Urgent! Our Sulcata is frozen. Please help!

pcrealty

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Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
91
Location (City and/or State)
Wynnewood
You are confusing the OP who lost her tortoise due to freezing with pcrealty who posted a picture with the suggestion of using a heat lamp to try to revive the OP's frozen tortoise. Relic is responding to my comment about the picture in post number 20. Not the OP.

Relic and I are trying to help pcrealty avoid a very likely tragedy that is about to occur.
That is a good point about the clamps failing. A fire can result if the clamp fails. I will discontinue the clamps and use:

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Zoo Med Reptile Lamp Stand, slide 1 of 5 Slide 2 of 5 Slide 3 of 5 Slide 4 of 5 video, Slide 5 of 5
video




Zoo Med Reptile Lamp Stand
 

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O

Olive_Hermann

Guest
Not sure the best forum for this post. I also put it in the Sulcata forum:
We have a ten year old Sulcata. It is bitterly cold where we live now, and she has a custom built heated enclosure /house for winter. We've never had a problem with her before in winter with this enclosure. Last night she broke out and got into the yard and we didn't know. We checked on her about 9pm and she was in her house and healthy and moving around. It snowed all night. It was about 10 degrees outside overnight. We found her this morning about 10 am, frozen and covered in snow outside her house by our fence. I called the exotic pet vet who told us to do several lukewarm/warm baths throughout the day for a couple days to rewarm her. It's been 12 hours with no signs of life. She is currently dry between soakings and in a heated bathroom. I don't know what else to do. I'm so so sad. We lived in a warmer climate until a few years ago when employment brought us out here. I feel awful and heartbroken and don't need any admonishment, I just need advice and help for what to do right away. The vet lives four hours away And there is a snowstorm so I can't get her there. The local vets have no experience with exotic animals and didn't have any ideas other than warm baths. observing her physically: Her eyes were half open originally and now they are mostly closed. Her limbs were frozen stiff but are now soft and somewhat movable but not flaccid. However they have not changed position. I don't see any breathing movements or air from her nose but I expressed some liquid gently from her nostrils. Her head can move back and forth gently but cannot be extended. I haven't tried hard, just wanted to see if I could help her head to extend and retract to get some air into her lungs, but no luck. She seems warm though she is still cold inside her shell by her neck. This is all the information I have. Please help if you have any ideas or if there is any hope. The vet seemed to think there was a good chance she would revive, but considering she had food in her stomach, I don't know if she will. I've heard it can freeze and cause internal damage even if she does revive. I'm just sick about this. I'm so sad.

Hi,

In my tortoise book it says to put them under a basking lamp for about 15-30mins. If the heart is still beating, the whole of the body will become evenly warm; if the tortoise has passed away the carapace will become scorching hot and the limbs will remain cold.
I hope it’s the first outcome.
best wishes, Jay x
 

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Animal mom

New Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2020
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9
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Utah
That picture is a house fire in the making. You should never use plastic bakelite fixtures for tortoise heating, and those clamps always fail. The clamps should be removed, and hang those fixtures from overhead. That enclosure is also WAY too small for that tortoise. That is not suitable to live in all winter.
Honestly, I think you went too far on this one. An unfortunate event occurred and she did her best to help save it. Yes, there is a fire danger here. However, your lengthy, sarcastic response is unnecessary, especially since she already told us that the tort is already gone.
thanks. The photo was from someone who replied to my post. That wasn't my enclosure
 

Animal mom

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Joined
Dec 14, 2020
Messages
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Utah
I spent 29 years as a firefighter in a major city. If you had seen what I've seen, you would think differently. And you really think 7 sentences is lengthy?
Thanks for the reply. The photo was from someone who replied to my OP. That was not my enclosure.
 

