Update (shell injury)

[BrinnANDTorts]

It is my personally opinion that your enclosure is too bright and its hurting your babies eyes... Sulcata babies live the first part of their lives in the dark pretty much I think. In shady marshes, in dark borrows, and in hiding or they would be eaten. If I was you I would switch the hide with a solid color piece of tupperware that's let's barely any light pass through it when u hold it up to the light and leave the lid on as the stop and cut a hole in the bottom for entrance , fill with moss. I would have to of those. One on the cool side and one on the hot.
Making two places that she can go that is pitch dark. I have seen threads about this hefore where they had a really powerful bulb lighting up the whole enclosure and the baby just wouldn't open her eyes. They added lots of really dark hiding spots and switched to a smaller wattage bulb and they then opened their eyes.
I don't see any harm in trying it
If you want you can get the 100 watt bulb and string it inside the enclosure off the top of the lid and it would make it way less bright in the cage and not lighting up the whole entire cage and get a ceramic. Heat emiters strung up on the other side of the cage to keep it warm. At night u can leave the heat emiters on and turn another one on on the other side to keep it warm. This is just my personally opinion because when I look at your cage the first thing I notice is it looks much much brighter than all the others I have seen.
I hope that helps and I'm glad she is going to a good vet. Tortoises vets are probably very hard to find

 

[Brittany6]

The vet was great and knew all about sulcata's. She will alao do house calls when Gennys to big, she has seen many sullies before. Genevieve is 33 grams. I showed her pics of her enclosure and told her everything you all know. She said she doesn't think the enclosure is the problem (FYI that pic looks brighter then it is because the lights were turned off in the house, it isn't that bright, the other side is well shaded in the day but I will change to a darker humid box, the vet was glad her bulb was so bright and said she was thinking I needed a higher wattage at first) she did say her wounds are healing nicely and her eyes are not swollen shut, she is choosing to close them. She is not dehydrated and she peed on the table BUT her shell is VERY soft :-( and she has no idea why she would be like this. She said to keep her under the bulb as much as possible and give her calcium on her food daily (if she will start to eat) she said she's to small to force feed or do to much with. I have eye drops for her just incase, a medical wash and a cream for her boo boos. She wants a fecal specimen to see if she has parasites but even if she did it would be hard to treat :-( she said if she doesn't eat or get better by Monday she should be admitted. So not a lot of answears. :-( she said she didn't know if she would make it :-( :-( :-(

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm thinking that the tortoise needs antibiotics because of the injury and an infection has set in. Did the vet speak to that issue? What did the vet say about the injury? Is it going to fall off like we thought?

 

[BrinnANDTorts]

The mesh u have the powesun bulb sitting on is maybe blocking a lot of the UVB rays from actually entering in the enclosure. Maybe try a different way of mounting it, trays all I can think of.
Hopefully she really starts to perk up and she won't have to be admitted I really hope she pulls through for u , you have been working so hard to get her better she has a better chance than most

 

[Brittany6]

She said the wounds look good and are healing very well. She said she thought the shell being soft was a separate issue. But the cream, eyes drops and cleaning solution have disinfectant and antibiotic, she said Gennys so hard to treat because she is so small :-( perhaps I will try hanging a smaller whatt bulb. I just think it would then hang way to low and be way to Hott in that one area and to cold for in the other areas. I'll see what I can do. Maybe just taking the lid off and spritzing ALOT to keep the humidity up but hooking the bulb to the side of the encloser but same highth may work!?! I'm going to try to hand feed her treats with calcium on it, what's a awesome treat for her to have? Banana?

 

[lynnedit]

You can get canned pumpkin (straight pumpkin, not the pie kind), sprinkle calcium in it and roll up in a leaf. Or, you can get squash (butternut, etc.) and cook it to softish, let it cool, and sprinkle on that. you can get a shallow dish and put some calcium powder in it as another option.
Doesn't seem worth it to change out the light at this point; perhaps make sure it isn't blocked by the screen (cut a hole just smaller than the fixture?) and get a darker humid hide box, maybe a fake plant or two for 'shade', gives her an option.
You are working so hard for her, and we are really pulling for her!
You are a good tort owner.

 

[Brittany6]

Thanks for the complement! I love her :-( thanks for the treat ideas! Great idea with the light! I will do that! Now if I put a fake plant in there, you don't think she would try to eat it?? I will also make her humid hide a darker box hopfully she makes it.

 

[Zamric]

You're body is 98*, her bath should be on the cool side of lukewarm to your touch... maybe 100*. Try putting babyfood in her soaks. she will start getting some nutriants that way.

You can also use a small squeeze bottle to clean around her neck and top of her legs, if it has a good long straw, it will be easier to get into the tight areas and powerwash those real good. Make sure to Powerwash her booboo after the babyfood soak to remove all food particles then re-apply medication to clean wound.

 

[Brittany6]

Great ideas!!!! Is the idea with the baby food in the soak for her to eat it or for it to be absorbed?

 

[Zamric]

Great ideas!!!! Is the idea with the baby food in the soak for her to eat it or for it to be absorbed?

She might try to eat it.... and thats OK! but as a soak it should be very diluted and the nutriants will be absorbed with the water.

