Tiny update..

[Tony the tank]

Well this morning Tiny was really congested..snares sounded blocked..So brought him upstairs.. Gave a nice soak... Then corralled him in the living room with ahead of romaine...as I got ready to take him back to the vet.. Well wife yells up to me that Tiny was eating.. Sure enough he was chowing down..so got her 2 cups of muzuri and she chowed that down.. And she didn't sound congested anymore...

So started thinking( I know hard to believe).. So decided to remove all the hay and put up a solid fence in between the two enclosures..And placed him back inside.. He now seems more active and his nares sound clear... I even let him out for a bit and he went right at the grass..I mean not as much as he did at the beginning but enough..

She is due for another shot tomorrow..I am really debating stopping the antibiotics??

Thoughts??

 

[dmarcus]

I am happy that Tiny is doing better, I think it's best to finish the meds the doctor gave you..

 

[yagyujubei]

Why would you consider stopping the medicine that seems to be working?

 

[Tony the tank]

I'm thinking of stopping the injection because.. She had a runny nose before the antibiotics but was eating like a horse and was active.. Ever since she started the antibiotics.. His runny nose and congestion has eased up a little.. But at the expense of not eating well and a little lethargic...And who knows what the antibiotics are doing to her kidneys..

Thoughts..

 

[Stephanie]

I think Tiny should stay on the antibiotics..
Here's what I'm thinking about it:
Before the antibiotics, Tiny was sick. Tiny was active, but nevertheless had a runny nose.
During the course of the antibiotics so far, and given they are starting to just take effect, this runny nose and congestion has eased up (however little that may be).
Now, Tiny has eaten and has showen improvement today. Did you stop antibiotics already? If not, I would say there is a direct correlation in the improvement of Tiny and the antibiotic use...

Is Tiny a boy or a girl? =P
Also, if memory serves, Tiny is a sulcata? I do not own a sulcata, and so I thought I would add that as well as my opinion may very well be worth beans lol

 

[ascott]

nooooo, please don't do that please don't be fooled by his appearance of looking better....I know that antibiotics can put stress on a tortoise kidney....I know it is ABSOLUTELY no fun to give the injections...and I know it is discerning to watch your tortoise not gobble everything up.....but it is so much sadder to watch a tortoise fail due to an URI that can be controlled.....it is sad to watch the slow and painful death due to a treatable URI.....please please please continue your treatments...remember the day you were compelled to take him to the vet...the desperate feeling hoping that you can help save your little buddy...as that feeling can easily be forgotten when improvement begins....IMHO

If your vet did tests and confirmed RI and gave you treatment for their findings then you really want to finish the prescribed treatment....along with at least daily soaks and elevated heat.....

 

[Tony the tank]

I will give her the shot tomorrow...If she becomes lethargic after the shot again it might have to be her last shot....

It was explained to me that this( fortaz)antibiotic every 72hrs was supposed to be a lot safer and milder on the kidneys than baytril every day..

Hate to think my attempts to cure her might be killing her..

 

[ascott]

Hey...let me ask you a question if I may

I am making the assumption that your vet did appropriate test to confirm your tortoise indeed has RI...question; did your vet do test to confirm RI? Or did your vet make assumption or treat for RI "incase"?

 

[Tony the tank]

No test..She based her assessment on the medical history(animal being kept outside for 6 month with no shelter or supplemental heat) , the phlegmy sound and runny nose..

She did state..That it could be the beginning of a URI.. That I could just turn up the heat and see if with the better living arrangment that it migh just clear up by itself... But I opted for the antibiotics since I was worried if I waited to see if it cleared by itself it could turn into pneumonia...you know what they say "hind sight is 20/20"

In one hand doing nothing can be bad..and doing something (antibiotics)is known to be bad..

So what to do...

 

[ascott]

hmmmm....well, I have to say then that I retract my pleads with you....I made the error in "assuming" that your vet tested and then prescribed treatment.

Okay, so I will likely get slack for this, but I have to say what I think and believe.

