Difficulty walking and all tests negative-- what's wrong?

karrm01

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Hi, my ~7 yr old Sonoran desert tortoise came to me about 3yrs ago. He seemed to be fine until ~1-2 mo ago when he started having problems walking. He would kind of collapse on his left hind leg. I also noticed spending more time sitting in the open in his shell and not deficating as much. Then when I saw him a week ago he was very uncoordinated and could barely walk. The vet said his blood work, stool sample, x-rays negative. He was dehydrated. Any ideas on what's wrong? Vet said we'll likely have to put in a feeding tube if he doesn't start eating more. She gave me antibiotics to inject.
 

karrm01

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Oh, here's a video. Ok, no video-- file too large. Think antalgic gait, clunking onto shell, increased full body effort sometimes with several tries prior to advancing.
 

Yvonne G

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One of my aldabran tortoises had that problem. Turned out to be calcium deficiency. I've been giving him extra calcium in a strawberry daily. He's getting better.

I don't understand why the antibiotics? Antibiotics is used to conquer infection, and yet all your tortoise's tests came back negative. So what does the antibiotic serve except for making his system more immune to it in the future?
 

karrm01

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One of my aldabran tortoises had that problem. Turned out to be calcium deficiency. I've been giving him extra calcium in a strawberry daily. He's getting better.

I don't understand why the antibiotics? Antibiotics is used to conquer infection, and yet all your tortoise's tests came back negative. So what does the antibiotic serve except for making his system more immune to it in the future?

Hi Yvonne, thanks for your reply. I don't know why the antibiotics either. I wondered about that. I don't know what all the vet tested for but this vet is listed as one of the ones to go to on the official AZ site for tortoises and happens to be just down the road from me. If I assist him with holding up some of his weight, he walks just fine. Still fatigues easily though. I wonder if tortoises can get Valley Fever? So, how do you get extra calcium in a tortoise if he's not eating? I guess I'll have to do a feeding tube after all.
 

wellington

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Get some liquid calcium and either squirt a small amount into the side of his mouth or soak him in it daily.
I wouldn't give the antibiotics. That alone get stop them from wanting too eat.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Yvonne, thanks for your reply. I don't know why the antibiotics either. I wondered about that. I don't know what all the vet tested for but this vet is listed as one of the ones to go to on the official AZ site for tortoises and happens to be just down the road from me. If I assist him with holding up some of his weight, he walks just fine. Still fatigues easily though. I wonder if tortoises can get Valley Fever? So, how do you get extra calcium in a tortoise if he's not eating? I guess I'll have to do a feeding tube after all.

I punch out a hole in a strawberry with a drinking straw then put a human calcium tablet in the hole. Then I put the strawberry on a skewer and hold it in front of the tortoise. He bites it off the skewer. Maybe, since your tortoise isn't supposed to have fruit, seeing the forbidden item dangling in front of him, he will eat it. Give it a try.
 

TammyJ

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Hi, my ~7 yr old Sonoran desert tortoise came to me about 3yrs ago. He seemed to be fine until ~1-2 mo ago when he started having problems walking. He would kind of collapse on his left hind leg. I also noticed spending more time sitting in the open in his shell and not deficating as much. Then when I saw him a week ago he was very uncoordinated and could barely walk. The vet said his blood work, stool sample, x-rays negative. He was dehydrated. Any ideas on what's wrong? Vet said we'll likely have to put in a feeding tube if he doesn't start eating more. She gave me antibiotics to inject.
What did he get tested for? Is your vet a reptile vet?
Soaks in warm water with Pedialyte will be good for him, and the calcium.
 
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