Is my tortoise okay after being on its back?

[kitrose]

Hello.

I just found my yearling eastern Hermann's tortoise on its back. It could have been that way for several hours. I flipped him over immediately and have now been watching him for about twenty minutes to look for any aftereffects.

He is walking around, but stopping every few inches, and his gait is very slow. It seems to me as if he might be having trouble holding himself up. He is getting speedier the more time goes on. He's definitely breathing, but it might be a little shallow. I'm not quite sure.

Do I need to take him to an emergency vet? I'm so thankful that he's alive, but I don't know if he could be in danger from having been on his back for so long.

Could he just need a little bit of time to recover from the stress of it all, or could this leading to something sinister if I don't act now?

I will do anything I can to help him.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

I would think it should be fine. At only a year old, there's not much weight to compress the lungs. Seem to be breathing ok?

 

[kitrose]

I would think it should be fine. At only a year old, there's not much weight to compress the lungs. Seem to be breathing ok?

Yes, his breathing seems fine. Maybe a little labored, but it seems alright. And he's moving around nice and speedy now.

 

[wellington]

You should give it a nice warm soak when found on its back. They usually expell a lot of pee and energy when flipped.

 

[TammyJ]

Please keep us updated on his recovery!

 

[Tom]

Hello.

I just found my yearling eastern Hermann's tortoise on its back. It could have been that way for several hours. I flipped him over immediately and have now been watching him for about twenty minutes to look for any aftereffects.

He is walking around, but stopping every few inches, and his gait is very slow. It seems to me as if he might be having trouble holding himself up. He is getting speedier the more time goes on. He's definitely breathing, but it might be a little shallow. I'm not quite sure.

Do I need to take him to an emergency vet? I'm so thankful that he's alive, but I don't know if he could be in danger from having been on his back for so long.

Could he just need a little bit of time to recover from the stress of it all, or could this leading to something sinister if I don't act now?

I will do anything I can to help him.

He's probably exhausted from the ordeal, but if he's breathing and moving, he should be fine.