Travel!

[philipgreece]

Thank you all for your support and I'm really sorry if I asked all the time but these are my first pets and I didn't know anything about tortoises! I feel so bad because I wasn't organised!i wasn't using heat at night for them! I started this week to use ceramic lamps! How long can i use them? I keep the temperature at 23 degrees with 50% humidity! It's time to call my vet and arrange examinations for tortoises! Please I would like some instructions! I have to travel 7 hours and another 7 in the way back! Its going to be a little bit tiring! I have a small terrarium to move them! I'm gonna take my basking lamps with me and ceramic lamps too! Can I use towel or substrate at them bottom? I can close the terrarium but the problem is the humidity!the temperature in day is almost 20 degrees in greece!Now I don't know how expert is this vet too! It's one of two best vet in Greece! In Greece they are not so expert for reptiles so if someone knows something better here please I would appreciate it! The first time told me my torts were weak and gave me injections with me to do then in home! 3 injections one per day!also panacur for worms!To be honest i saw improvement after one month and they started gaining weight! I have heard injections aren't good!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!
Many people made mistakes with their tortoises, some learned from them and improved their tortoises lives. You are among this people, so don't feel too bad and keep going

Ceramic emitters can work for many years without problems. They don't degrade as UVB lamps.

It's better to have separate dark opaque boxes for each tortoise (like picnic fridge boxes, maybe). Check this post for advice: https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/traveling-with-my-redfoot-tortoise.209881/post-2092878

Make a stop in the middle and give tortoises to drink from a bowl. I don't think you need to take all lamps with you, you can heat the car to 24C and good to go.

About visiting a vet: if you have no complaints, then 15 hours of stressful travel can be just unnecessary. Some lab tests like X-Ray or fecal tests can be done at any vet clinic (it don't have to be reptile/exotic one). If possible, you can talk to vet by phone, do the prescribed tests and send him results/images by email. Then if he finds something concerning you will arrange the visit.

About injections: not all injections are evil. But some really do harm like vitamin A injections (perhaps some vets just extrapolate treatment protocols from other animal species).

 

[philipgreece]

Hello!
Many people made mistakes with their tortoises, some learned from them and improved their tortoises lives. You are among this people, so don't feel too bad and keep going

Ceramic emitters can work for many years without problems. They don't degrade as UVB lamps.

It's better to have separate dark opaque boxes for each tortoise (like picnic fridge boxes, maybe). Check this post for advice: https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/traveling-with-my-redfoot-tortoise.209881/post-2092878

Make a stop in the middle and give tortoises to drink from a bowl. I don't think you need to take all lamps with you, you can heat the car to 24C and good to go.

About visiting a vet: if you have no complaints, then 15 hours of stressful travel can be just unnecessary. Some lab tests like X-Ray or fecal tests can be done at any vet clinic (it don't have to be reptile/exotic one). If possible, you can talk to vet by phone, do the prescribed tests and send him results/images by email. Then if he finds something concerning you will arrange the visit.

About injections: not all injections are evil. But some really do harm like vitamin A injections (perhaps some vets just extrapolate treatment protocols from other animal species).

Thank you so much! I have a vet here that exams turtles! Do they have the same anatomy? If she can take exams from my torts I can send them in my vet! If this is possible the exams will be the other day! Will bloods and feces last for the other day or my vet needs fresh samples?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Turtles (water and land) have variations in their anatomy and physiology but, of course, have lot in common. I think turtles vet can get blood sample from a tortoise (you just need to know what blood analysis should be done in a lab then).

Blood and fecal tests *results* are valid for the sane period of time (like 1-2 weeks). I'm afraid can't just take *samples* and get them to lab in the other city next day (unless you follow strict transportation and storage rules, especially for blood fials).

Call your vet and discuss this scheme with him. He might simply refuse to look at results done in another lab (for any reason).

 

[Tom]

Thank you all for your support and I'm really sorry if I asked all the time but these are my first pets and I didn't know anything about tortoises! I feel so bad because I wasn't organised!i wasn't using heat at night for them! I started this week to use ceramic lamps! How long can i use them? I keep the temperature at 23 degrees with 50% humidity! It's time to call my vet and arrange examinations for tortoises! Please I would like some instructions! I have to travel 7 hours and another 7 in the way back! Its going to be a little bit tiring! I have a small terrarium to move them! I'm gonna take my basking lamps with me and ceramic lamps too! Can I use towel or substrate at them bottom? I can close the terrarium but the problem is the humidity!the temperature in day is almost 20 degrees in greece!Now I don't know how expert is this vet too! It's one of two best vet in Greece! In Greece they are not so expert for reptiles so if someone knows something better here please I would appreciate it! The first time told me my torts were weak and gave me injections with me to do then in home! 3 injections one per day!also panacur for worms!To be honest i saw improvement after one month and they started gaining weight! I have heard injections aren't good!

Why are you taking your tortoises to a vet? If there is nothing wrong, there is no reason to go. If there is something wrong, perhaps we can help you figure it out?

Travel the tortoises in dark colored opaque tubs with the lid on. Keep the car warm, and use a towel on the bottom. Bring extra towels and a large plastic garbage bag so that you can replace soiled towels when you make stops.