URGENT, need help. Please help and give advice

TamaraandMerl

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You could call the receptionist at the Animal Hospital and tell him/her of your concern for the tortoise's well-being and ask if the doctor has any emergency time today or tomorrow when the tortoise might be seen. If they say no, then ask them to please call you if anyone cancels an appointment for later today, tomorrow or Wednesday earlier than 3 PM. Also tell them hoe long it will take you to get there.

I am a dentist and deal with emergency patients in my schedule very frequently, so am letting you know the things to ask and say which may help you get seen sooner.
Thank you for your help and guidance. I’d be nowhere without this forum I’m so grateful
 

zovick

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I called them yesterday and explained everything but they said Wednesday was the earliest, they told me to call access exotics in Culver City but both or their main specialists are out. I contacted Pasadena but they are shut for 10 days due to a covid thing, but emailed doctor Curtis eng who is a doctor there and works at western u got his school email and he’s saying to wait until Wednesday cause that’s the earliest. She’s pushing a lot more today, more lethargic really hard to watch her suffer. In your honest opinion what do you think her survival rate is?
Does the tortoise still have any appetite? If so, the chances are fairly good in my opinion. When my tortoise had his blockage/problem, he didn't move at all for a month and acted sick for a couple of weeks after I got him back (see below), because as it turned out, he already had an infection from the intestines becoming necrotic, something like a perforated intestine or burst appendix causes in a human, both of which are life threatening problems.

Please note that this happened to my tortoise while he was on loan to zoo (worst mistake I ever made), not while he was in my care. When the zoo keepers told me he hadn't eaten or moved in a month or so, I went there and removed him from their care immediately and put him on antibiotics, but it was already too late.
 

TamaraandMerl

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Does the tortoise still have any appetite? If so, the chances are fairly good in my opinion. When my tortoise had his blockage/problem, he didn't move at all for a month and acted sick for a couple of weeks after I got him back (see below), because as it turned out, he already had an infection from the intestines becoming necrotic, something like a perforated intestine or burst appendix causes in a human, both of which are life threatening problems.

Please note that this happened to my tortoise while he was on loan to zoo (worst mistake I ever made), not while he was in my care. When the zoo keepers told me he hadn't eaten or moved in a month or so, I went there and removed him from their care immediately and put him on antibiotics, but it was already too late.
Today she ate, we gave her some cactus pads and she’s moving in the garden. She is active for maybe 20 meters then gets tired but she hasn’t given up. How to know if intestine is neurotic? Or will Long Beach be able to tell me. I called them again, Wednesday is the earliest I can go. I’ll try again in a bit. Do you know anyone at Uc Davis
 

zovick

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Today she ate, we gave her some cactus pads and she’s moving in the garden. She is active for maybe 20 meters then gets tired but she hasn’t given up. How to know if intestine is neurotic? Or will Long Beach be able to tell me. I called them again, Wednesday is the earliest I can go. I’ll try again in a bit. Do you know anyone at Uc Davis
I don't know anyone at UC Davis. If the intestine was necrotic, the tortoise would be very lethargic and actually look sick. Blood work could confirm that it is fighting an infection or not doing so. It doesn't sound as though this tortoise is all that sick yet, so Wednesday is probably going to be fine. If they ask you to leave the tortoise there for a couple of days or so, I would recommend doing that. That way they can treat it when they have the opportunity and monitor its behavior themselves, etc.
 

TamaraandMerl

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I don't know anyone at UC Davis. If the intestine was necrotic, the tortoise would be very lethargic and actually look sick. Blood work could confirm that it is fighting an infection or not doing so. It doesn't sound as though this tortoise is all that sick yet, so Wednesday is probably going to be fine. If they ask you to leave the tortoise there for a couple of days or so, I would recommend doing that. That way they can treat it when they have the opportunity and monitor its behavior themselves, etc.
I agree, thank you for adding that part about leaving her. I think what I’ll do is come into the forum and ask advice before finalizing anything. You guys have helped so much, I just want to get the most opinions to make the right decisions! My appointment at Long Beach is at 3
 

TamaraandMerl

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Dec 26, 2020
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How can I help merl from being in pain. She’s not sleeping anymore and keeps trying to pass the stones or push. She’s suffering and I hate not being able to do anything.
 
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