Getting to the bottom of a 3rd eyelid problem

[SluggersMom70]

TOM:
I took Slugger to a reffered a well known group of reptile vets in Corona. The xrays ect show he has some free fluid in his abdomen which I was told can be indicitive of organ failure. However his liver count was only very slightly raised but nothing alarming. Then the vets found something they had never encountered before. In noticing his esophagus wasnt quite as straight as it should be the found an almost invisible mass a little bigger than the size of a quarter. (He also has a half dollar sized bladder stone which is quite common they say.)
Tomorrow is a scheduled biopsy to figure out what the growth is. The entire ordeal has been pretty expensive but I love my little dude. Prior to this he was still eating pretty good at home. The hospital said in his 3 day stay he was EXTREMELY stubborn...not eating ect and he won't eat at home so far.
They gave him enough sedation for a 70 pound Sulcatta and it didn't faze him!!!....he did however enjoy it when they let him out of his incubator.
So tomorrow is the biopsy. Hes on Lasix for the fluid accumulation. I will let you know the results if you are interested. In my mind it can't be good because if his labs don't show organ failure the growth cant be benign. If it is why is there free fluid?
Anyway that's whats up.

 

[Tom]

The lack of eating is not a surprise, given the stress he's under.

Many wild animals can resist sedatives and tranquilizers when they are under stress. This is why you can't just "dart" a bear of big cat when they are loose. I've seen vets give a tiger in a cage 4 times the "normal" dose, and then when they crash they really really crash, and you have to give the reversal agent quickly before they die, but not too much or they will wake up and tear you open... Its an art form. Truly.

The mass in the esophagus is very unusual. I wonder if there is food lodged in there or something? And fluid retention? I don't know if I believe all of that. Yes, bladder stones are common, but not normal, and definitely not good.

Vets don't know tortoises. I'm not sure if the ones you are working with really know what they are doing, or if they are taking you for an expensive ride. Extensive past experience has taught me to be skeptical.

 

[SluggersMom70]

The lack of eating is not a surprise, given the stress he's under.

Many wild animals can resist sedatives and tranquilizers when they are under stress. This is why you can't just "dart" a bear of big cat when they are loose. I've seen vets give a tiger in a cage 4 times the "normal" dose, and then when they crash they really really crash, and you have to give the reversal agent quickly before they die, but not too much or they will wake up and tear you open... Its an art form. Truly.

The mass in the esophagus is very unusual. I wonder if there is food lodged in there or something? And fluid retention? I don't know if I believe all of that. Yes, bladder stones are common, but not normal, and definitely not good.

Vets don't know tortoises. I'm not sure if the ones you are working with really know what they are doing, or if they are taking you for an expensive ride. Extensive past experience has taught me to be skeptical.

I can see the fuid in the sonograms. The growth hasn't stopped him from eating either. Hopefully it's nothing. Its not actually IN the esophagus. It's to the left of it by his heart and liver.
I get your skepticism but who else can I trust?? What else can I do??? His vet has tortoises himself. We have a place called Reptile Island and they referred me to the 2 vets they use. (The appt I had at Western University on the 8th with their rep vet was cancelled as he wasnt there or something.)One was quite a ways away and I wouldn't have been able to see him right away as hes so busy anyway.
Where I went has reptile enclosures in the front office which of course means nothing but they see more reptiles than dogs and cats. I have to rely on them to treat him. What other choice do I have??
It took 3 of us but we've been able to give him his meds..orally as well as in his eyes and nose.
The rest of the labs should be in by tomorrow, hopefully no more bad news. The biopsy results at least will, hopefully, give us an answer whether its good or bad.
Our vet is Dr. Chase Baldwin and his boss is Dr. Huber. There is 2? 3? other vets there that see reptiles.
Dr. Greek? is the vet CTTC suggested and I think the other one suggested by Reptile Island.
Who do YOU trust if you need a vet ? Ive been following your advice re: soaking, diet change. I found he like zucchini. Just to make sure he eats something, At this point Im giving him what I know he eats. Broccoli, a few green beans, dandelions and greens, hibiscus and baby arugula. I hide the ones he flatly refuses like mustard greens ect.