I have never raised a baby Sulcata and so have never had to do this, but in most cases (on this forum) when anyone had problems with babies not eating, this was usually the answer. I don't know what "flavors" to use, most likely any vegitable would do, but you might want to stay with spinich, carrots and any other veg. you would feed and adult Sully.

 

[Yvonne G]

We normally use carrots, squash and sweet potatoes because of their high Vitamin A content.

 

[Brittany6]

Here she is all meds upped. As soon as I got her set and clean meds and she went and if all muddy. Dr told me to keep her in the coco... So I did. I put baby food squash mixed with calcium but she wanted nooo part :-( instead she trekked in and out of her dish blinded and is now coverd in dirt, meds and squash... Poor baby... So Im supposed to clean with chlorhexidine, then put on silver sulfadiazine and gentak for eye drops. I hope this helps! Here's a pic of hee all medicined up before I let her loose and then a pic of me trying to bribe her to eat. Even a bright pink dish to draw her attention but she can't see it at all :-( I hope she eats!

 

[Zamric]

She looks kinda like Zomie Tort with all the meds.

Funny that the vet would give you silver sulfadiazine for that shell, I have been RXed silver sulfadiazine to treat the many burns I used to recieve as an Iron Worker kept it in my medicine cabinet for years. It's GREAT at helping the skin regenerate, didn't know it would do any good on bone.

 

[dmmj]

My sulcata loves hibiscus flowers.

 

[wellington]

Here she is all meds upped. As soon as I got her set and clean meds and she went and if all muddy. Dr told me to keep her in the coco... So I did. I put baby food squash mixed with calcium but she wanted nooo part :-( instead she trekked in and out of her dish blinded and is now coverd in dirt, meds and squash... Poor baby... So Im supposed to clean with chlorhexidine, then put on silver sulfadiazine and gentak for eye drops. I hope this helps! Here's a pic of hee all medicined up before I let her loose and then a pic of me trying to bribe her to eat. Even a bright pink dish to draw her attention but she can't see it at all :-( I hope she eats!

If you need to try and get some nutrients and calcium into her, soak her in a bowl she can't get out of. I always soak mine in the bathroom sink. When the water gets dirty, i empty the sink and add fresh warm water, very easy. Also she can't choose to get out. Make sure the water is warm and add the food listed above, 50/50 is what I have seen before fore baby food soaks.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Please don't soak in hot water. It should be warm around 95 but NOT HOT! you will burn him if it is hot.

 

[Brittany6]

I wonder if I put calcium powder in the water I soak her in, if it will absorb!?!?! I just went out and bought her tons of toys. Little hides and fake plants for shades. I hope tomarrow she magically opens her eyes and sees her new toys. I have mushed up squash with calcium that she hasn't touched. She has walked into a corner of the tank and stayed there all day :-( ahhhhh I love this little tort so much! I'v never been so attached to anything like her besides my hubs and kids it's crazy!! Please pray she's okay! It will break my hert to loose her :-( thanks as always everyone!

 

[BrinnANDTorts]

I wonder if I put calcium powder in the water I soak her in, if it will absorb!?!?! I just went out and bought her tons of toys. Little hides and fake plants for shades. I hope tomarrow she magically opens her eyes and sees her new toys. I have mushed up squash with calcium that she hasn't touched. She has walked into a corner of the tank and stayed there all day :-( ahhhhh I love this little tort so much! I'v never been so attached to anything like her besides my hubs and kids it's crazy!! Please pray she's okay! It will break my hert to loose her :-( thanks as always everyone!

I think the really dark hides and shaded areas will help. Does she not open her eyes when she walks?

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I wonder if I put calcium powder in the water I soak her in, if it will absorb!?!?! I just went out and bought her tons of toys. Little hides and fake plants for shades. I hope tomarrow she magically opens her eyes and sees her new toys. I have mushed up squash with calcium that she hasn't touched. She has walked into a corner of the tank and stayed there all day :-( ahhhhh I love this little tort so much! I'v never been so attached to anything like her besides my hubs and kids it's crazy!! Please pray she's okay! It will break my hert to loose her :-( thanks as always everyone!

I think the really dark hides and shaded areas will help. Does she not open her eyes when she walks?

 

[Brittany6]

Added new hides and cut out mesh top... Hoping it helps

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She does not open her eyes at all even with the dark light on. She hasn't in 3 days. The dr says she is not dehydrated at all. She pee'd on the dr 4 times. And her eyes are not swollen shut or puffy. The dr says she may be in pain because her shell is so soft so she is refusing to open them. I have sav for her eyes to help if there irritates for some reason

 

[BrinnANDTorts]

Added new hides and cut out mesh top... Hoping it helps

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She does not open her eyes at all even with the dark light on. She hasn't in 3 days. The dr says she is not dehydrated at all. She pee'd on the dr 4 times. And her eyes are not swollen shut or puffy. The dr says she may be in pain because her shell is so soft so she is refusing to open them. I have sav for her eyes to help if there irritates for some reason

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Your enclosure serious looks amazing
It's the perfect paradise for a sullie to thrive in. Your are a rockin sullie mom !!! That's always the problem I come up to with my enclosure I never know how to really decorate them and make them look good like yours does.
If you wanna get her shell hard then you can get calcium with vitamin d and use it three times a week..that only works if she is eating though :/
I really hope she opens her eyes up by Monday. I think all the new plants and hides will really help.