Help, Mr. Blink can't open his eyes!!!

[ascott]

She opened her mouth and got water in it but then she closed her mouth it all came out her nose. Is this normal?

That does not sound routine/normal dear--sounds like something is clogging it up...."if it were me", I would move the little struggling tort to a place that does not have high humidity....I would also be sure to keep the temps no less than 80 degrees day and night but still be sure to offer a basking spot (without a rock under the hot spot right now)....I would not use the electrolyte stuff any more but would use plain warm water and be sure to offer the soak for 20-30 minutes (this will keep the tort hydrated during the bumped temps) I would not add the antibiotics nor the vitamin stuff--both likely are not great tasting and could have the tort avoiding taking in the water due to the taste...I also would be sure that the tort is kept in a quiet calm spot..so not alot of disturbance while resting....I would however, not let this little tort sleep itself away....make sure to move it to the basking spot/make sure to disturb it a few times per day....the tortoise likely is not feeling well and in turn will retreat to itself....this is the time that "I" would continue routine, I would offer food that the tort normally would get as treats and loves--so the temptation to eat is offered....I would not keep this tort in any of the enclosure that the passed tort was in--just to reduce any exposure to possible bacterium and such....better to error on the side of caution....

 

[Amanda81]

Maybe she was yawning and got water in her mouth so she pushed it out of her nose? I have seen mine yawn sometimes during their soaks and do something like that so I don't think it's anything to worry about. Hopefully maybe the breeder can indeed add something, that's great that he responded to you.

Ok. I have never seen any of my others do that so I didn't know if it was normal for them to push liquid from the mouth out the nose.

 

[Amanda81]

That does not sound routine/normal dear--sounds like something is clogging it up...."if it were me", I would move the little struggling tort to a place that does not have high humidity....I would also be sure to keep the temps no less than 80 degrees day and night but still be sure to offer a basking spot (without a rock under the hot spot right now)....I would not use the electrolyte stuff any more but would use plain warm water and be sure to offer the soak for 20-30 minutes (this will keep the tort hydrated during the bumped temps) I would not add the antibiotics nor the vitamin stuff--both likely are not great tasting and could have the tort avoiding taking in the water due to the taste...I also would be sure that the tort is kept in a quiet calm spot..so not alot of disturbance while resting....I would however, not let this little tort sleep itself away....make sure to move it to the basking spot/make sure to disturb it a few times per day....the tortoise likely is not feeling well and in turn will retreat to itself....this is the time that "I" would continue routine, I would offer food that the tort normally would get as treats and loves--so the temptation to eat is offered....I would not keep this tort in any of the enclosure that the passed tort was in--just to reduce any exposure to possible bacterium and such....better to error on the side of caution....

Ok thanks for advise. At this point I will do anything that might help. I have put her in her enclosure. I can change out bark and take the humidity away. I'm keeping temps between 92-96. She is in a quiet low traffic spot but I do put her in her water dish (has plan warm water) every 2 hrs. Figured it would help w hydration plus make her move to get out. Her enclosure is basically a mini version of the one she was in, w a basking light and all. I have been offering her every kind of food I can think of, she ain't interested. I guess it's a wait and see, I hate that.

 

[Amanda81]

Today while I was soaking them I figured I would check their weights, make sure their growing. And well, maybe this is normal, I don't know but I weighted everyone, measured em, and compared to their 09/02/14 measurements. Ivory and Duke both have grown a quarter of an inch and ivory had gained 18g and Duke gained 26g, their sibling, Dent, hasn't grown none and has only gained 4g. I have noticed he was more the size of Wednesday and blink who are much smaller. Of course I don't have blinks measurements but Wednesday has grown a quarter of an inch and gained 6g, so I done Wednesday and Dent first and thought, yay, your growing but then when I weighted the other two and seen the difference in what they had gained, that concerned me. So of course, I did the same to the Quads, same thing, Callie and Vanilla had gained 11 and 12 g while Arizona and alfie only gained 2 and 4. Now I have always supervised mealtimes, I like to monitor what they are choosing to eat and how much of it their eating, I also watch for anyone not eating enough or if anyone is "hogging" the food dishes. They all eat good, I mean enough that I'm not concerned about it, their eating the same things, so why such a big difference in weight gain? Is this a norm or should I start doing something different at meal time? Wasn't sure.

 

[ascott]

Okay so lets first start here...."I" would stop comparing them to one another and I would start individual charts for each...then base their growth on their own merits...while a species has a low and high for size and such...there is no two animals that will grow the same....I have two younger redfoot torts here that you would not be able to tell by size which is older/younger---the younger one is triple the size of the older one--triple..so please lets forget the notion with this tort that there is some invisible scale that must be met....let the tort work on its own basis...let's?

