What to do when your tortoise probably has kidney failure.

[HMTXXT]

I am still a new as a tortoise keeper, but I am trying my best to help them and be a better keeper. I have two greek tortoises and one of them is extremely sick.
Lately my young greek tortoise (5 months old) has been sick. First symptoms:
- inactive
- eyes closed and swollen
- soft under shell and between arms and legs
I live in a country with no vets specialised in reptiles, so I have been self researching and asking my friend who is a student at a vet university outside my country. My tort symptoms seemed like an infection with a calcium/sun deficiency. Even though he eats plenty of calcium resources, give him calcium additives and has a uvb light. So my friends professors theorize that the uvb light is not working so I started to put him in the sun. After multiple searches I find a vet that knows a little about reptiles. I have been treating him for infection and been given fluids.
Yesterday hit rock bottom with my tortoises, he is being completely inactive, eye swollen and closed, shell softer in the sides, and lots of discharges with an awful smell. Now I think he has kidney failure and is progressing. The vet can't test him from blood since he is too small, and we don't know what to do. I know that kidney failure is dangerous and he has it for a while, but I don't want to lose him. Is there anything I can do by myself to not lose him? Is there a way to test him for kidney failure without bloodwork?
I have attached photos of how they eyes look, the side shell, and how to discharges look.
Housing information:
My tortoises have an enclosure with soil bedding, have a ceramic heat bulb that is 24/7 working with a uvb light that's working at least 12 hours a day, sometimes more.
For humidity I give them daily baths for 15 minutes, they have a water dish and I spray their enclosure with warm water every day when I go past them.
Lately I have been putting them to the sun from 7 to 10 am and 4 to 6 pm, my country heat is too much that reaches 43 Celsius easily. So I keep an eye on them every half hour and never let them out at noon.
The mostly eat green leaves such as lettuce and spinach, I give them tomatoes rarely, cucumbers and peppers, but they mostly eat lettuce. I have calcium added to their food and give the multivitamins in their daily baths.

 

[Mason181]

While I hae no advice for the kidney failure a step in the right direction you can take is feeding them better. Spinach and lettuce (im assuming iceberg) are not very good for tortoises. check out this website to find out some foods you can get which your tortoises can eat as diet is the first step in health.

The Tortoise Table - Home

The Tortoise Table plant database and resource site for Tortoise owners

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

 

[HMTXXT]

While I hae no advice for the kidney failure a step in the right direction you can take is feeding them better. Spinach and lettuce (im assuming iceberg) are not very good for tortoises. check out this website to find out some foods you can get which your tortoises can eat as diet is the first step in health.

The Tortoise Table - Home

The Tortoise Table plant database and resource site for Tortoise owners

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

Thank you, this link is very helpful for future feedings, for lettuce I change between Roman ans icebergs (but I know I shouldn't over rely on them)

 

[Yvonne G]

One thing you need to know about spinach - it binds the calcium to it through the digestive tract and so the calcium gets excreted in the poop, not doing the tortoise any good.

If you don't have edible weeds you can feed endive, escarole, turnip greens, mustard greens, collard, kale, pok choy, okra, rapini, acorn squash, butternut squash

Take a look through what's being sold in your market produce section. There are many more things besides lettuce and spinach.

 

[HMTXXT]

And I thought I was smart feeding the spinach, that sucks. Thank you so much for the info!

 

[Yvonne G]

If you know anyone who has a grapevine, grape leaves are good tortoise food.

But let's see if we can get your guy's eyes open:

in a small bowl with tall sides add a half jar of baby food strained carrots and a half jar of warm water. Do you have Lulu Oman where you live? Google tells me THEY carry prepared baby food. If you can't find carrot baby food put carrots in the food processor and grind them up until they're pulpy juice.

Put the baby in the bowl of juice and set the bowl back into the enclosure NEXT TO (not directly under) the light to keep it warm. Leave him soaking for 45 minutes to an hour. If you do this every day his eyes will be open after the third day. Once he can see again he should eat.

The mixture should come up to the middle of his sides so he doesn't have to strain to keep his head out of the water. Keep your eye on him during his lengthy soak to make sure he doesn't get into trouble.

