Dear tortoiseforum members,
I'm dealing with a sick / weak Russian tortoise, 3 years old and female. I'm really stressing and feeling really awful that I can't take good care for my tort. I really could use some help of the experts. It is a bit of a story, so please keep up:
A month ago my tortoise used to be very active (breaking down her whole enclosure that even my parents could hear her in the other room). 4 weeks ago I left my tortoise in the care of my parents and little brother when I was away for 1 week. The only thing I they had to do was give her food (spring mix) and soak her for 30 min during my absent. I came back 2 weeks ago, and my tortoise hasn't been the same...
She doesn't come out her hide anymore, and doesn't touch her food on her plate. She only eats a bit of her favorite snack (dandelion and sow thistle), but goes back to her hide after few bites. I took her to the vet last friday for a medical check. No worms or parasite were found in her stool. Neither does she have a runny nose or puffy eyes. The vet gave her anti biotic by injection. The vet told me to give her a x dose daily, and she should feel better after a week. I put my hopes in the vet, because I heard he is specialized in reptiles and tortoises.
For the next 3 days after the vet visit, her daily routine was sleeping in her hide and getting anti biotic injections. She doesn't come out her hide nor eat. I have to wake her up, give her a soak, give her the injection and put her back into soak to calm her down. After that she would go to hide/sleep. I'm afraid this is the routine till the end of the week. If there's no improvement and I've run out of anti biotic I have to contact the vet again.
Guys, I'm completely stressed out, and that is for few reasons:
- Although she gets her anti biotic, I really hate to give her injections knowing it hurts.
- She vomited the day after the vet visit. The reason for her to vomit is probably caused by eating too much banana. I gave her some banana as a treat, because she was looking alive and kicking after the vet visit.
- She hasn't eaten in a long time (a week)? Yesterday she ate some dandelions when I hand fed her, but that is about it. She still only sleeps, and doesn't come out her hide when the lamps go on.
- Normally my tort would pull her limbs back when I touch her. Today after her anti biotic I let her soak for 30 min. She looked really relaxed, and to know sure she's consious (her eyes were still open btw) I pulled her arm. To my shock, she didn't pull back and doesn't really seem to bother. Is it because of the anti biotic?
- My vet doens't know why she is sick. My vet told me there were no worms or parasite in her stool. Even sending her stool to the lab there was no results. He advised me to give her the daily dose anti biotic, and have patient.
- I'm just really stressed that I see no improvement, although it is just the 4th day.
Few facts about my tortoise keeping:
- Russian, 3 years old, female, got her from a reptile keeper
- MVB 80W and 50W heat bulb
- 100F basking, 80-90 F warm, 70F cool and night
- Coco coir substrate (moist it every sunday to keep the humidity a bit going)
- Open top cage
- Diet is mainly different spring mix from grocery, with every weekend lots of dandelions and sow thistle.
- Warm soaks on wednesday and weekend for 30 min or longer
- Had 3 vet visit in her life time: 1st was to treat her runny nose (cured), 2nd to examine her lethargic behaviour (hibernation behaviour and got dewormed), and 3rd the current case.
- When the temps are fine and sunny I let her play outside.
- She got a new big hide and new MVB (same brand and watt) before I went on vacation, which was 3-4 weeks ago. During my absent she was in care of my parents, and that is when the problems started. I don't suspect my parents for bad things aside feeding her spring mix and soaking her.
The 2 pic of my tortoise that I've attached were made yesterday.
I hope someone could give my any tips and feedback to help my tortoise recover...
I'm dealing with a sick / weak Russian tortoise, 3 years old and female. I'm really stressing and feeling really awful that I can't take good care for my tort. I really could use some help of the experts. It is a bit of a story, so please keep up:
A month ago my tortoise used to be very active (breaking down her whole enclosure that even my parents could hear her in the other room). 4 weeks ago I left my tortoise in the care of my parents and little brother when I was away for 1 week. The only thing I they had to do was give her food (spring mix) and soak her for 30 min during my absent. I came back 2 weeks ago, and my tortoise hasn't been the same...
She doesn't come out her hide anymore, and doesn't touch her food on her plate. She only eats a bit of her favorite snack (dandelion and sow thistle), but goes back to her hide after few bites. I took her to the vet last friday for a medical check. No worms or parasite were found in her stool. Neither does she have a runny nose or puffy eyes. The vet gave her anti biotic by injection. The vet told me to give her a x dose daily, and she should feel better after a week. I put my hopes in the vet, because I heard he is specialized in reptiles and tortoises.
For the next 3 days after the vet visit, her daily routine was sleeping in her hide and getting anti biotic injections. She doesn't come out her hide nor eat. I have to wake her up, give her a soak, give her the injection and put her back into soak to calm her down. After that she would go to hide/sleep. I'm afraid this is the routine till the end of the week. If there's no improvement and I've run out of anti biotic I have to contact the vet again.
Guys, I'm completely stressed out, and that is for few reasons:
- Although she gets her anti biotic, I really hate to give her injections knowing it hurts.
- She vomited the day after the vet visit. The reason for her to vomit is probably caused by eating too much banana. I gave her some banana as a treat, because she was looking alive and kicking after the vet visit.
- She hasn't eaten in a long time (a week)? Yesterday she ate some dandelions when I hand fed her, but that is about it. She still only sleeps, and doesn't come out her hide when the lamps go on.
- Normally my tort would pull her limbs back when I touch her. Today after her anti biotic I let her soak for 30 min. She looked really relaxed, and to know sure she's consious (her eyes were still open btw) I pulled her arm. To my shock, she didn't pull back and doesn't really seem to bother. Is it because of the anti biotic?
- My vet doens't know why she is sick. My vet told me there were no worms or parasite in her stool. Even sending her stool to the lab there was no results. He advised me to give her the daily dose anti biotic, and have patient.
- I'm just really stressed that I see no improvement, although it is just the 4th day.
Few facts about my tortoise keeping:
- Russian, 3 years old, female, got her from a reptile keeper
- MVB 80W and 50W heat bulb
- 100F basking, 80-90 F warm, 70F cool and night
- Coco coir substrate (moist it every sunday to keep the humidity a bit going)
- Open top cage
- Diet is mainly different spring mix from grocery, with every weekend lots of dandelions and sow thistle.
- Warm soaks on wednesday and weekend for 30 min or longer
- Had 3 vet visit in her life time: 1st was to treat her runny nose (cured), 2nd to examine her lethargic behaviour (hibernation behaviour and got dewormed), and 3rd the current case.
- When the temps are fine and sunny I let her play outside.
- She got a new big hide and new MVB (same brand and watt) before I went on vacation, which was 3-4 weeks ago. During my absent she was in care of my parents, and that is when the problems started. I don't suspect my parents for bad things aside feeding her spring mix and soaking her.
The 2 pic of my tortoise that I've attached were made yesterday.
I hope someone could give my any tips and feedback to help my tortoise recover...
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