I understand your desire to soak the tort several times per day...however, "in my opinion" that is too much, I mean--if the tort has somehow aspirated while being misted or while being weak in the water at some point---I would want the critter to have an opportunity to have a dry out time---so if it were me, I would soak the tort at tops twice a day....now remember, these are things that I would try due to what you have described with the tort...not as a regular normal way of husbandry...okay...so some of the things that I may share that "I" would do here are just that, here for the situation you are outlining....

Also, if the tort holds weight or only looses a gram....try to remain calm and remember, you are doing all that you can possibly be doing--are you okay? If you have a few moments of un rushed time, perhaps bring the tort out for a while and wrap him up snug in a soft shirt or something and set the little one bundled down with you, on your lap, next to you---against your warmth---no scientific reason for this, other than one creature helping out another--sharing some good will....simple as that...some will scoff and well, so what? It certainly will not cause harm....right?

If it were me....I would try all that comes to mind..within reason, remember we humans sometimes will go overboard and in doing so can cause discomfort all in the name of trying to help.....so perhaps just do what you are compelled to and then remember to sit and just be with the tort from time to time...does that make sense....?

 

[Amanda81]

Okay so lets first start here...."I" would stop comparing them to one another and I would start individual charts for each...then base their growth on their own merits...while a species has a low and high for size and such...there is no two animals that will grow the same....I have two younger redfoot torts here that you would not be able to tell by size which is older/younger---the younger one is triple the size of the older one--triple..so please lets forget the notion with this tort that there is some invisible scale that must be met....let the tort work on its own basis...let's?

I understand your desire to soak the tort several times per day...however, "in my opinion" that is too much, I mean--if the tort has somehow aspirated while being misted or while being weak in the water at some point---I would want the critter to have an opportunity to have a dry out time---so if it were me, I would soak the tort at tops twice a day....now remember, these are things that I would try due to what you have described with the tort...not as a regular normal way of husbandry...okay...so some of the things that I may share that "I" would do here are just that, here for the situation you are outlining....

Also, if the tort holds weight or only looses a gram....try to remain calm and remember, you are doing all that you can possibly be doing--are you okay? If you have a few moments of un rushed time, perhaps bring the tort out for a while and wrap him up snug in a soft shirt or something and set the little one bundled down with you, on your lap, next to you---against your warmth---no scientific reason for this, other than one creature helping out another--sharing some good will....simple as that...some will scoff and well, so what? It certainly will not cause harm....right?

If it were me....I would try all that comes to mind..within reason, remember we humans sometimes will go overboard and in doing so can cause discomfort all in the name of trying to help.....so perhaps just do what you are compelled to and then remember to sit and just be with the tort from time to time...does that make sense....?

I do keep individual records for all of them. I'm not really comparing them to each other, I simply wanted to know if it was ok for one to gain 20g while another that's being kept and fed the same and from same clutch only gains 4g, or am I possibly looking at another issue down the road. I'm not sure if I have wrote to much about Dent, or his siblings for that matter, but the short version... He is a dry start baby. Again, I failed to acquire the info before hand but when he arrived he came w a care sheet, the breeders guidelines of care, this is how I know how he was started. When him and his sibling where shipped to me they got held over in Memphis over night and when they did finally arrive, he was covered in his own poo, now the way they was packaged in the shipping box told me for him to have poo in the places he had poo, they had a rough little trip. Anyways, ivory and Duke are in pretty good shape (on the outside anyways) but Dent, he is a rough little fella. He has a beautiful pattern and color but short of that, he is one those cases, you love him cause he is so pitiful. His little shell is very bumpy, he has places that are actually sunk in, that's why we call him Dent, even his face looks completely different from all the others. Maybe he was hatched that way, maybe something the breeder did, heck who knows. What I know is that he is now here, with me, I understand he isn't a fluffy cat or dog that can sleep in the bed or sit in my lap but he is still one of my pets, which to me is part of my family, my responsibility. I don't want to "experiment" or "see what happens" or anything else along those lines. I know nothing is "for sure" in this world, and what happened or worked for one person might not for the next. I am simply trying to stay ahead of this hatchling failure thing if I can. It would crush me to find out after he died that all I needed to do is give an extra soak daily or extra supplements for example. I figured since I had already suddenly lost one to who knows what and another one is well on it's way, ever detail I could add might help. Dent still gained some weight and for that I am grateful, my concern started when I see his siblings gaining 15+ more them he is. As far as I'm concerned he can grow just as slow as he pleases as long as he stays happy and healthy. I'm just wanting to make sure this is an ok thing.
As for the numerous soaks, when I say I put her in her water dish, it's not a soak, like 30 seconds a minute tops she is in there, I am simply doing it in attempts that she drinks some, plus she will try to get out which tells me she is still in there, she hasn't completely gave up yet. Right now that's the only difference I see between her and Blink, he quit all together and she is at least still opening her eyes and moving when she has to. So I try to give her down time in case that's what she needs and I try to encourage her to be active in case that's what she needs, cause at this point, that's all I know to do.

