Gavage

[Maggie Cummings]

Well, I'm always bragging about how well socialized my animals are and today proved it again.I have an Eastern box turtle named Ginger who has some sort of a neurological problem and she has trouble eating. It seems she can bite if her head and neck are stretched all the way out and up. So I have been hand feeding her for months and she's been doing fine with berries and worms. But all the sudden a month ago she stopped eating and developed an eye problem. So this morning I took her to the vet to be gavaged...tube fed...and she held her head out just perfectly for my Vet. I was so proud of her. But we couldn't get her mouth open. So we were messing around with her head and prying on her mouth and she just closed her eyes and put up with it...until she finally got mad and opened her mouth to bite the Vet and bam! She got a tube stuck down her throat. Actually my Vet uses a stainless steel tube and I am going to buy one so I can tube feed her when necessary. I am fully prepared to hand feed her for the rest of her life...But she at least needs to cooperate and eat what I offer her. She slept all day after the gavage and when I took her out just now to check on her she stuck out her head and let me rub her eyes. She likes that. I am trying very hard to keep her from dying...but it's hard

 

[terryo]

Bless you Maggie. If anyone can get this boxie eating and live it's you. Keep us posted on her progress, and ....got any pictures?

 

[AnthonyC]

Great inspirational story Maggie! Good luck!!

 

[tiff3grl]

You are an inspiration! Thank you for sharing.

 

[RV's mom]

good luck Maggie ~ we're all rooting for you and your boxie.

 

[ascott]

What an angel.....I bet she is cute....and nice job

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I didn't post this thread to be an inspiration to anyone. I am just trying to be a good example and show you that we need to give these animals the best care we possibly can even if it is difficult at times. Frankly, I don't want to hand feed her for the rest of her life, but I will if that's what it takes. I like this turtle, she has a great personality and it isn't her fault she can't eat. Something happened to her before I got her, she has a big depression in the middle of her skull, she was damaged in some way. So, she was sent to me from the East Coast because she had an eye problem, which I fixed. But who knows why she can't eat...because she ended up here it is my responsibility to make her as comfy and happy as I can...and if that means hand feeding her I will.

 

[Torty Mom]

Maggie, that is awesome! You are a tortie angel!!

 

[Yvonne G]

I didn't post this thread to be an inspiration to anyone. I am just trying to be a good example and show you that we need to give these animals the best care we possibly can even if it is difficult at times.

Yeah, it makes me uncomfortable when people give me the accolades too. I know you didn't start the thread because you wanted people to pat you on the back. Thank you for sharing your gavage story. It just goes to show that we CAN help them with a little bit of instruction from our vet. And maybe some day, when the turtle has built up some strength and had time to heal, she will start eating on her own. Here's hoping!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I didn't post this thread to be an inspiration to anyone. I am just trying to be a good example and show you that we need to give these animals the best care we possibly can even if it is difficult at times.

Yeah, it makes me uncomfortable when people give me the accolades too. I know you didn't start the thread because you wanted people to pat you on the back. Thank you for sharing your gavage story. It just goes to show that we CAN help them with a little bit of instruction from our vet. And maybe some day, when the turtle has built up some strength and had time to heal, she will start eating on her own. Here's hoping!

Thanks for understanding...That helps...when people say things like that to me it really does make me uncomfortable. I'm not trying to be a goody goody...I just do what's right.

I'm going to buy that stainless tube and learn how to gavage correctly. If you'll remember, when I first had turtles I had a sick one given to me and you and I tube fed it with a plastic floppy kind of tube and the darn thing died in about 5 minutes. It really damaged me (as well as the turtle) and I have forever after that not tube fed anything. The thought just freaks me out. But that rigid stainless tube goes right down quickly and easily. So next week I am picking up a nose spray for Abscess Nose and she's gonna give me a lesson then. Maybe I can do it...I know I can do it physically, but maybe not emotionally...I couldn't stand the thought of killing another turtle...

 

[ascott]

You will get that tube and do awesome....you will get that lesson on the nasal spray and you will do awesome and your shelled buddies will be better for your bravery..... YOU CAN DO IT

 

[Maggie Cummings]

You will get that tube and do awesome....you will get that lesson on the nasal spray and you will do awesome and your shelled buddies will be better for your bravery..... YOU CAN DO IT

No silly, I don't need a lesson on nasal spray, I'm going to get a lesson on gavage when I go to pick up the nasal spray...and thanks for the encouragement even if you got it sorta wrong

 

[ascott]

L M A OFFFFFFFF..... (blushing and laughing at the same time)...well, you got my message and that was my whole point.....LOL..

(baaahaaahaaa.....still laughing), you know...I am always like messing up sayings and quirky little phrases because I remember them all wrong....no matter how hard I try...I can only remember like 3 jokes from start to end w/out mucking em up....