If you google the vet there is info on him and his achievements with torts and articles he has written and contributed to. He does seem to have a lot of experience with torts, which is a bonus.
unsteady redfoot
- Thread starter Anyfoot
- Start date
I agree and I always wonder how vets get to know what is wrong with the poor animal, that is if they-the vets- are honest.
Unfortunately vets for torts are not available in Jordan.
You can see their clinic's care recommendations here http://www.hollyhousevets.co.uk/downloads/tortoise-care-plan.pdf
Stuart McArthur's tortoise surgery textbook is /the/ book. I would imagine he is the ideal person in the UK to bring tortoise limb problems too. Being near a specialized tortoise surgeon is too rare of an opportunity to pass up.
Stuart McArthur's tortoise surgery textbook is /the/ book. I would imagine he is the ideal person in the UK to bring tortoise limb problems too. Being near a specialized tortoise surgeon is too rare of an opportunity to pass up.
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Yep your right. I'll contact him.
I agree and I always wonder how vets get to know what is wrong with the poor animal, that is if the-the vets- are honest.
Unfortunately vets for torts are
Hi Craig, and sorry to have heard your tort is 'sick.' Oli has been giving me a bit of trouble lately too: he eats well, he poops butt when outside his enclosure, he moves to what I've named 'his favourite corner' and sits there hours on end. Don't know why, and I'm sure it's NOT the weather as it's very hot here. He used to wait for the second he's out of his enclosure, and used to roam around the flat happily. And when I pick him up for any reason, he fights like mad! To make things twice as hard, there are no vets for torts in this place! So all I'm doing is reading,researching and doing some guesswork.
Hi Gillian. Well you can be sure anything I learn from a vet will be passed onto you through this forum. Hope oli gets well.
Does oli get any outside time at all?
Thanks so much in advance, you help Craig. Appreciate it.
Yes, I take Oli out for so-called 'walks' whenever the weather permits. It is now very hot here, so we tend to go out at about 5-6pm for 1.5 to two hours. The 'funny' thing is that Oli seems to be a different tort outside. He roams around, plays around very happily. But...once we are back home his mood changes. I'm doing all I can for him.
Once again, thanks your help.
TMartin510
Active Member
How's your Redfoot doing today?? Any better I hope?
Well yesterday he seemed to moving a bit better. He's very slow, seems to not have control of his back right leg. Anyway I watched him feed yesterday, I gave him some liver, and mashed banana with d3 calcium powder mixed in. He ate the lot. Also I changed all my uvb bulbs. I'm paranoid I haven't been giving them enough d3.
But he moves from the hot end to cool end to regulate his temp as normal, eating, pooping, bright eyed, following females and looks very alert. Just slow and walking around like a fragile old man. Hope its not signs of MBD.
TMartin510
Active Member
Hmmmm how far do your uvb bulbs reach down? At first I was using one, which then found out it was only getting 6 inches down, and was told might as well just turn it off and save power so I got a new one aswell.
Maybe toss him in a cuddle bone to chew on? My guy is slow but I think he just likes to look at everything as he walks. If you had a vid I'd be curious to see it so I could give you my opinions and maybe the others would be able too aswell. I really hope your guy is ok.
Maybe toss him in a cuddle bone to chew on? My guy is slow but I think he just likes to look at everything as he walks. If you had a vid I'd be curious to see it so I could give you my opinions and maybe the others would be able too aswell. I really hope your guy is ok.
My strip uvb is 10" from substrate. So 5/6" from tort level. About 6 wk ago my uvb stopped working. Coincidentally the one in my juveniles did too. I only had one spare and a used one that came with my juvenile viv. So I put a new one in with the juveniles and put the used one in the adults. Like an idiot I forgot to get a new one. So yesterday I put a new one in. T8 10%. When I took the used one out( that I never used until now) it was only a 5%. All this said, I've had them outside quite a bit whilst the weather has been good. Also for the past 2 or 3 months we cut back on protein. ( because I felt we were feeding them too much compared to other keepers). We used to let them gorge on mice or chicken every Sunday. We cut back on this a bit. I'm going to feed them protein once a week again from now on. George maybe just going through a bad patch like we humans do, I don't know. I'll get a video of him today then attempt to get it on.
Forgot to say they have access to cuttlefish 24/7. Because when things seem odd I start questioning everything I do to correct the problem, can anyone confirm that I'm right or wrong with my next statement.
There has to be a balance between calcium and phosphorus. Phosphorus comes from protein, phosphorus will always beat calcium to the bone system, so there for if fed too much protein, calcium will just pass straight through the system with no effect. Equally protein is needed for strength.
Is this correct. Not worded very scientifically but that's me
Hi Gillian Would you be able to get a blow up kiddies paddling pool as a make do enclosure and sit outside with him for a while as well? Heat and sandstorms permitting (now that's not something I get to say any day in the UK!) Maybe the extra sun would cheer him up.
TMartin510
Active Member
We can only do the best that we can and hope to do better when we can! Hopefully it's just a phase, and that he'll get past it. From what you say he seems to be looking good in every way. So maybe he bumped up against something and he feels pain? I'm no expert so I can't say forsure. Or maybe it's possible a bee stung him or some little bug did? Idk if that's likely or would happen but a bee was getting awfully close to one of my guys feet. Maybe it's just uncomfortable to use right now and hopefully it's nothing serious.Forgot to say they have access to cuttlefish 24/7. Because when things seem odd I start questioning everything I do to correct the problem, can anyone confirm that I'm right or wrong with my next statement.
There has to be a balance between calcium and phosphorus. Phosphorus comes from protein, phosphorus will always beat calcium to the bone system, so there for if fed too much protein, calcium will just pass straight through the system with no effect. Equally protein is needed for strength.
Is this correct. Not worded very scientifically but that's me
Thanks very much your answer and your help Lyn.
As far as the sun is concerned, I was told not o keep him in the sun, as too much of it could be 'killing!'
Hi Gillian. You once mentioned you had a balcony. How safe is your balcony. Does the sun get on it. How big is it.
Hi Craig. Yes I have a balcony and the sun is striking there now-too much for Oli or any tort for that matter. It is not at all safe. I can put Oli on the balcony when he's being soaked as he'd be in a bowl in such a case.
Would it be a big job to make safe, and have some of it in the shade, a cardboard box upside down would do , maybe. Then you can see if he perks up a bit. It may be lack of sun.
Appreciate your help Craig. However, I do not think it's lack of sun; as the sun strikes in his room where his enclosure is. He only cheers up when we are outside, be it in the sun or not. Strange is it not?
Angel Carrion
Well-Known Member
When you say the sun strikes his enclosure inside, is it through a window? If it is through a closed window, then it is useless. The needed UV's cannot pass through mesh or glass. So the sun shining into the room is no more helpful to him than a light bulb in the living room.
