Help! Near drowning!

[kimber_lee_314]

Help! Several of my tortoise hatchlings were involved in a near drowning today. They are all still alive and under warm lights right now. Is there anything else I can'should be doing?

 

[Nay]

What happened? If they are moving around and of course eating anything I would think they are fine. I can only guess you were soaking them and the water was just alittle deep?? I killed my first little boxie I got 25 years ago soaking in just a little water. Oh it was awful and I was so upset for the longest time. I didn't get another tort for 15 years.
Hope your guys are OK.
NA

 

[webskipper]

Help! Several of my tortoise hatchlings were involved in a near drowning today. They are all still alive and under warm lights right now. Is there anything else I can'should be doing?

How are they now? They need a little more heat than usual right now but, don't boil them.

Well, if it helps the lungs occupy the upper half of the shell and the guts are along the bottom half like a rabbit.

 

[Yvonne G]

And...they can hold their breath for a long, L-O-N-G time!!

 

[kimber_lee_314]

No, I wasn't soaking them. I keep them in rubbermade containers with screen tops. It was 75 today so I put the whole tub out so they could get some sunshine. For some reason, I have no idea why, my automatic sprinklers (that are off!) came on. The tubs were filled with 8 inches of water when I came home! Some of the babies were floating and some were on the bottom on the container. I got them all out - and then had to do the same thing with my box turtle hatchlings. (Some were floating and some were on a floating log.) I got them out and they were fine - I guess because they can swim a little and had the floating log. The tortoises' log didn't float. After some warming up, the tortoises started moving about and they are eating, so I guess they are ok - but they had to be in there a long time. I read that they should go on antibiotics for precautionary reasons, but I'd rather not. Some of them are still quite small. Do you think I should do this (with my vet's approval of course) to avoid pneumonia or just wait and see?

 

[K9KidsLove]

Hi...Like Yvonne said, they can hold their breath for quite a long time. If they are eating and moving around, I wouldn't worry about it. I wouldn't put them thru the trauma of taking antibiotics if it isn't absolutely necessary. I would keep them a bit warmer for a few days and keep a close watch on them...especially their eyes & noses.
Good luck
Patsy

 

[jlyoncc1]

That must have been really scary! Hope they continue to do well. Keep us posted!

 

[kimber_lee_314]

They seem fine today. They ate a big hibiscus flower, so I guess they feel well enough to eat. I drilled holes in the bottom of the containers so that will never happen again - and I will never put them out on the grass again. I have a place where the sprinklers don't hit. I'll keep watching them for any nose or eye issues. Thanks everyone!

 

[Nay]

I.m glad to read they seem OK. I had no idea sprinklers put out that kind of water. I seem to have to water forever and when I dig down it seems to have barely touched the top inch!
Wait a minute doesn't everyone have a foot of snow on their lawn now??
Na

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Not in So Cal! It's been in the 70s here - which is why I put them out. The sprinklers came on some time after 12 and were on until I got home at 3:30. The whole yard was flooded. I'm just glad they're all ok. I can't imagine losing 12 of them in one swoop like that. I'm still traumatized.

 

[Meg90]

what sort of tortoises?

 

[kimber_lee_314]

what sort of tortoises?

Seven Hermann's (dalmatians, easterns, and westerns)
Five box turtles (Floridas and Gulf coasts)

All hatched this year

 

[K9KidsLove]

Glad to hear they are doing OK.
Patsy