We made a run to Petco today, they had some tanks on sale for $1 a gallon and I needed a specific size. (Got a heck of a deal on that!)
Anyway, they had two Russian tortoises, and they were marked 50% off. I asked if I could look at them, and was told that I was not allowed to handle them. I told her that I would flat out not buy an animal I was not allowed to inspect, but if she would hold it and turn it the way I wanted and let me touch it, I would settle for that.
One was a male, and looked to be in pretty good condition. It was the HUGE female that caught my eye, however. It ended up being a pretty sad inspection. Once she was out of the tank, I could see that she was in bad shape. She looked captive bred, but not well taken care of. The marginals looked like they were separating from the coastals, there was a deep groove between them, and the vertebral scutes were sunken in. The really bad part was that she peed, and it looked and smelled AWFUL. Also, her body was extremely puffy around the head and rear.
I advised her that the tortoise looked like it may be having kidney problems and needed a vet badly, and she said she would tell the person that managed that department (I know this person, but she was currently at lunch.)
I am planning on calling again tomorrow and speaking with her directly, she knows me well enough to know that I am not just blowing smoke when I say something like that.
Needless to say, I did not get her I felt so bad, but I just can't buy every charity case I come across. I have to take care of the animals I have now, and really don't have the extra for a vet visit right now. I really hope they get her to a vet and she gets the help she needs.
Anyway, they had two Russian tortoises, and they were marked 50% off. I asked if I could look at them, and was told that I was not allowed to handle them. I told her that I would flat out not buy an animal I was not allowed to inspect, but if she would hold it and turn it the way I wanted and let me touch it, I would settle for that.
One was a male, and looked to be in pretty good condition. It was the HUGE female that caught my eye, however. It ended up being a pretty sad inspection. Once she was out of the tank, I could see that she was in bad shape. She looked captive bred, but not well taken care of. The marginals looked like they were separating from the coastals, there was a deep groove between them, and the vertebral scutes were sunken in. The really bad part was that she peed, and it looked and smelled AWFUL. Also, her body was extremely puffy around the head and rear.
I advised her that the tortoise looked like it may be having kidney problems and needed a vet badly, and she said she would tell the person that managed that department (I know this person, but she was currently at lunch.)
I am planning on calling again tomorrow and speaking with her directly, she knows me well enough to know that I am not just blowing smoke when I say something like that.
Needless to say, I did not get her I felt so bad, but I just can't buy every charity case I come across. I have to take care of the animals I have now, and really don't have the extra for a vet visit right now. I really hope they get her to a vet and she gets the help she needs.