Baby Tort died this morning!!

[JasonMcK]

This is Jason's wife and I really need some help! One of our 2 babies, Dozer was dead this morning when I went to feed them. They are about 4-5 months old and she had been doing really well, eating like a piggie and seemed to be thriving. We still have the 2nd guy and I am not sure what to do. We have no idea what was wrong with Dozer and I'm wondering if I should clean and sterilize the enclosure they shared? Jason is out of town until Friday!!

 

[Utah Lynn]

I'm so sorry to hear that. Someone will be along here soon to help you. RIP Dozer.

 

[Laura]

wow.. thats awful. was he dead under a heat lamp? is your enclosure too warm? access to water?
were there any signs last night of anything different? how is the other this morning? normal?
Did you use any sprays, air freshener, cleaners near them? did someone accidently drop him and place him back?

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

So very sorry to hear this! What had it eaten and had the other tortoise eaten the same thing?

 

[JasonMcK]

Everything seemed normal, they both ate spring mix and cactus last night. Today the 2nd one, Tonka seems normal, he ate a lot and is now napping which is the norm for him. Their enclosure varies from about 80-90 but they have zones that they can move to. We are very careful with using anything of a chemical nature in our home, we also have parrots and ensure to keep everyone safe. I have no idea what to do

 

[Yvonne G]

I doubt it was something contagious, and even if it was, they've lived together and have both been in contact.

Without a necropsy, and no visible clues, there's really no way to tell what happened.

I'm so sorry this happened. And to happen while your husband is away makes it twice as bad. Don't beat yourself up over it. I really doubt it was anything you did or didn't do.

 

[dmarcus]

So sorry for the loss of your tortoise...

 

[Utah Lynn]

Catherine, read this thread and see if need to change anything in the habitat for the future.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Leop...z1YJwEbKqN

 

[Greg T]

I'm sorry for your loss. Babies are very difficult to raise and you will occasionally have the death for no apparent reason. Simply watch the other one now and make sure he is eating and drinking normally. Your enclosure sounds good, so I don't know any changes you can make. These guys are pretty delicate under 1 year old and after that they seem to get stronger each year.

 

[Momof4]

So sorry to hear!

 

[yagyujubei]

Sorry to hear about this. Where was he when you found him, and what position was he in? You're probably never going to know what caused this since he wasn't sick. I would keep an eye on the other one, but I don't see any reason to change anything.

 

[pk2610]

Sorry for your loss. I read your previous threads and noticed that there were a lot of similar symptoms between your Dozer and the leopard baby I loss a month ago: not eating properly (could not target at food), not gaining weight, slowing downand becoming less active, closing eyes at the time, etc.

How much did your Dozer weight.. had he gained any since you had him? My baby was very light and tiny to begin with and he was only 20 grams after 3 months I had him.

Now that I know all the above symptoms are not to be taken lightly especially for little tort at that age.

 

[babylove6635]

IM AM REALLY SORY FOR YOUR LOSS.

 

[MatrixDJ]

I'm very sorry for your loss.. I recently lost one myself like that. No clue what happened till a couple weeks later

 

[CLMoss]

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. You take care.

Claudia

 

[Beeliz]

I'm sorry ,,so sad for that to happen,,mine is only 8 weeks,and I am always in a state of stress somehow,,till he gets bigger and stronger. It's always a worry ;( take care.

 

[JasonMcK]

Thank you everyone, she had not really gained weight, in the 3 months that we had her but she was eating well. We also noticed that her "tummy" was soft compared to that of Tonka. Sorry, I don't know tortoise anatomy. Very sad day and I swear Tonka is looking for her. I buried her in a little box underneath our dogwood tree

 

[terryo]

I's so sorry Catherine. It's always sad to loose a baby tort. These little guys are so delicate. Hugs........

 

[Kristina]

I'm very sorry for your loss If her tummy (plastron) was soft, that means she either was not eating properly or not getting enough calcium/D3. Do you have a UV light? Do you use a calcium supplement? How often do you soak/offer water?

 

[JasonMcK]

We do have a UV light on them and they both were get soaked 2x a day for 15-20 minutes each time. We haven't yet started a calcium supplement. Dozer was the "runt" of the 3 that we got, one of which now is with a friend. When we first got them, Dozer did not eat for the first week, we thought we were going to lose her then but she started eating and often ate more than Tonka did. Tonka was the biggest of the 3 and he seems to be doing well, he's quite active and eats very well.