Quarantining adopted Tortoise?

[Mgridgaway]

Hello all!

This weekend I'm supposed to be adopting a needy redfoot from a fellow forum member and I wanted some advice on quarantining. I currently have a 2.75" Redfoot (Darwin) who is healthy, and the new Redfoot (Dehlia) is around 3" big (although I think it may be a bit larger from the picture.. so let's say 3.5") and is described as very energetic, curious, and a hefty eater. The current owner has had her for almost a year. Since Dehlia is coming from an owner and not a petstore/breeder/farm, how worried should I be about quarantining her?

 

[bikerchicspain]

I would still quarantine the tort for at least three months.

Whenever I get a new tort they go into quarantine and they are rescues from private homes,

"Better safe than sorry"

 

[fbsmith3]

What do you use for a Quarantine enclosure?

Just a question I have been thinking about since over the winter space can be at a premium.
Do you use a smaller enclosure?

 

[Mgridgaway]

I've never had to quarantine a tortoise before, so as of this moment, I don't have a specific quarantine cage.

 

[Jacqui]

I am one of the better safe then sorry folks, too. However do you really know (and believe) the person your getting the new tortoise from? If you do and feel very secure that they have taken proper care, health, and sanitation procedures and are willing to take a chance, then may be you could knock it down to a month.

In this house, I do a year long quarantine, but that's just paranoid me.

To another question, my quarantine enclosures sizes are based on how many tortoises are being kept in them. I think normally folks have them a bit smaller then their normal enclosures, just because they are considered temporary enclosures rather then permanent housing.

 

[Tony the tank]

I'm for quarantine period... But is what we do really effective..if we really want to be safe.. We need to address air born pathogens, as well as pathogens carried in and out of both enclosures from direct or indirect contact...you would need to cover up your body, control ventilation, decontaminate clothing,hands and hair...

About 10yrs ago.. A pet store here took in a sick bird (with avian flue)..the bird came in no contact with any other animal.. They had a separate avian room..But the CDC ordered all the animals in the store destroyed and the building decontaminated..

(Remember everywhere you go you take something and you leave something...)

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I'd go for a 6months quarantine period, in a habitat that is comfortable for the animal. But I have a question for our TFO experts, does a year old animal at 3 inches sound right?

 

[bikerchicspain]

I don't think there are many airborne pathogens in reptiles to be that concerned about.

It's more of a infectious/contagious diseases that you have to worry about.
A simple flu could have little to no effect on one tort but could be mortal to another.

I use two methods of quarentine, depending on the size the individual tort or the amount,
I have a very large rabbit cage and a large rabbit cage.
I have also a large vivarium and a smaller one. I tend to use the vivariums as they are easy to sterilize after each tort,

As soon as I get a tort I worm it, without doing a fecal, then 2 weeks later , they will get another dose.
They are then weighed and measured every week,

I usually quarentine for 3/6 months depending on the torts background..

 

[ascott]

I don't house more than one tortoise in an individual enclosure....keep in mind though, I am more of a rescue mentality and do not breed any tortoise ....so I will be of no help...I have however researched a great deal in the event it should ever become a reality for me and I would comfortably suggest one year and enclosure should be of normal size...a year is sufficient to warrant a comfortable enclosure......please again remember that I just don't house any more than one per enclosure.... I do have one aquarium that houses two RESs that have been together since they were like 1 1/2 - 2 inches and are still doing aok....but I am always mindful that as they grow they may eventually be in their own tanks (really big ones lol)...

I would think that your other concern would be bullying so I would suggest you have room for two full size enclosures anyways in the event they don't get along ultimately anyhoooo ...

Congrats on your new tortoise......

 

[DesertGrandma]

I am a little confused about quarantine. Can you experienced keepers help me understand? I understand the issue with worms or parasites, and treating a new tortoise before exposing it to your current ones. That seems fairly simple. What I don't understand is about other possible health issues. With people, there is an incubation period for contamination from diseases unless the person is a "carrier." How is that different with tortoises? After a short incubation period wouldn't the new tortoise be considered safe? But if the new tortoise were a carrier, wouldn't it always be a carrier and not ever be safe with your old tortoises? What am I missing here? I would really like to understand. Thanks.

