Sick hatchlings and feeding tubes

[Chrisquester]

Hi all! I was given a sick little Sulcata from a pet store, presuming I was taking him home to die. He seemed to perk up a bit though, so I took him to the vet and we began treatment. So far he has had antibiotics x 10 doses, one calcium injection, deworming, and appropriate lighting and soaking. Little guy just seems the same since we got him though. Perks up outside, tries to eat a bit but can't seem to coordinate himself to eat more than a bite or two every few days. Rarely opens his eyes.
Vet suspects MBD due to his misshapen shell. Tortoise doesn't seem to be in pain.
We're at the point where we need to think about euthanizing vs. feeding tube.
Is a feeding tube drastic, or common for a hatchling? My little Gollum is so small, about 2 inches, I'd hate to put him through it if it's just going to be painful and useless.
Does anyone have experience with such things? Thank you!!!!

 

[dmmj]

May I ask why antiniotics were.prescribec?

 

[Chrisquester]

Enrofloxacin

 

[Chrisquester]

He's lopsided, and a funny color, vet does say he is a Sulcata though

 

[spud's_mum]

He's lopsided, and a funny color, vet does say he is a Sulcata though

Aww bless him!
Was he given I you for free?

Best wishes.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I've seen lopsided before and I think that that condition might just correct itself if the tortoise hangs in there.
have you tried soaking him in warm baby food? (Carrot)
I wish you the best.
I know nothing of tube feeding. One of my Redfoot currently have an Esophagostomy tube, but she is a robust, adult.

 

[Odin's Gma]

I second the carrot baby food soaks. What is your heat and humidity? What foods are you offering? Have you tried Mazuri? It's good for them and it's like crack for torts.
It's a tough spot you're in, but it's wonderful that you are trying to save this sweet little one. I wish you luck.
@Yvonne G and @Tom know everything, maybe they can help?

 

[Tom]

Read this before you go any further:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

If the damage was done, it was done. You can't undo it, and no amount of money or vet care will save him.

If the damage was not too bad, then he will survive and pull through if given the correct living conditions and care. Again, vet care and money spent will not be a factor.

Worded another way: Either the kidneys were too badly damaged early on, or they weren't. Current vet care cannot change or affect how much kidney damage was or was not done earlier in this hatchlings life.

 

[Jodie]

I would not tube feed a baby. I would do baby food soaks every morning and soak again in afternoon. Keep his enclosure a minimum 85F and over 80 percent humidity. Basking area 105F. I would keep fresh greens available and offer mazuri everyother day. Then I would hope for the best. Good luck.

 

[Carol S]

I hope your little one pulls through. I agree with what Tom stated above. Hopefully with the right conditions your little one will perk up and start eating. He sure is a cutie. He has a very expressive face; so sweet.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

I agree. Don't tube feed this baby. Using a bowl with a small floor space and tall sides that the tortoise can't climb out of, add a half a jar of Gerber strained carrots and enough warm water to come up to the baby's sides. leave him soaking in this mixture for at least a half hour. Unless your house is very cold, don't worry if the water cools to room temperature. Soak him daily in the carrot/water mixture and you should start to see an improvement in about three days.

Offer the baby chopped up leafy greens, weeds and grasses. I generally pick a few hollyhock leaves, grape leaves, mulberry leaves and any edible weeds like prickly lettuce, mallow, sow thistle. To this I add some Santa Barbara Mix (a packaged salad containing endive, escarole and radicchio) and any dark, leafy greens I have in the fridge. I chop it all up into very tiny pieces, sprinkle a tiny bit of calcium powder and mix it all up real good. Don't use too much calcium - only a small pinch between your finger and thumb and only about 3 times a week.

Good luck. I hope you can pull him through. Please keep us informed.

 

[Chrisquester]

Aww bless him!
Was he given I you for free?

Best wishes.

He was, from a reptile store

 

[Chrisquester]

It's real hard to say...at the pet store he was on wood chips with a basking light, and about 8 other Sulcata hatchlings. The store owner said someone turned him in, so no telling what happened to him before.
I have him with a UVB/heat lamp on one side of a 40 gal aquarium, heating pad underneath the glass on the other side, small so he can move on and off as he likes (which he does), hide log, shallow dish of water always, and plantation soil which I lightly mist a few days a week. Vet said to mix some cypress mulch in there too which I need to locate. I take him outside once a day for supervised sun time, but daytime temps are high this time of year (100+) so outside trips are brief so he doesn't overheat.
Not sure what else I can do; very open to suggestions though! I really want him to pull through!
I have 3 other torts: 2 AZ deserts and a Leopard, all hatchlings and all separate. Not my first time with hatchlings, but definitely my first experience with a sick tort.

Read this before you go any further:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

If the damage was done, it was done. You can't undo it, and no amount of money or vet care will save him.

If the damage was not too bad, then he will survive and pull through if given the correct living conditions and care. Again, vet care and money spent will not be a factor.

Worded another way: Either the kidneys were too badly damaged early on, or they weren't. Current vet care cannot change or affect how much kidney damage was or was not done earlier in this hatchlings life.

 

[ascott]

He's lopsided, and a funny color, vet does say he is a Sulcata though

View attachment 140077

What a beautiful tort...great eyes...I would not force feed with a tube...too invasive for such a private nature animal...I would try to hand feed until his energy increases some....there is no reason to give up...as long as he is game...keep on...sometimes when the soul is tired and weak it is a relief to lean on the coattails of a determined one....I hope you don't give up...where there is life there is will...good wishes for you and your shelled friend...

 

[Chrisquester]

What a beautiful tort...great eyes...I would not force feed with a tube...too invasive for such a private nature animal...I would try to hand feed until his energy increases some....there is no reason to give up...as long as he is game...keep on...sometimes when the soul is tired and weak it is a relief to lean on the coattails of a determined one....I hope you don't give up...where there is life there is will...good wishes for you and your shelled friend...

Thank you for the kind words however hand feeding is not working at all

 

[ascott]

Thank you for the kind words however hand feeding is not working at all

What are you trying to hand feed him??

 

[Chrisquester]

What are you trying to hand feed him??

I have tried kale, radicchio(sic), carrot shavings, grated zucchini, grated apple, arugula, spurge, AZ yellow bell flower, Palo Verde leaves, Spring mix...even tried a teeny bit of strawberry, pumpkin mash, banana, and grape (only once each in the month I've had him) and he just can't seem to either find the food or he's not interested

 

[ascott]

I have tried kale, radicchio(sic), carrot shavings, grated zucchini, grated apple, arugula, spurge, AZ yellow bell flower, Palo Verde leaves, Spring mix...even tried a teeny bit of strawberry, pumpkin mash, banana, and grape (only once each in the month I've had him) and he just can't seem to either find the food or he's not interested

Maybe mushroom....watermelon....perhaps make a huge pile of food and place it in a corner of his enclosure and set him right with his nose touching the pile and then walk away out of sight....continue to offer long warm water soaks and rotate those with the baby food soaks....be patient. ?.remember this is a creature that takes time to settle...make a routine and be as exact as possible so the tort can learn it....

 

[Chrisquester]

I can be patient with him, but what would you suggest might be a reasonable time before some improvement might be seen? How long can a tort go without eating outside of hibernation?

 

[spud's_mum]

Have you tried the carrot baby food soaks?

I hope your little one gets well soon.
He really is a beautiful little tort