Update (shell injury)

[lynnedit]

that enclosure looks pretty darn nice, now.

What about putting some calcium on a piece of fruit (exceptions sometimes have to be made!), like a slide of peeled apple, or a berry. Don't pile the calcium on, just dust it. then hand feed her. probably wouldn't put calcium in the soaking water as the powder might be irritating. Baby food soaks are the way to go, as suggested.

I am so pulling for her!

 

[Brittany6]

Wow thanks so much for the complements!!! I just want to give her everything! And I am so worried I'm doing something wrong. I was giving her that powder calcium with other vit 3
Times a week but was told today to up it daily. I dust it on her spring mix, then mixed baby food squash and calcium Togeather as well as dipped pumpkin in it and tried to hand feed her for a hour. She wants non of it :-( im keeping those options in her tank all night and then will try again In the morning. I hope she opens her eyes and sees a new happy home and decides to eat. I think if she saw the bright colors she would go for it. Oh and I got the hides so cheap at Walmart and she seems to love them and go inside unlike the homemade box I made. Now is there a better top? I think the foil looks funny but hey it works lol!! Thanks again for making me feel better and that it's not me hurting her xoxo

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I will try fruit tomarrow!!! I hope it works! Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[BrinnANDTorts]

that enclosure looks pretty darn nice, now.

What about putting some calcium on a piece of fruit (exceptions sometimes have to be made!), like a slide of peeled apple, or a berry. Don't pile the calcium on, just dust it. then hand feed her. probably wouldn't put calcium in the soaking water as the powder might be irritating. Baby food soaks are the way to go, as suggested.

I am so pulling for her!

They make liquid calcium and vitamin D that you can pour straight into the soaking water. I do that
I also would try this
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Calcium-rich-gel-food-for-supplementation#axzz1k3Z9xgaB
Kristina raises her tortoises without and UVB artificially lighting and they are healthy as ever. She says in the thread that the tortoises just attack it because it smells amazing, she says it's good for tortoises with soft shells but not eating.
Your little Genny may not be opening her eyes but she can still smell so maybe that would work...

 

[Brittany6]

Ohhhhhhh excellent!!!!! THANK YOU!!! The kids and I will have fun making it tomarrow!! Xoxox

 

[mary t]

I think you are doing great. I have all the posts on your little guy coming to my email just so I dont miss a thing. I rescued some lizard things once from a co-worker and when we got them they were so sick and it broke my heart that the previous owners didn't care, I sat up for two nights in a row hand feeding these things to just loose them so I know how attached you can get. I don't like lizard things let me add. My sullie has been with me for 3 months and he is 6 yrs old and I'm freeking out about everything. Keep up the good work. Your baby is very luck that it is with you... And the new hides are great just make sure it is warm enough inside...

 

[BrinnANDTorts]

Wow thanks so much for the complements!!! I just want to give her everything! And I am so worried I'm doing something wrong. I was giving her that powder calcium with other vit 3
Times a week but was told today to up it daily. I dust it on her spring mix, then mixed baby food squash and calcium Togeather as well as dipped pumpkin in it and tried to hand feed her for a hour. She wants non of it :-( im keeping those options in her tank all night and then will try again In the morning. I hope she opens her eyes and sees a new happy home and decides to eat. I think if she saw the bright colors she would go for it. Oh and I got the hides so cheap at Walmart and she seems to love them and go inside unlike the homemade box I made. Now is there a better top? I think the foil looks funny but hey it works lol!! Thanks again for making me feel better and that it's not me hurting her xoxo

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I will try fruit tomarrow!!! I hope it works! Thanks for all the suggestions!

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I think a few days in the dark new hide will make her eyes open up, I am really hoping it will. It's great that she likes her hide now !!!
And foil may not look the best but it works amazing so I would keep it . I can tell by the fog on the sides of the glass in the picture that it is working well.
Let me know how she likes that gel square thingies, I will be getting split scute red foot next week and will probably not use artificially UVB lighting at all on her and just use that gel once a week and then the Repashy super cal that Kristina told me to use Three times a week to give her the calcium and vitamin d she needs.
On the gel stuff though you have to order some of it off amazon and some other website so hopefully they have an option for super fast shipping

 

[chrishelby]

I have the number to the vet that cares for all the reptiles at the Rochester zoo which includes 2 sullys. It's a long drive for you but we called and he talked over the phone for 20 min. Pm me if you want the number for a second opinion. He had no problem with a lot of questions but he was one of the old school "dry" guys so I don't know how informed he is on baby's? the zoo torts are like 30yrs old.