 

[ascott]

Joy, you are absolutely correct. If a tortoise is/has ever had lets say a RI then it will always carry that illness, it may not ever show its illness again in its life depending on its care and life in general but it can infect another healthy tortoise and cause great harm to another who may not be able to carry the disease the same as the initial carrier tortoise....

Some diseases do not transfer horizontal from one another unless there are active stages of the disease...but why risk it....

I choose to house tortoise in their individual enclosures for many reasons and it is just my personal choice. I do not breed tortoise so there is especially no reason for me to house more than one in any enclosure....I always keep in mind that for any tortoise I care for I have to be able to set up its individual enclosure.

So, if someone said to me that they were ultimately going to breed a species of tortoise (I would first say to go adopt as there are many tortoise that are in need of homes ) and how long would I suggest they quarantine a new tortoise---I would say at least one full year and if during that year there are ANY tiny thing that they notice then to figure that tortoise will need its own enclosure and not to introduce to any other tortoise....IMHO that is.

 

[bikerchicspain]

Ascott is correct, unfortunately you can never guarantee anything where animals are concerned. It's just the risk you take,

You have to be absolutely sure of what you are doing and learn the first signs of illness and how to deal with it, which only comes with experience,

 

[DesertGrandma]

Joy, you are absolutely correct. If a tortoise is/has ever had lets say a RI then it will always carry that illness, it may not ever show its illness again in its life depending on its care and life in general but it can infect another healthy tortoise and cause great harm to another who may not be able to carry the disease the same as the initial carrier tortoise....

Some diseases do not transfer horizontal from one another unless there are active stages of the disease...but why risk it....

I choose to house tortoise in their individual enclosures for many reasons and it is just my personal choice. I do not breed tortoise so there is especially no reason for me to house more than one in any enclosure....I always keep in mind that for any tortoise I care for I have to be able to set up its individual enclosure.

So, if someone said to me that they were ultimately going to breed a species of tortoise (I would first say to go adopt as there are many tortoise that are in need of homes ) and how long would I suggest they quarantine a new tortoise---I would say at least one full year and if during that year there are ANY tiny thing that they notice then to figure that tortoise will need its own enclosure and not to introduce to any other tortoise....IMHO that is.

Thanks Angela. I did not know that a RI would stay in the tortoise's body. Good info.

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Ascott is correct, unfortunately you can never guarantee anything where animals are concerned. It's just the risk you take,

You have to be absolutely sure of what you are doing and learn the first signs of illness and how to deal with it, which only comes with experience,

Thanks Yvonne. Makes sense.

 

[Tom]

Personally I would just set up two full-on separate enclosures. If they will be separated for months or longer (which I agree they should), then you will need two complete and fully functional habitats anyway. If ever you wanted to put them together I would strongly recommend getting, and quarantining, a third, since pairs are often problematic.

Just understand that when you put any two (or more) tortoises together they are going to share all their flora and fauna whether those organisms are symbiotic or pathogenic. It is a risk, no matter what. In the case of tortoises of the same species, in a large appropriate enclosure, and after an initial quarantine and observation period, it is a risk that I am willing to take most of the time. Just remember that it IS a risk.

 

[Weldd]

I quarantine all new arrivals. 3 months at least. Obviously if there are any issues, longer. I will perform fecal exams on the new arrival and treat for parasites accordingly.

My experience with Pyxis tortoises (really the experience of others who have lost MANY animals upon introduction of a new individual) makes me very afraid to introduce early...

 

[Mgridgaway]

Just an update... the adoption is currently on hold. At this point I'm not sure if it's off for good or just temporarily pending us figuring out transportation (the current owner and I live about 7 hours apart...).

Thanks for everyones thoughts regardless

 

[DesertGrandma]

I quarantine all new arrivals. 3 months at least. Obviously if there are any issues, longer. I will perform fecal exams on the new arrival and treat for parasites accordingly.

My experience with Pyxis tortoises (really the experience of others who have lost MANY animals upon introduction of a new individual) makes me very afraid to introduce early...

It sounds like you perform your own fecal exams. Is it difficult to do, and what supplies do you need to do this? It would sure save a lot of $$ to be able to do it yourself. My vet charges wayyyy too much. Is there a good book (with pictures) that tells what to look for?

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Just thinking that unless the fecal is other than normal/negative, it would alleviate the need to go to the vet and pay for a fecal just to find out it is normal/negative.