Vet gave baby sulcata ciprofloxacin?

[bladeraven]

Hey all I'm new to sulcata torts but I have had turtles and other box turtles for years this is the first sick one I've ever had I have 2 babies one I bought and a little girl that was give to me last Wednesday and she came to me sick! I took her to the vet Thursday morning with a runny nose and wheezing.
While I have heard about baytril and the side effects and such she put her on ciprofloxacin stating it was easier on hatchlings ?
I can't find much info on if this is a good idea or not ?
Her habitat is set up just right and I'm making sure she is getting warm soaks and dried good she's still eating just fine and she is separate from my little guy.
Can anyone tell me if the Cipro is going to be good for this ?
Thanks in advance

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi

 

[Tom]

In the past we used Baytril a lot. It is really hard on them, and its very caustic and painful too. It should not be used. Cirpo should be much better, if drugs are needed.

The bigger point however, is that usually drugs are not needed, and often do more harm than good. The smaller they are the worse this is. Instead, I look at WHY they got sick in the first place. It is not like humans that catch a viral infection from other infected humans. Our tortoises get sick due to flaws in the way they are kept. In most cases RI's are caused by temps that are too low, especially at night. In most cases, warming up the temps will cure the tortoise with no medical expenses, undue stress, or harsh drugs.

What size tortoise are we talking about? Are you aware that most breeders start and care for this species all wrong? And most of the care advice offered by vets, breeders, books, websites and "experts", is wrong. This is NOT a desert species and dry conditions are very harmful to them as babies. In the wild they hatch at the start of the monsoon season into wet, humid, hot, rainy conditions. So when you say habitat is just right, what does that mean to you? Dry desert with cool nights? Or hot, humid, damp, monsoon conditions 24/7 like what a baby would experience in the wild?

Check these out:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[bladeraven]

She is this years hatchlings so small I have her habitat set up like my boy 84 degrees heat and basking light her water soaking every day. But as far as before last Wednesday I have no clue she is wheezing and a snotty nose at this point but still eats and is active fine?

 

[bladeraven]

No the temp stays the same 24-7 with a humidifier running to help

 

[TechnoCheese]

Could we see a picture of your enclosure?
She came to you sick, correct? Where did you get her?
Are you housing her with another tortoise?

 

[Tom]

She is this years hatchlings so small I have her habitat set up like my boy 84 degrees heat and basking light her water soaking every day. But as far as before last Wednesday I have no clue she is wheezing and a snotty nose at this point but still eats and is active fine?

84 where? There are four temps to know and keep track of: Warm side, cool side, basking area and overnight low.

How are you heating and lighting? With what equipment? How are you maintaining night temps?

 

[bladeraven]

Her hidy hole is 75 this morning the basking is 94 and it's 80 where the uv light is. I turn the uv off at night and back on in the morning amd run a low temp under pad heater at night Their bedding is coconut fiber and eco bedding mixed with some organic soil.
They each have their own habitat,2 concrete mixing tubs joined by a tunnel. I haven't put the plants in yet because she's new.
I got her from a friend of my sisters that was moving and didn't want to take her but I know they didn't have a good setup for her as in no actual uv light and no heat lamps.
Shes a climber and already gets on top of the hidy log so I'll put more in for her to climb.

 

[Tom]

Okay. I see several mistakes there. Please don't take offense. If we don't point out what is wrong, you can't make it right.

• There is no way to maintain the correct heat and humidity in an open topped enclosure. Shallow tubs, low sided sweater boxes and tortoise tables are the absolute worst for housing any species, like yours, that needs warm, tropical, humid, monsoon conditions. Things are much too dry in your enclosure and I would not use a humidifier at all, and especially not with a sick one.
• I can't see your fixtures, but it looks like you have those black plastic bakelite ones. Those won't last. They will fail and are a fire hazard. Replace them with ceramic based fixtures.
• I don't see a florescent fixture, so this leads me to the conclusion that you are using a florescent cfl type bulb for UV. These are too harsh close up, ineffective UV sources, and sometimes harmful to tortoise eyes. Replace that with a UV tube of one sort or another.
• The best substrate for these guys is fine grade orchid bark. I would not use bought in a bag soil of any king because it is messy, muddy, and mostly because you can't know what composted material it is made of. They don't sell it for baby animals to live on indoor. They sell it to grow plants.
• Heat pads should never be used under baby tortoises. Too risky and not effective. Use a CHE or RHP overhead to maintain ambient temps day and night and control them with a thermostat. Ask for links on these items if you don't know what I'm talking about.
• For a sick baby sulcata no part of the enclosure should ever drop below 85 day or night. Daytime ambient should climb into the 90s, and they should have a basking area around 100 degrees. This type of heat will help your tortoise get better. Letting the tortoise drop to 75 at night will make it ever sicker.