Does my baby Indian Star have pneumonia?

Pearly

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Oh and never gave any meds to my babies, thank God I didn't have to! Have hard enough time medicating my cats. Uggghhh!!! I used to have a dog and then 2 wonderful cats who would take anything and everything from me! But none since those 3. All of my kitties since then have been HORRIBLE to give meds to, and torsts... I hate to even think about that! Couldn't the vet give them this stuff in the injectable form? That's what i started doing for my cats. I just refuse to put them and myself and whoever helps me through the horrible and dangerous trauma:)
 

G-stars

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I'm no vet but I recommend not worrying about the humidity until they get better. Don't let temps drop below 85F for a few weeks and the humidity at 60% should be fine.

Can you get them to take the meds with food?
 

Melissa N

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Darn! See if you can get that humidity up to at least 80%. The higher the better. You want to create something of a sauna for them. It's like with human babies when they get croup, you get into warm shower with them to keep the airway open. I had spent couple nights that way with my twins back to back when they were babies. After that got a nebulizer machine which i only had to use one more time later. Those things in the middle of a night at times make a difference in those tiny airways between life and death. Get more temp/hygrometers for different spots of enclosure at substrate level, or use temp gun to spot check temps all over including their hide. I always worried about getting my babies "cooked" so was probably going overboard with 4 meters positioned in 4 different spots directly on the surface of the substrate bcs that's where those babies are. If you struggle with humidity, see if you can use your regular room humidifier and funnel the steam into the enclosure. I gave in very early on and got the Reptifogger to solve my humidity issues. I was so worried about one of my babies who was always looking/acting... just sickly, I didn't want to take any chances. People here don't use anything for humidity in closed chambers and seem to keep theirs up, I just could never get it to over 80% until the fogger thing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your 2 babies. Hang in there and keep us posted

Thanks Pearly! I appreciate all the support you've given me. I swear these babies have been WAY more stressful, and given me much more anxiety than my 5 human babies! I'm just hoping we caught it early enough for these two. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a fogger. I guess I'll add that to my ever growing list of equipment. Humidity has been the bane of my existence! I have 3 thermometers, 2 hygrometers, and a heat gun! I just feel bad contributing to their stress by trying to get these antibiotics they don't want to take into their mouths. I also just read that the medication can affect their appetite. Their appetites weren't that great before we started antibiotics! Pretty stressful!
 

Melissa N

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I'm no vet but I recommend not worrying about the humidity until they get better. Don't let temps drop below 85F for a few weeks and the humidity at 60% should be fine.

Can you get them to take the meds with food?

I've got their thermostat set at 90. I tried to give it in food but they wouldn't take it. I'm going to try it in a small piece of soaked Mazuri after their soak in the morning, before I feed them.
 

Pearly

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Thanks Pearly! I appreciate all the support you've given me. I swear these babies have been WAY more stressful, and given me much more anxiety than my 5 human babies! I'm just hoping we caught it early enough for these two. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a fogger. I guess I'll add that to my ever growing list of equipment. Humidity has been the bane of my existence! I have 3 thermometers, 2 hygrometers, and a heat gun! I just feel bad contributing to their stress by trying to get these antibiotics they don't want to take into their mouths. I also just read that the medication can affect their appetite. Their appetites weren't that great before we started antibiotics! Pretty stressful!
I am so sorry you are having hard time. It will get better, just hang on tight, one day at a time. One of my babies was looking to me like those little hatchlings that fail to thrive and I spend enormous amount of time and energy (not to mention much more money than ever planned for a new pet for my daughter!) on trying new things just to get him to eat. I made a thread here which may in some ways help you get your babies through the course of antibiotics and some time after that. Unfortunately torts tend to take a long time convalescing but remember that they are resilient. Just don't let their temps drop below 80 at night and keep them humid. Keep trying with feeding different foods, different consistencies. Look up my thread. You can find it through SEARCH feature here just type "Pearly's tips on feeding picky eater" or something like that. Mine are the RFs so probably very different diet than yours but there are probably few common threads there that you can use. I put quite a few pictures there to give the beginners some ideas or inspiration. As for the fogger, i don't think it's necessary, plus it's not cheap. Mine was 66 or 76$ (can't recall exactly). Some people get the cheapest room humidifiers they can find at walmart and connect flexible hose to it funneling the vapors straight into the enclosure. I also have a thread with pictures that show how i covered my 40 gal tank and hooked the fogger hose up. That thread is called "Pearly's 40 gal covered tank" or something to that effect. Hope you can find something helpful there. One more thing. If you worry about your babies not eating, try soaking them with carrot gerber baby food. And you do soak them daily right? In warm water, for about 30 min. Those carrot soaks, you'd just add little jar of baby food to your soaking container and add water, provided it's not a human bath tub like the one i use for my babies baths:), then you'd need dosen of those baby food jars. Be sure that carrot bath stays warm since you won't be adding warm water. In winter I put couple of red heat lamps over the tub while they soak and have my temp gun with me. That respiratory infection in baby torts is a b***, but it is treatable. I'll be looking for your updates. Sending you electronic warm hugs from Texas
 