Emmawilly

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Joined
Nov 1, 2020
Messages
161
Location (City and/or State)
Plymouth
Not sure the best forum for this post. I also put it in the Sulcata forum:
We have a ten year old Sulcata. It is bitterly cold where we live now, and she has a custom built heated enclosure /house for winter. We've never had a problem with her before in winter with this enclosure. Last night she broke out and got into the yard and we didn't know. We checked on her about 9pm and she was in her house and healthy and moving around. It snowed all night. It was about 10 degrees outside overnight. We found her this morning about 10 am, frozen and covered in snow outside her house by our fence. I called the exotic pet vet who told us to do several lukewarm/warm baths throughout the day for a couple days to rewarm her. It's been 12 hours with no signs of life. She is currently dry between soakings and in a heated bathroom. I don't know what else to do. I'm so so sad. We lived in a warmer climate until a few years ago when employment brought us out here. I feel awful and heartbroken and don't need any admonishment, I just need advice and help for what to do right away. The vet lives four hours away And there is a snowstorm so I can't get her there. The local vets have no experience with exotic animals and didn't have any ideas other than warm baths. observing her physically: Her eyes were half open originally and now they are mostly closed. Her limbs were frozen stiff but are now soft and somewhat movable but not flaccid. However they have not changed position. I don't see any breathing movements or air from her nose but I expressed some liquid gently from her nostrils. Her head can move back and forth gently but cannot be extended. I haven't tried hard, just wanted to see if I could help her head to extend and retract to get some air into her lungs, but no luck. She seems warm though she is still cold inside her shell by her neck. This is all the information I have. Please help if you have any ideas or if there is any hope. The vet seemed to think there was a good chance she would revive, but considering she had food in her stomach, I don't know if she will. I've heard it can freeze and cause internal damage even if she does revive. I'm just sick about this. I'm so sad.
Dear Animal Mom, I've just read your story with tears streaming down my face for you, your family and of course your tortoise. It is obvious you loved her. I'm so sorry that this happened. I'm thinking of you and sending you love from the UK.
 

mylittlecholla

Active Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2020
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230
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Fillmore, California
I'm so very sorry for your sorrow and your kids' grief for your dear tortoise.

If there are any signs of life, wrap him in towels warm from the dryer or microwave? I'm no authority; it's just a shot in the dark, and one you have undoubtedly considered.

Prayers for a miracle, and for your family.
 

Animal mom

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This was our beautiful Toby❤️?. Thank you so much for all the love sent to our family!
 

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pcrealty

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Sep 6, 2020
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91
Location (City and/or State)
Wynnewood
If there are still some signs of life. use an outdoor heating lamp ASAP or bring the tort into the house.

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One of the forum members stated, to be careful with the clamp lighting, if it falls to the wooden chips or floor, a fire can start. I will purchase floor lamp stands to replace the clamp lighting for added safety.
 

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jUMPSu1t

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Not only is the lighting set-up a fire waiting to happen, the location is equally disturbing. To wit: Heat source precariously suspended over the tort's enclosure. Enclosure full of flammable material (mulch). Enclosure resting on top of flammable material (wood floor). This potential fire cleverly located at the base of an open stairway, also constructed of flammable material (wood). So once the fire begins, the products of combustion (posionous gases) and flames can race up the stairway, possibly overcoming/trapping occupants upstairs. Hopefully, the front door is near the base of the stairs so the firefighters can enter, quickly extinguish the fire, and begin looking for bodies...
This is a thread to grieve for a sad owner’s dead sulcata, not a thread to criticize the type of lightbulbs said owner used for said sulcata. This is the first hint of hostility I’ve seen on this site, and it really does sadden me. Sarcastic responses from salty tortoise owners like you do absolutely nothing to help the OP overcome their loss. I hope you learn from this thread and make sure your future posts are more helpful and kind to the OP.
 

Yossarian

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This is a thread to grieve for a sad owner’s dead sulcata, not a thread to criticize the type of lightbulbs said owner used for said sulcata. This is the first hint of hostility I’ve seen on this site, and it really does sadden me. Sarcastic responses from salty tortoise owners like you do absolutely nothing to help the OP overcome their loss. I hope you learn from this thread and make sure your future posts are more helpful and kind to the OP.

You have the wrong end of the stick, that comment was a reply to a different member that posted a photo of a potentially dangerous situation. That was not directed at the OP that started this thread.
 

Relic

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This is a thread to grieve for a sad owner’s dead sulcata, not a thread to criticize the type of lightbulbs said owner used for said sulcata. This is the first hint of hostility I’ve seen on this site, and it really does sadden me. Sarcastic responses from salty tortoise owners like you do absolutely nothing to help the OP overcome their loss. I hope you learn from this thread and make sure your future posts are more helpful and kind to the OP.
You must work diligently to improve your reading comprehension skills. Re-read this thread, slowly if need be, and discover to whom my advice was directed. Surprise! It wasn't the OP...
 

pcrealty

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91
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You must work diligently to improve your reading comprehension skills. Re-read this thread, slowly if need be, and discover to whom my advice was directed. Surprise! It wasn't the OP...
I apologize, I do not have my PhD yet.
 

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