Really worried-Is he choking or worse

[Moozillion]

WOW!!!! katfinlou, I have to say I'm really impressed with all the time, energy, thought and care that you are pouring into this little guy!!!

After reading your last post above, I did a Google search of "hermann's tortoise face image," and the pictures there really drove home to me just how much your tort's natural anatomy has been altered and deformed (TEMPORARILY, thank God!) by that "trim." He CANNOT eat normally, and as Yvonne pointed out, it probably hurts when he does. Most animals will withdraw and hide when they're in pain.

I am still a beginner myself, (only having kept a Hermann's for 2 years now) so I hesitate to give advice. But I see over and over again on this forum that it is recommended to increase temperatures when an animal is sick or injured. But DON"T make temperature changes based solely on my opinion!!!
I seem to see that the animals who are trying to hibernate SLOW down, but his changes have been really abrupt, and clearly coincide with the work on his beak. Let's see what more experienced people suggest.

Best wishes to you both!

 

[katfinlou]

Thanks moozillion, I have done much the same thing and im wishing I'd just left him well alone. He used to power through his food, always look for me as soon as he felt my footsteps and now he just seems to sleep all day. Ive even tried popping some of the dreaded mushed up soaked pellets into his mouth and he doesn't even want to take them. Ive decided the only thing I can do is spend some the £300 Id saved through the year for the kids xmas and get him checked out again. I fear he is dying before my very eyes. It's such a shame, I can't help thinking he'd have been better off where he used to live

 

[Moozillion]

Oh, katfinlou!!! Although it breaks our hearts to see our animals in trouble, i don't think you need to use your kids' Christmas money to get him seen again. He's hurt, but I REALLY doubt he's dying. Tortoises are not like mammals: they can go WEEKS without eating.

Here's how I'm looking at it: Imagine that you had all 4 of your front teeth removed at once. You'd be hurting, you wouldn't want to do any thing but sleep and avoid work and socializing, and you wouldn't want to eat anything until your mouth felt better. But you'd eat what you could, you'd rest a LOT and you would heal at your own rate.

Please, PLEASE remember that beating yourself up is NEVER the next right thing to do!!!! You and your vet both did the best you knew.

I've seen the wonderful people on this forum get animals through MORE severe health crises than this plenty of times.
THere are reptile vets on this forum who would probably be glad to offer their thoughts. The first 2 that come to mind are Ferrettinmyshoes and deadheadvet. You could send them a message in the "conversations" section.
Best wishes to you both.

PS: QUIT KICKING YOURSELF!!!!!