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Pearly

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I've got their thermostat set at 90. I tried to give it in food but they wouldn't take it. I'm going to try it in a small piece of soaked Mazuri after their soak in the morning, before I feed them.
It will be absolutely imperative that they get their full doses of antibiotics. Maybe @Tom or @Yvonne G can give you some pointers in giving meds to those babies. I unfortunately am pretty useless in this department. I'd say if you can't get their meds in tomorrow am, call your vet and you maybe able to bring them in and have them teach you how to do it or he can change it to injectable, which hurts, but at least you know that they get the full dose that's needed to deal with the infection
 

jockma

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Are they eating at all? I find it's much easier to give oral antibiotics by feeding the tort regularly, waiting for them to open their mouth to take a bite and injecting the medicine into their mouth instead of putting the meds in food.
 

jockma

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And I'm so, so sorry about your loss. These things happen, you aren't a bad owner...you came on here to get help and you brought the others in for treatment when they started getting sick. You are doing everything you can and I can tell you really care about these babies.
 

Melissa N

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Nova seems a little worse today. She is "clicking" more. I also noticed Stella's saliva seems sticky. Neither has much of an appetite. It took me about an hour but I eventually got antibiotics into both of them today. I also gave them both a carrot soak. How long does it usually take these meds to getting working? Should I be seeing a change in them soon?
 

jockma

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Beautiful babies!

It's been a while since I've dealt with an RI but I believe antibiotics start to noticeably take effect after just a few doses, I remember it was pretty fast. Usually within a week or so the labored breathing improves and there's less mucus.
 

Pearly

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The good news is that I've been able to maintain my heat and humidity. Here is a pic of each of them for your enjoyment

Stella
View attachment 183014

Nova
View attachment 183012
They are gorgeous!!!! Don't know about antibiotics in reptiles. In humans you usually start seeing changes after first 24 hrs, but those guys metabolize little different. That's why we need to keep them warm, to speed up their chemical exchanges. Did you see them drink in their carrot bath?
 

Diamond

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So sorry to hear of your loss. I lost my baby Russian today from a presumed respiratory infection. I had him for 8 months, got him when he was 2 months old. Was at the vet every 7-9 days getting treatment, He would perk up for a few days then stop eating for a few days, then I'd take him back and repeat the same thing over again. This went on for 8 weeks and he just could not "get over the hump." We both tried so hard to help him. He told me not to blame myself, that sometimes these thing happen and we may never know why. I know I made some mistakes early on, so it make me feel really bad. I took him in today thinking we would get more antibiotics, but his shell became soft in the last day, so the vet said it was best to euthanize him. I'm heart broken! I hope your others are doing well.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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So sorry to hear of your loss. I lost my baby Russian today from a presumed respiratory infection. I had him for 8 months, got him when he was 2 months old. Was at the vet every 7-9 days getting treatment, He would perk up for a few days then stop eating for a few days, then I'd take him back and repeat the same thing over again. This went on for 8 weeks and he just could not "get over the hump." We both tried so hard to help him. He told me not to blame myself, that sometimes these thing happen and we may never know why. I know I made some mistakes early on, so it make me feel really bad. I took him in today thinking we would get more antibiotics, but his shell became soft in the last day, so the vet said it was best to euthanize him. I'm heart broken! I hope your others are doing well.
Sorry for you loss, too, a tragedy.
Must have been a very distressing time.
Condolences.
 

Diamond

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Thanks Adam, it was very distressing, I have dogs, cats, horses and I am a nurse who has taken care of premature babies weighing less than 2 lbs, I know what t do with my big pets and human babies, but my little tortie only weighing in at 26 grams was a challenge. I miss him. I'm looking to get another and feel like I have some more knowledge to not make the same errors. This site is helpful as well.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Thanks Adam, it was very distressing, I have dogs, cats, horses and I am a nurse who has taken care of premature babies weighing less than 2 lbs, I know what t do with my big pets and human babies, but my little tortie only weighing in at 26 grams was a challenge. I miss him. I'm looking to get another and feel like I have some more knowledge to not make the same errors. This site is helpful as well.
Always people here willing to help.
I hope you put your experience, ne knowledge and this site to good use.:)
 

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