Hello from Texas! New Keeper of a Young Sick Sulcata

Moshie

New Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2017
Messages
28
She is adorable! How is she doing now? Hope she is learning to run around and getting healthier every day!
 

Grandpa Turtle 144

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2013
Messages
10,878
Hello all!

I am Tortoise Woman and we're new to Sulcatas. We've owned turtles for awhile. A 2 yr old Northern Black-Knobbed Map turtle that we've raised from a hatchling. We also have a Mississippi Map turtle hatcling and a Common Musk hatchling. We wanted to get a tortoise at some point and were looking at Russian torts so I did a lot of research on their care. Just when we were thinking of a Sulcata a friend of ours offered us hers. Knowing this person as we did we thought we'd be getting a healthy tort. Well, we didn't.

Unfortunately they did no research on her care and she has suffered for it. She is 2 yrs old and is only 163 grams in weight. Never had any UVB or calcium so her shell is very soft with pyramiding and she can't walk properly. She belly crawls. Her diet was very poor. We've had her for two weeks and she's just now eating on her own. She had never eaten grass before but she's loving clippings from our yard. We took her to an excellent tortoise vet and we are force feeding her baby food mixed with liquid calcium and a high fiber powder called Critical Care. The vet was shocked at her poor condition. She gave us lots of good advice and answered all our questions. Also said our tort should be at least 2-3 times larger than she is at this age.

Her enclosure was very small with almost no substrate and a cheese nip box with a hole cut in it for a house. We just got her a new tortoise house and she's loving it. Crawling all over. We have towels in part of it so she can get around easier. Until she can actually walk we'll keep it like this. We take her outside when it's warm enough in a rabbit run (for her safety) and she loves that. She had never been outside before we got her. When she's bigger and in better health we'll make a nice big enclosure outside so she can spend more time there.

It will be at least a year before we will be able to call her healthy. Took her a long time to get this way, it's going to take a long time for her to get better. But she's finally showing signs of improvement!

Since she's so small, we've named her Tinkerbell.
View attachment 200716
View attachment 200717
View attachment 200718
I would like to know more about this high fiber powder called Critical Care . Why the vet is giving it ? And what it's to do for the tort ?
 

Moshie

New Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2017
Messages
28
I am not sure if this is what she is talking about or not. My vet told me to sprinkle some on the torts food twice a week like I do the calcium.
she said she prefers it over Mazuri and my torts seem to also. They will eat their food with this but will not eat at all is I put Mazuri with their food.
 

Attachments

  • 20170710_182112.jpg
    20170710_182112.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 3

TortoiseWoman

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
19
Hi y'all!
Yes that is the Critical Care that Tinkerbell was taking.

I actually don't have Tinkerbell anymore. She was a lot to take on for my first tortoise and my husband started having some health issues (which thankfully seem to be under control now) but I just felt I wasn't the best person to care for her. So I found a highly respected reptile veterinary clinic close by that takes in wild life, rehabilitates and finds homes for them. But the vet himself wanted Tinkerbell. He'd been wanting another sulcata and was excited to get her when he found out she was coming. I called a couple weeks after I surrendered her to see how she was doing and they told me the Dr did keep her and took her home. That she's doing well and spending her days outside. I sent all her stuff with her and made a donation for her care. It was a tough choice to let her go. I had spent a lot of time caring for her. She had become much more social in the time we had her and I cried like a girl. :) But I think it's the best thing for her. Someday I will have another sulcata and when I take her to the vet, you can bet I'm going to be checking in on Tinkerbell!

Thanks for everyone's help. It's very much appreciated. I've gotten quite an education on torts from this experience and you can bet when the next one comes along, I'll be ready right from the start and not paddling to catch up!
 

Moshie

New Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2017
Messages
28
Sorry you had to give her up but family health would need to come first. Glad hubby is doing better. Am happy you took the time to make sure she went to a good home. At my age, I worry about what will happen to mine if I get where I cannot give them the best care. Am hoping I have at least one grandchild that will love them as I do!
 

New Posts

Top