Urgent help save a sulcata, rare case

Uegent Help, Sulcata sick, rare case.

Dear sulcata experts,

I am in Asia, I am a high school student, I have saved poor school kids' land tortoises in the past couple years, because they had no money to go to the vets.

I have recently a rare case with me, very strange, need your urgent advice:

A kid's sulcata, 7.5cm bottom shell, 93.5g 3 days ago (today 96.5g), very thin, body shrinks into the shell, hasn't been eating for 35 days now. The sulcata poos jelly poops, clearly a sign of protozoan infection, but this kid mistakenly gave the sulcata parasite medicine, rather poisonous one, then this kid force-fed the sulcata with Mazuri feed. Then Sulcata poos Mazuri out exactly in the same shape when it eats - a sign of no digestion.

I took over 3 days ago, I injected it with water and saline, force-fed it with glucose and electrolyte water. Then I gave it Metronidazole 4mg yesterday.

The sulcata is very actively, no sign of sickness at all, no signs of respiratory infection, but it is very very thin. Now it is pooing Mazuri food in orginal form when I soak it. What should I do now? Please help, I am totally lost, it doesn't eat, and seems no digestion function at all. Should I feed it with yeasts and vitamins?

Thanks. please help me to save it, it is very cute and very active even without eating for 35 days, it seems wants to survive.

Dear experts,

I am in Asia, I am a high school student, I have saved some poor school kids' land tortoises in the past couple years, because they had no money to go to the vets.

I have recently a rare case with me, need your urgent advice:

A kid's sulcata, 7.5cm bottom shell, 93.5g 3 days ago (today 96.5g), very thin, so thin that body shrinks to the shell, hasn't been eating for 35 days now. The sulcata poos jelly poops, clearly a sign of protozoan infection, but this kid mistakenly gave the sulcata parasite medicine, rather poisonous one, then this kid force-fed the sulcata with Mazuri feed. Then Sulcata poos Mazuri out exactly in the same shape when it eats - a sign of no digestion and no lower gut flora.

I took over 3 days ago, I injected it with water and saline, force-fed it with glucose and electrolyte water. Then I gave it Metronidazole 4mg yesterday.

The sulcata is very actively, no sign of sickness at all, no signs of respiratory infection, but it is very very thin. Now it is pooing Mazuri food in orginal form when I soak it. What should I do now? Please help, I am totally lost, it doesn't eat at all, and seems no digestion function at all. Should I feed it with yeasts and vitamins?

Thanks. please help to save it, it is very cute and very active even without eating for 35 days, it seems want to survive. its little eyes watching me so cute and so helplessly.

I pray someone that can help sees this. Thank you so much for helping these torts and kids. Hopefully someone like Tom replies soon, They say he's the one of the best for advice. Good luck

sissyofone said:

I pray someone that can help sees this. Thank you so much for helping these torts and kids. Hopefully someone like Tom replies soon, They say he's the one of the best for advice. Good luck

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OK, thanks. this kid said that he gave up, just return him the corpse if dies.

Maybe send Tom, the dog trainer or Yvonne, emysemys a pm refer them to your thread. They are two that I know of off hand that may be able to help. I wish I had answers for you other then sending the pm's. Good luck. I will send good healing vibes your way. Please keep us posted.

wellington said:

Maybe send Tom, the dog trainer or Yvonne, emysemys a pm refer them to your thread. They are two that I know of off hand that may be able to help. I wish I had answers for you other then sending the pm's. Good luck. I will send good healing vibes your way. Please keep us posted.

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Thank you. don't worry, I can wait, it's 3:47am here now, I sleep now.

BTW, that kid, the owner mistakenly gave 2 times to the sulcata with Levamisole HCL for protozoa infection.

Levamisole HCL is rather poisonous, it is not for treating protozoa but parasites.

could Levamisole HCL killed off the digestion functions?

I treated it with Metronidazole 4mg yesterday.