 

[Jodie]

I feel your frustration and completely understand. I had two, that I believe we're started dry, I lost Pensee after I had her for about 3 months. It was a slow steady decline for her. The first thing I noticed that really alarmed me me was her plastron got soft. My other one Pepe, has gained only 12 grams in 9 months. He seems fine, active, eats etc. I worry about him constantly. I really wish we had more info on this and knew something that we could do to make sure they stay ok until they decide to grow. I am obsessively checking his temps and humidity to make sure everything is optimal as I know it.

 

[Amanda81]

I feel your frustration and completely understand. I had two, that I believe we're started dry, I lost Pensee after I had her for about 3 months. It was a slow steady decline for her. The first thing I noticed that really alarmed me me was her plastron got soft. My other one Pepe, has gained only 12 grams in 9 months. He seems fine, active, eats etc. I worry about him constantly. I really wish we had more info on this and knew something that we could do to make sure they stay ok until they decide to grow. I am obsessively checking his temps and humidity to make sure everything is optimal as I know it.

Yes, I came across your thread on them earlier. It is frustrating. Don't get me wrong, I am suffering the heartache now cause I didn't do some basic question asking like I should have, but it's still what it is, we have little creatures that we have gotten attached to that because of someone else's lack of care might suddenly or in your case slowly die. I get very attached to my animals. I never meant to have 4 sulcata hatchlings, 5, 4now, leopard hatchlings and 3 big guys, I originally wanted wanted an Aldabra and after researching decided it would b smart to start out on the cheaper end of tort ownership to make sure I was up for the challenge. Well now I have what I have and I am attached to everyone of them. You spend a large amount of your time with them so I don't see how anyone couldn't. My boyfriend was talking the other day about down sizing if I get my Aldabra as I am planning around first of year but I don't see this happening. I don't think I could choose one to let go. I love the Sudans, they motor around the yard and I could sit for hours and watch them, at first with the leopards it was watching them to see how their shell patterns changed but now, their personality has really got me hooked. And my sulcata hatchlings, Arizona comes to the door of the enclosure every evening because she knows I'm going to b peaking around the corner to make sure everyone is ok. She usually gets to get out, ride around in my hand for 5-10 minutes, we will run out and I will grab her a plantain leaf or something to hand feed her. So the thoughts of one my baby's being gone is hard, then to lose one like that, at least if it had been something we our selfs had done we could fix the issue and move forward but w this hatchling failure, it's just basically a guessing game, and that's cruel. I will never ever not get the needed info again. You better believe I will b asking questions, ever question I can think of. As for him growing, as long as he happy and healthy, he can stay at his whopping 32g, I love his little jacked up self.

 

[Amanda81]

Well I had to get up and bury Wednesday this morning, poor baby finally gave up.
I checked on everybody else and their all fine. Soaks went well, everyone ate good, no signs or symptoms of any issues. I don't have a clue what happen to Wednesday and Blink but the others don't seem to be affected by whatever it was. The breeder started them right, I follow the same guidelines as the breeder did which is more or less the same guidelines in Toms care sheet. I literally do the exact same thing with my leopards as I do my sulcatas, and only these two were effected. It's odd, I am going to keep researching things, perhaps eventually I will figure something out. Maybe it's something as simple as they were the smallest, maybe Wednesday when we went outside to sun, even tho the ground temps were good, maybe the breeze was to chilly, I did cut outside time short cause of the breeze, maybe I will never know.
But as of right now the rest of my baby's seem to be happy and healthy and I am going to try to keep them that way.

 

[Robertchrisroph]

. I don't know if this helps or not. I am new. I had a cat pass away for no reason I could not find out why. So the vet said he can take samples and freeze for up to a year till I could afford to send in for analysis. maybe? so sorry. And take a break you do all you can and more

 

[Jodie]

Sorry to hear she didn't make it.

 

[ascott]

r.i.p. little s

 

[AmRoKo]

Wow so sorry about Wednesday, you really did a whole lot for her, gave her a chance but unfortunately she just couldn't get over what ever it was that was happening inside her.

RIP Mr. Blink & Wednesday.

 

[Tortshort]

I'm sorry to hear that. RIP little torts

 

[turtlelady80]

I'm so sorry that you lost Mr. Blinks and Wednesday I know how frustrating it is losing torts and you don't know the cause.