If it were me and my tortoise was simply dealing with a bit of a runny nose (primarily clear fluid) but was strong and healthy in motion and also had a great appetite, I would likely not go the antibiotic route, to start with. I would just increase the temps and give all day exposure to sunshine and give daily soaks....and keep a crazy close eye on him....now, with that being said...I totally understand the concern that takes over when a runny nose starts....(especially since this tortoise was in the hurricane weather completely without a dedicated shelter, if my memory serves me?)

I would totally understand if you do not continue to do the injections, however, I would really address increased temps/sun exposure/soaks.....

Also, at this point if you continue the antibiotics, I do believe your tortoise will not be harshly affected by a round of antibiotics...as it is not something that you will be doing on a regular continuous basis...you know? IMHO

No matter which way you find yourself going....I totally wish a full and speedy come around for your tortoise

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I am at exactly the same spot with Abscess Nose and I have decided to continue the Baytril until done. He still has bubbles and sounds congested and has snot coming out of his one nares. So even tho he has stopped eating I have decided to continue the antibiotics. He gets a Baytril injection every other day and hasn't eaten for 2 weeks. He has lost 45grams and that really has me worried, but I don't think stopping the injections is the right thing. Remember...it's the VET who went to school for a lot of years to learn stuff that you and I don't know, we have instincts but not the knowledge...I advise you to continue the injections as will I...

 

[Tom]

I agree with Angela, in that you probably should have waited on the antibiotics and tried warming her up and letting her body do what it does best.

However, since you started the course of treatment you need to finish it. This is true in human medicine too.

 

[dmmj]

It is always better to continue a course of treatment, often times they start to get better, and then stop the meds and then go downhill again.

 

[Tony the tank]

Well this morning her nares were dry... But she refused to leave her hide..so took her for a soak...45minutes..No poop...( don't know if I should be concerned..she really hasn't eaten much in the last 3 days).. After the soak I put her in the yard..and boy did she come around..all of a sudden pacing eating grass.. She even ate two lg heads of romaine my wife put out for her...Then I made the decision to give her her shot...which she took without much of a battle...

All in all a complete 100% turn around..I'm not sure if it's the antibiotics or could it be that the hay was aggravating her sinuses???.. And now that it's gone..she feels better???

Will see if she starts acting funny again tomorrow if she does..she will not get another shot..

I also wonder since she has spent the last 5-6 month outside without an enclosure..if being in an enclosure is freaking her out?? Or maybe the lack of sunlight??

Thoughts??

 

[ascott]

Do you have a strong heat lamp and uv light for him inside for his indoor time? It may be that the temps and uv rays indoor are not turning him on....I mean like heating him up enough to get him roaring....they are like a classic car ya know...they need to warm up before they run smooth..so to speak....he also will get use to the injection if a big production does not happen each time to stress him out....

You will need ro be the one gaging what you think is best...as you are there in real life..real time...

 

[Stephanie]

Glad to read how much she enjoyed the yard today! Go Tiny, go!

 

[Tony the tank]

Do you have a strong heat lamp and uv light for him inside for his indoor time? It may be that the temps and uv rays indoor are not turning him on....I mean like heating him up enough to get him roaring....they are like a classic car ya know...they need to warm up before they run smooth..so to speak....he also will get use to the injection if a big production does not happen each time to stress him out....

You will need ro be the one gaging what you think is best...as you are there in real life..real time...

Ascott.. The temps in the enclosure is very warm... I'm starting to think too warm..

I have kept the temp in the room a constant 86*F+ The basking spot hit 120 today... Could it be to warm..I know the temp outside today was 75F and everyone was really active...As soon as I bring everyone in..They all settle to snooze..

All she does when she comes in is go right inside her Hide

 

[ascott]

Sooooooo......yup I would bring the hot spot down to 95-100° and try to bring to cool side to like 80 and see if she is more comfortable....and if 80 is lowest that will still be warm....

All of the torts are outside all day here and when I bring the ones in that come in at night they settle in quickly.....the redfoots mosey a bit then settle...

 

[Tony the tank]

Tony is always active whether in or out but since temps are up he spends more time sleeping..Tony is usually a speed demon..

Now that I think about it.. from day one Tiny only left her hide to eat..Then right back into her hide..I'm starting to think she just got use to being outside and is a little confused about this indoor enclosure thing..Is it even possible??

 

[ascott]

Absolutely possible....tortoise do not take to change to quickly