 

[Tom]

I am still a new as a tortoise keeper, but I am trying my best to help them and be a better keeper. I have two greek tortoises and one of them is extremely sick.
Lately my young greek tortoise (5 months old) has been sick. First symptoms:
- inactive
- eyes closed and swollen
- soft under shell and between arms and legs
I live in a country with no vets specialised in reptiles, so I have been self researching and asking my friend who is a student at a vet university outside my country. My tort symptoms seemed like an infection with a calcium/sun deficiency. Even though he eats plenty of calcium resources, give him calcium additives and has a uvb light. So my friends professors theorize that the uvb light is not working so I started to put him in the sun. After multiple searches I find a vet that knows a little about reptiles. I have been treating him for infection and been given fluids.
Yesterday hit rock bottom with my tortoises, he is being completely inactive, eye swollen and closed, shell softer in the sides, and lots of discharges with an awful smell. Now I think he has kidney failure and is progressing. The vet can't test him from blood since he is too small, and we don't know what to do. I know that kidney failure is dangerous and he has it for a while, but I don't want to lose him. Is there anything I can do by myself to not lose him? Is there a way to test him for kidney failure without bloodwork?
I have attached photos of how they eyes look, the side shell, and how to discharges look.
Housing information:
My tortoises have an enclosure with soil bedding, have a ceramic heat bulb that is 24/7 working with a uvb light that's working at least 12 hours a day, sometimes more.
For humidity I give them daily baths for 15 minutes, they have a water dish and I spray their enclosure with warm water every day when I go past them.
Lately I have been putting them to the sun from 7 to 10 am and 4 to 6 pm, my country heat is too much that reaches 43 Celsius easily. So I keep an eye on them every half hour and never let them out at noon.
The mostly eat green leaves such as lettuce and spinach, I give them tomatoes rarely, cucumbers and peppers, but they mostly eat lettuce. I have calcium added to their food and give the multivitamins in their daily baths.

What type of UV bulb were you using?
Were you also using an indoor basking lamp?

 

[TaylorTortoise]

those pictures indicate poor housing which leads to poor health. Tortoise needs bedding (substrate for humidity, borrowing) tortoise needs two lamps one for uvb one for basking to maintain high temps and humditiy… you need to soak that tortoise every single day until it looks better. Luke warm water is a must. Get mazuri try mashing it up so it gets stronger, gets protein, fibers, nutrients. Leafy greens only! Russians love pansys. Please make these adjustments and get a real cage for your friend or he will not thrive much longer. He needs immediate attention.

 

[HMTXXT]

If you know anyone who has a grapevine, grape leaves are good tortoise food.

But let's see if we can get your guy's eyes open:

in a small bowl with tall sides add a half jar of baby food strained carrots and a half jar of warm water. Do you have Lulu Oman where you live? Google tells me THEY carry prepared baby food. If you can't find carrot baby food put carrots in the food processor and grind them up until they're pulpy juice.

Put the baby in the bowl of juice and set the bowl back into the enclosure NEXT TO (not directly under) the light to keep it warm. Leave him soaking for 45 minutes to an hour. If you do this every day his eyes will be open after the third day. Once he can see again he should eat.

The mixture should come up to the middle of his sides so he doesn't have to strain to keep his head out of the water. Keep your eye on him during his lengthy soak to make sure he doesn't get into trouble.

Yes i read about the baby carrot food and did it yesterday, going to do it every day and hope for the better

 

[HMTXXT]

What type of UV bulb were you using?
Were you also using an indoor basking lamp?

A uv light with uvb power 10 and uva power 5, I have order check stripes and extra bulbs in case mine is actually broken.

 

[HMTXXT]

those pictures indicate poor housing which leads to poor health. Tortoise needs bedding (substrate for humidity, borrowing) tortoise needs two lamps one for uvb one for basking to maintain high temps and humditiy… you need to soak that tortoise every single day until it looks better. Luke warm water is a must. Get mazuri try mashing it up so it gets stronger, gets protein, fibers, nutrients. Leafy greens only! Russians love pansys. Please make these adjustments and get a real cage for your friend or he will not thrive much longer. He needs immediate attention.

I know you mean will but the photos with the cardboard is their feeding place, I noticed that my tortoises make a massive mess when eating that food go to the soiled beddings, and I read that young tortoise can't digest soil yet, so I put them in a different place when they eat. It's how I noticed that my tort produce too much pee/discharge.
They have a uvb light with a heating ceramic light in their enclosure.
For socking I put them everyday in warm water for 15 minutes, then again with vitamins for 30 minutes, and yesterday I started to put my sick tortoise in water with baby food (only carrot) for an hour (without the vitamins).
I am going to look for mazuri, I hope I can find it or be shipped to me. There are not that much care about pet reptiles in my country, that's why I am asking here.
I am afraid I don't understand the protein thing, isn't protein toxic to tortoise?
Thank you so much for your input, greatly appreciated.

 

[Tom]

A uv light with uvb power 10 and uva power 5, I have order check stripes and extra bulbs in case mine is actually broken.

You've misunderstood my question. What type of bulb? A long tube? A cfl type? A mercury vapor bulb?

Also, do you have a basking bulb? It sounds like you have a UV bulb and a heat source, but its there a basking bulb?

 

[TaylorTortoise]

We need to see pictures of both set ups to identify the main problems. We need to see how warm it is in the enclosure for cool side and warm side (basking side)