Big Bertha Doing Great

teresaf · Jun 30, 2015

Just great! How old is Bertha? I forget if you said.

stojanovski92113 · Jun 30, 2015

It sounds like she's getting stronger and eating. I'm so happy to hear some positive news about her! I wonder what caused it all in the first place?

Anyfoot · Jun 30, 2015

ZEROPILOT said:
So, the game is on.
The game is to actually SEE her eat something! Yesterday she was in her Rubbermade tub all morning with a BIB lettuce leaf...NOTHING.
I got home and placed her outside for some sun. I placed another leaf in front of her and worked on the other animals. When I went back to carry her indoors, the lettuce was GONE! This time it was a whole leaf. Maybe 5" by 4"....And a sliver was left about the size of a dime and there were chomp marks on it....
This is about 100% confirmation that she is eating on her own after about 3-4 months. I just want to see it.
Her tube feedings now have been boosted to include Oxbow Critical care in Pedialite with two drops daily of "Bird" vitamins or some Repashy mixed in and twice weekly some added sweet potato baby food. 20mg. Followed by 10mg of Pedialite as a flush.
Forgive me because the mg might be ml. It is a large syringe with marks on it.

Quality. When she has pulled through this you will be able to look back on what you achieved with pride. Also you will have learnt a lot from this experience.

DawnH · Jun 30, 2015

That is such great news. SUCH great news!!!!

newCH · Jun 30, 2015

Great news ! Plus she has expanded your capabilities of tortoise care ! Glad she is eating. Bib lettuce tends to be soft and tender too. Very happy for you and Bertha !

ZEROPILOT · Jun 30, 2015

She is thought to be between 20 and 25 years old.
Today if it isn't raining I'm going to add strawberry and black berries to a whole bunch of greens and see what happens.

ZEROPILOT · Jun 30, 2015

Yes. If she makes it this would have all been worth it.
I wonder how long after first eating regularly does the tube get removed?
A little premature still for sure.

Anyfoot · Jun 30, 2015

ZEROPILOT said:
Yes. If she makes it this would have all been worth it.
I wonder how long after first eating regularly does the tube get removed?
A little premature still for sure.

Not IF. When.

. She's on the up. I suppose really your not going to see her eat as you would expect whilst you are also tube feeding. The time will come to stop the tube and watch carefully.

ZEROPILOT · Jun 30, 2015

There's still that annoying reality that whatever got her so ill in the first place has never been diagnosed....
I'm assuming that it has passed.

Gillian M · Jun 30, 2015

ZEROPILOT said:
There's still that annoying reality that whatever got her so ill in the first place has never been diagnosed....
I'm assuming that it has passed.

Hi and welcome back.

GREAT!!!! Good news ! See Ed? Told you that hope is the last thing to die. Congrats!

gingerbee · Jun 30, 2015

Great!! Love it!!!

ZEROPILOT · Jun 30, 2015

IT WORKED.
Boy did it work!
I watched her eat some peach, some banana, two hibiscus leaves and a portion of a Romain leaf.
And her walking is less wobbly too.

Gillian M · Jun 30, 2015

ZEROPILOT said:
IT WORKED.
Boy did it work!
I watched her eat some peach, some banana, two hibiscus leaves and a portion of a Romain leaf.
And her walking is less wobbly too.

GREAT!! Really GREAT to hear such good news, and once again congrats! Take good care of Bertha.

Anyfoot · Jun 30, 2015

ZEROPILOT said:
There's still that annoying reality that whatever got her so ill in the first place has never been diagnosed....
I'm assuming that it has passed.

Yeah I agree. Would be nice to know what the problem was for everyone's benefit. Have you ruled out stress. You said she is 20/25 yrs old. Was she with the previous owner for a long time.

stojanovski92113 · Jun 30, 2015

ZEROPILOT said:
IT WORKED.
Boy did it work!
I watched her eat some peach, some banana, two hibiscus leaves and a portion of a Romain leaf.
And her walking is less wobbly too.

ZEROPILOT · Jul 1, 2015

Anyfoot said:
Yeah I agree. Would be nice to know what the problem was for everyone's benefit. Have you ruled out stress. You said she is 20/25 yrs old. Was she with the previous owner for a long time.

8 years with the old owner as an adult "breeder". One of two that I purchased from the same farm. They are two of 44. They had very little interaction with people. The other female has been perfectly healthy and is almost identical. That's why Bertha has a "B" on her shell. She looks like Ruby.

ZEROPILOT · Jul 1, 2015

She ate almost a full meal yesterday on her own, so I just gave her the Pedialite and very little Critical care.
Today if weather permits I'm going to offer her a larger amount of greens outdoors.
She still has not pooped............Not in all of this time.

DawnH · Jul 1, 2015

ZEROPILOT said:
She ate almost a full meal yesterday on her own, so I just gave her the Pedialite and very little Critical care.
Today if weather permits I'm going to offer her a larger amount of greens outdoors.
She still has not pooped............Not in all of this time.

Do you think she HAS and she has eaten it...?

ZEROPILOT · Jul 2, 2015

DawnH said:
Do you think she HAS and she has eaten it...?

Maybe. But I've searched her container each day. Dry and clean.

ZEROPILOT · Jul 2, 2015

Another FIRST:
First time she has ever eaten three days in a row. Yesterday a whole Bibb lettuce leaf, minus the white part and two nibbles of avacado.

Big Bertha Doing Great

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