 

[Brittany6]

Well she's still not eating, she did spend a lot of time in one of her hides (about 15 hours) now has spent about 6 hours in between hot and cool side. She won't eat no matter what I do. None of all the suggested foods. She sleeps in my hands. I Have been soaking her with baby food and dissolved powderd calcium. She won't eat. I think it's just a waiting game now. I don't understand why she won't open her eyes at all :-(

 

[BrinnANDTorts]

Well she's still not eating, she did spend a lot of time in one of her hides (about 15 hours) now has spent about 6 hours in between hot and cool side. She won't eat no matter what I do. None of all the suggested foods. She sleeps in my hands. I Have been soaking her with baby food and dissolved powderd calcium. She won't eat. I think it's just a waiting game now. I don't understand why she won't open her eyes at all :-(

It's only been a day or so since u re did the cage and went to tthe vet. It's good that she is resting in her humid hide a lot trying to heal. I would keep doing exactly what your doing and don't give up. If Monday she still hasn't even opened her eyes for a peep , I think she will be then though, will she be admitted into the vets? I remember you saying she would

 

[Brittany6]

The vet told me too bring her In Monday if she didn't eat. Honestly I don't know if I can afford it. The vet said it would be a long shot at that point because she is so little. She said she can't force feed her at this point and with her meds and appt it was over 300 yesterday :-( not that she's not worth it but I also have 6 kids and if it's a long shot that the vet can help as she said, I debate taking her :-( but if I don't take her it will kill me. I don't know what to do. I hope she gets better!!!

 

[Weda737]

maybe you could get one of those tiny little syringe things people use for feeding baby hedgehogs that are orphaned? like a taper tipped Mikki feeding syringe. Maybe once you get a touch of baby food in her mouth she would be more responsive to food. Just a thought, best of luck to you.

 

[Brittany6]

Maybe I should try, the vet said she was to small and it would be to hard but it's worth a try!! Where can I get one?

 

[pam]

I got one of thoes syringe things from the pharmacy they charged me 10 cents I used it to hydrate a bearded dragon and it worked great good luck

 

[BrinnANDTorts]

I agree I think u should try it. He is too small to force feed by hand but not by a syringe ... He should make that gel liquid and do that everyday.

 

[Brittany6]

I have a syringe that I use to give my 9mo meds. Any trick to get him to open his mouth? I have held him over a hour and put it on her nose and mouth and nudged her mouth but she won't open. I have tried baby food of squash, sweet patato's and banana... I am soaking her in baby food and calcium as well. My hubs thinks he caught her drinking it!! Ohh I HOPE SO!!! I did put her in her water bowl today and she hated it and ran out and for a couple seconds opened her eyes! I was so happy I screamed and scared my kids. Then they close right back up again. At least I know she can open her eyes and the vet was indeed right, she just doesn't want to. Hopefully she pulls through!

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Why do you think this happend? If its not a infection? Failer to thrive? If I ever get more, I never want this to happen again!!

 

[Linzbragg]

I'm calling another vet tomarrow because the other just said to keep her warm and put the neo on her. I don't think they really know what there talking about. I will Make sure she is seen tomarrow by someone :-/

I do soak her for a half hour at night but she's still dirty and I used a q-tip but it's on there good. I think I am being super gentle though! I'm so afraid I'll hurt her especially while she's not feeling well. Putting her on newspaper may be the next step. I'll ask the vet. I would worry with Her on the paper that the light would cause a fire? Or it would be to dry? No? I don't think she is dehydrated, with the soaks and her enclosure being 65 humid on one side and 85 on the other and she is warm 78 one side, 90 on another 100 basking.

Do you think her eyes are swollen shut? They look a little whitish, what is this? Do you think there stuck shut? She has walked into things :-( I haven't seen her eat but I did see poop in her water bowl so she must have gone in there at one point without me seeing.

Anything stand out at you as wrong? Do you see how black the shell is? Will that part fall off and will it ever grow back?

Mist the paper. If you have the humidity up near 80% like it should be for babies I don't think fire should be too much of a concern.

 

[Zamric]

..."I did put her in her water bowl today and she hated it and ran out and for a couple seconds opened her eyes!"

this really sounds like a "Flight Responce" what was so differant about this water?

 

[Brittany6]

It had calcium in it and baby food (although he 2 previous soaks had the same) I think it was because she was in her basking rock for 6 hours and she was nice and warm and the water probably wasn't warm enough for her. I like to put her usenet her basking light while she soaks so the water stays warm enough and once I did that she calmed down. The whole point is she opend her eyes after keeping them shut for 4 days!!!! That's something!!! She also opend her eyes while I want her under the warm tap water and she seemed to love it! Hopefully she's getting better. She still hasn't eaten anything really solid but she may have drank the baby food/calcium water.