Vet Visit versus Cold Weather -- What do you do?

Your tort has a vet visit for whatever reason, but the weather is far colder than what anyone would consider remotely safe to transport them in, even with all precautions taken. What do you do, and why?

(I thought of this question as I sat here on the couch in NE Ohio, where we hit a new record for low temperature this morning -- -11F with -29F windchill. My shellings are fine, I am just curious to see what kind of debate can be started here.)

If he really had to go, because of a life or death situation, I would take him, you do have a heater in your car right? Have a full tank of gas, heat up the car before putting tort in it, have tort in a box with blanket for added warmth and cover they box. Place in the seat, belted in and crank the heat and drive careful. If not life or death, cancel.

I'd go if I absolutely had to, but not for a check up. There is a microwavable heater disc that's good for transporting tortoises. I've used that and towels for insulation. In the pre-microwave days I used a hot water bottle, and soda bottles filled with hot water.

You can buy some hot hands, they're hand warmers you can find at CVS, you can put a few in the box with the tortoise (with a towel over them) and it should keep them warm. I have a whole bunch of these in case my power goes out.

I wouldn't bring them out in the cold unless completely necessary, either.

Walmart and REI (Recreational Equipment Inc) sold those heat packs/hand warmer ( 10 pack for like $4.00 something). they generating heat up to 10 hours.

Couple of them in a box should be good for a vet visit.

Be sure your antifreeze is in good health! Nothing worse than a frozen radiator...

My vet is literally 5 minute drive. That being said . I would only take him if it was life or death. I have an insulated bags that a large pet tote fits in. I have blankets, hand warmers and smaller totes that nest inside the large one. Heat the car up and go
It is so very cold here . I don't even want to leave the house. My dog does his business very fast.

johnsonnboswell said:

I'd go if I absolutely had to, but not for a check up. There is a microwavable heater disc that's good for transporting tortoises. I've used that and towels for insulation. In the pre-microwave days I used a hot water bottle, and soda bottles filled with hot water.

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That microwavable pet desk works great. I put it in a little for gallon Rubbermaid tote with a towel around it and then add a little substrate. I put the lid on and it stays toasty in there. I don't drive so I have to take my tortoise on the bus sometimes and there's never been any issues. I usually let it heat up in there for about 10 minutes before I put the tortoise in there and I make sure the tortoise has been sitting under their heat lamp also and of course I get them right back under the heat lamp when I get home.

It's funny, I just mentioned this in another thread. The next time I travel I will make a post. Anyway, here's my story...

I have children that require extremely important medical care at an out of state hospital. It isn't something that we can easily reschedule if we don't have a pet sitter, so being an animal in our family means that the animal must learn how to travel and we have to learn how to take care of the animal's needs.

Our drive takes anywhere between 8-10 hours depending on road conditions and young kid related stops. We recently had to travel over the Christmas holidays and took our Sulcata with us. She'll be traveling with us again this summer, when my four kids will request the AC is cranked up. On our last winter trip, it was -16'F for much of our drive. We can't keep the minivan too hot or the kids would complain and I'll rip all my hair out before we get there. We tried out a few different set ups in practice runs and finally came up with a solution that makes everyone happy.

The travel problem is completely solved with this inexpensive $25-$50 gadget that can be purchased at your nearest auto parts store (including the auto dept at Walmart)...

This is called a "power inverter"....

It's not my exact model, but an example of one from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004E8NL7I/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Our set up is a very large storage Tupperware tote that takes up the entire trunk of our van. We put in lots of her regular cypress substrate, rolled blankets around the inside of the container just in case the turns are too bumpy, she has 2 HUMID HIDES of her choice, AND A CHE SET ON A THERMOSTAT to keep her at her perfect desired temperature for the entire 8-10 hours ONE WAY TRIP (14-20hrs total depending on road conditions). We also keep a big enough stash of 10 hr handwarmers in our glove box in case of an emergency for tortoise or people.

This cheapo gadget removes all debate or worry. I can set up a container in my car that is better than quite a few enclosures I've seen on the forum. On our last return trip home, our young sulcata was comfortable enough on the long lonely highways that SHE ATE HER DINNER IN THE CAR.

I'll make a thread the next time we travel, which will most likely be this June. I'll also be sure to post if my gadget ever doesn't work. But I'm not too worried about it. I have one of the cheapest ones on the market and will probably upgrade to a more powerful inverter in the future just to cover my bases. There are lots of different models available.

It is absolutely fantastic to see some of the ideas that people can come up with, the reasons why, and the circumstances behind that reasoning.

Me personally, I look at it this way. If it would be a danger for me to go out in the weather, I will not subject my shellings to it either, UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. As in an emergency. If my husband or I had an emergency, no matter the weather, we'd go to the hospital. But if it's something simple as in an office visit, due to the weather I would cancel because I am not inclined to believe that the risks of taking them out in the cold (even with all precautions taken) would outweigh the risks.

Keep the answers coming guys!

If my tort was sick and needed to go to he'd go, even here in the middle of New England winter where just yesterday the ocean turned to slush ear shore.

I'd heat my car... to the point where it would be uncomfortable to me (I like cold) strap him in a small container in the front seat vents pointed at him, have a hot water bottle filled outside the tub next to it keeping it warm. Refill the water bottle at the vets with new hot water (I'm sure theyd understand) and always have a cover on when outside the car or building.
Summer is easy, my car stays HOT the AC broke, he just gets scared if I open any windows so I don't.

These type of questions don't faze me, I am my own grandpa after all.
To be honest it would depend on why ?I was going to the vet. iof course a portable heat source of some kind ( hot hands for example) negates the dilema.

That being mentioned I would OLNY fight cold weather if there was sickness or an emergency that couldn't wait

smarch said:

That being mentioned I would OLNY fight cold weather if there was sickness or an emergency that couldn't wait

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I think that is pretty much the underlying question of my question -- at one point do you think the benefits of taking your tort out to the vet, even with all those precautions taken, outweigh the risks of taking your beloved cold-blooded animal in the Antarctic cold?