth using the syringe (not the kind with a needle), she just closes her eyes and fails to do the "chewing" motion I normally observe her doing when she used to eat or drink.
You are shooting something down the throat. There is no need for chewing.

I also hear her making that noise that she makes when startled; it is the sound of her quickly exhaling. She now makes that noise while sitting still with nothing to startle her.
That could be her breathing or reacting to the pain in her leg if they used Baytril on her. Baytril is caustic. It literally burns them.

I also saw some liquid on her nose while giving the laxative in her mouth and I'm not sure I put the stuff in her mouth wrong and she got it up her nose or what. She also moves her head in and out almost like someone invisible is pulling her head. She seems to be "squirming" with her head and neck almost as if the movement helps her breathe and it is labored.
That is how they breathe. Sounds like labored breathing which is to be expected with what is being done to her.
After doing some research on problems with a tortoise I am fairly certain that this is indeed a respiratory infection and I continue to give the injections every 3 days. Today is Sunday and the vet clinic that is near to me is closed on weekends as well as the clinic that is 35 minutes away. I will call tomorrow.
The cure for a RI is warmer temperatures. With the correct enclosure and set up, this is as simple as upping the setting on the thermostat, or adding a higher wattage basking bulb.

She has also gone months without eating during winter so I am hoping that's what is happening here.
If you did not empty her gut, and put her down to the correct brumation temperatures, this is very bad.

That previously linked care sheet will explain what to do and how to do it to prevent this sort of thing.
 

zovick

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
3,388
Guys I'm getting worried. I am scared I might have administered the laxative incorrectly. She is not making the "chewing" motion that I see her doing while eating or drinking. When I put the laxative in her mouth using the syringe (not the kind with a needle), she just closes her eyes and fails to do the "chewing" motion I normally observe her doing when she used to eat or drink.
I also hear her making that noise that she makes when startled; it is the sound of her quickly exhaling. She now makes that noise while sitting still with nothing to startle her.
I also saw some liquid on her nose while giving the laxative in her mouth and I'm not sure I put the stuff in her mouth wrong and she got it up her nose or what. She also moves her head in and out almost like someone invisible is pulling her head. She seems to be "squirming" with her head and neck almost as if the movement helps her breathe and it is labored.
After doing some research on problems with a tortoise I am fairly certain that this is indeed a respiratory infection and I continue to give the injections every 3 days. Today is Sunday and the vet clinic that is near to me is closed on weekends as well as the clinic that is 35 minutes away. I will call tomorrow.
It sounds as though the tortoise inhaled the laxative the into the tortoise's lungs rather than swallowing it from the description you gave of the result. This inhalation would cause inhalation pneumonia which makes it difficult for the tortoise to breathe, and resulted in the bubbles of laxative coming from the nose as well as the head motions you described.

There is probably not much you can do about it now other than hope for the best and keep the tortoise warm.
 

Kski

New Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2022
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Buffalo NY
I didn't give her the laxative today.
Here is what the vet receipt says
Fluids Subcutaneous
Injection- Calcium Gluconate 23% injection
Injection- Metacam 5mg/ml Inj
Injection- Reglan inj 5 mg/ml
Ceftazidime Tazicef 400 mg/ml These are the antibiotics I am to administer every three days

Regal walks outside quite a bit during the summer. She's always been in a 40 gallon tank. Now I feel bad that this was not big enough for her. The pet store must have recommended this to us and they were wrong. What do you propose for a better enclosure for a hotel room sized apartment? I live in New York so it is snowy right now. And if I put her in a bigger thing with more room for her to walk around and she is still lethargic, would that defeat the purpose? Like "Okay Regal now you have more space to roam around!" then she just sits in one spot not using her back legs.

I put food in front of her but she ignores it.

I attached the box of the UVB light.
The "blue" light is Exo Terra 100W Night Heat Lamp (night vision). This gives her heat. I don't have the proper "Clamp Lamp" to safely accommodate the Ceramic heat thing. But as you said in that reply, I should not get that.

So with temperature, the thermometer now says anywhere from 88F to 92F, it fluctuates through the day.
With the "chewing" motion I am referring to, it's the kind of "nom nom" motion they make after they swallow something. Does that paint a better picture?

Tomorrow I will call the vet that is farther away and talk to them and see if I should keep going with the antibiotic injections. I will also put the ceramic heat thing in the dome rather than the Blue bulb.
I am saddened to hear all these responses. What if the vet did something wrong to my girl? She's been living in the 40 gallon tank and taking walks in the summer and living off Romaine her whole life (15 years) so why would problems arise now? This summer I fed her Dandelion leaves and some Spring Mix.
Regal initially belonged to my brother and was at my old home until like a year ago when she came to live with me.
 

Attachments

  • 1646622112998.png
    1646622112998.png
    128.4 KB · Views: 1

Kski

New Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2022
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Buffalo NY
Vet says she sees signs of infection on the inside of her. Also we failed to give her UVB in the winter when she was young. We only had a heat bulb at home. She is going to inject Regal with some vitamins and stuff. She says the previous vet was right to give the treatments they did. The vet did not agree with "Most vets don't know what they are doing with tortoises and they do the wrong things. You tortoise didn't need fluids, calcium, or antibiotics. It needs the proper enclosure with the correct temperatures." Also the vet is going to inject her with an appetite stimulant. I am giving her antibiotics and she now has UVB but it's critical to build it up when she is young. We failed her in that area and I am so sorry.
 

Kski

New Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2022
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Buffalo NY
Update...
She is extremely anemic and showing signs of serious infection. Blood transfusions are difficult and the only place they could do it would be to go to Cornell University which is like an hour away.
The doctor said it's time to say goodbye. As in euthanasia. Please pray for me in this difficult time.
I promise that if I ever get another reptile I will do proper research and give the animal UVB and supplements and do a better job.
 

New Posts

Top