I don't have any probiotics or Nurti-BAC with me, all I have is a probiotic-Beer Yeasts for treating human diarrhea. Is this ok? Can I also give lactic acidophilus milk to the sulcata? I don't know if they can take milk.

Thanks.

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Normally tort babies die quickly if infected with protozoa and not eating for a while. this sulcata is so strong and so active, still walking and climbing after 35 days of not eating! it so wanted to live. I'm amazed.

RE: Uegent Help, Sulcata sick, rare case.

Parasite infestation is the first cause of undigested food in the stool. Then comes low fiber. Perhaps you can get some grass or weeds into the tortoise?


It sounds like you have your head on straight where treating tortoises is concerned, Sebastion. Keep up the good work! You might try soaking some Mazuri until its mushy then add some chopped up hay or grass to the mush and get that into the tortoise either by force or if he'll eat it on his own.

I don't know if tortoises can take yeast or acidophilis.

Hi and welcome! How's he doing?

Chainsawkitten said:

Hi and welcome! How's he doing?

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The tort is still not eating, but still active. Tonight I soaked it for 1 hour in very very warm water, it pooped out all of the force-fed foods that owner previously gave it. I want to flush out all its intestine clean.

Then I force-fed it electrolyte water + glucose + Mazuri mush water.

Tomorrow I will force-feed Zoomed grass powder + Mazuri mush water, in order to build up its lower gut flora.

Thanks.

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emysemys said:

Parasite infestation is the first cause of undigested food in the stool. Then comes low fiber. Perhaps you can get some grass or weeds into the tortoise?


It sounds like you have your head on straight where treating tortoises is concerned, Sebastion. Keep up the good work! You might try soaking some Mazuri until its mushy then add some chopped up hay or grass to the mush and get that into the tortoise either by force or if he'll eat it on his own.

I don't know if tortoises can take yeast or acidophilis.

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I am following your way now. thanks.

You are right, there are so many vitamins and yeasts and good stuff in Mazuri, why don't I soak Mazuri in water and feed the mush water to the tort.

May I ask why feed grass to sick tort? Why they need so much fiber? Is it because soluble-fiber in grass can build lower gut flora? Thanks.

I'm so glad you are taking so good care of this little baby! Mazuri and hay are so good for them

Grass for the fiber. More fiber = less runny/undigested stools

Rusty, I'm delighted that you take this sick sulcata and try to treat it.

Hope everything's going well and he can recover. Please keep us updated of his progress.

Thanks.

Good morning Rusty!
How's the little patient?

emysemys said:

Grass for the fiber. More fiber = less runny/undigested stools

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thanks, I see, will forcefeed more fiber to the tort gradually.

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Yellow Turtle said:

Rusty, I'm delighted that you take this sick sulcata and try to treat it.

Hope everything's going well and he can recover. Please keep us updated of his progress.

Thanks.

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OK, will do

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Chainsawkitten said:

Good morning Rusty!
How's the little patient?

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It is still very active, but very thin, and I keep him warm and 70-80% humid, forcefeed everyday water+glucose+Mazuri mush+grass powder, its weight fluctuates between 94g and 96g, not gaining much weight.

I think it will live, but still not eating by itself.

I'm sorry that it's not digesting properly. Maybe getting an x-ray of its intestinal functions might help diagnose what's wrong. I hope he makes progress!

Me too

IT EATS by itself - after 40 days of not eating!!!

It started eating just a little bit of lettuce last night, and then now 18:30, it eats a piece of lettuce leaf!

Amysemys's method worked, I gave it total 3 times of Metronidazole 6mg, and forcefed it with Glucose water + Eletrolyte water + Mazuri mush water + probiotics + Psyllium husk fiber powder(has both soluble and insoluble fibers in it).

That's fantastic news!

Good to hear that he's eating a little by himself!

You're a good person to take care of him like you do.

Yippy!!! good work!!! that tort is one lucky lil guy!!!