HELP! Tortoise not moving after soaking

TyoteeT

New Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2021
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Logan, Utah
As I do every morning I put my 2.5 month old leopard to soak in water just above its head. It likes that and usually just walks around, trying to climb out of the tub. Today I put her in and she was fine, walking around like normal. 15 mins in I felt the water and it felt a little cold so I quickly replaced it with some warmer water. She started to run in the water, scrambling about before calming down, again like normal.

I take her out of the water to put her in her enclosure, she isn't moving. I tap her leg, no effect. I boop her nose, nothing. She is motionless. I put her in her enclosure to see if that will help.

She still isn't moving. Something is wrong.

Please, help me, I don't know what to do or if I did anything wrong. I just want my Miira to be okay.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,658
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Boy, have no idea. I hope she is okay. The cooler water shouldn't have hurt her.
If get the enclosure temp up to 85 all over day and night with the basking spot being 95-100.
Try soaking her again but do not put the water above her head. It should only go up just barely past where the top and bottom shell meet. See if the soak helps.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
As I do every morning I put my 2.5 month old leopard to soak in water just above its head. It likes that and usually just walks around, trying to climb out of the tub. Today I put her in and she was fine, walking around like normal. 15 mins in I felt the water and it felt a little cold so I quickly replaced it with some warmer water. She started to run in the water, scrambling about before calming down, again like normal.

I take her out of the water to put her in her enclosure, she isn't moving. I tap her leg, no effect. I boop her nose, nothing. She is motionless. I put her in her enclosure to see if that will help.

She still isn't moving. Something is wrong.

Please, help me, I don't know what to do or if I did anything wrong. I just want my Miira to be okay.
Soak water should only come up to mid shell at most. Not above its head.

What temperature was the water? Sounds like it may have been too hot or too deep.
 

TyoteeT

New Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2021
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Logan, Utah
Boy, have no idea. I hope she is okay. The cooler water shouldn't have hurt her.
If get the enclosure temp up to 85 all over day and night with the basking spot being 95-100.
Try soaking her again but do not put the water above her head. It should only go up just barely past where the top and bottom shell meet. See if the soak helps.
Her enclosure is within the recommended temperature and humidity, I feed her the right stuff and she grows, I have also tried some resuscitation tactics from online, such as getting water out of the mouth and gently breathing into her nose. She isn't moving, I can poke her and she wont move.

I will try to keep her in the water. The nearest vet is 30+ mins away, idk if thats enough time.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,389
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
My impression, reading the post, was that the added water was too hot.
 

TyoteeT

New Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2021
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Logan, Utah
Update: I took her to the vet and they are keeping her there and giving her some medicine. I have read all of these replies and will get one of those heat guns for checking the water temperature. The faucets at my place are a little irregular, so its very possible the water was too hot. I'll keep yall updated.

Learn this lesson from me, always double check the temperature of the water you soak your tortoise in. Its simple and dumb but very necessary.

Thanks for the replies.
 

TammyJ

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2016
Messages
7,119
Location (City and/or State)
Jamaica
I guess if she is being treated at the vet, she is still alive. I hope the "medicine" is not experimental, or unnecessary "vitamin shots". Sometimes vets do more harm than good, meaning those vets that are not good reputable reptile vets. Keep us posted, please.
 

TyoteeT

New Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2021
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Logan, Utah
I guess if she is being treated at the vet, she is still alive. I hope the "medicine" is not experimental, or unnecessary "vitamin shots". Sometimes vets do more harm than good, meaning those vets that are not good reputable reptile vets. Keep us posted, please.
The vet nearby was one posted to this forum of known Tortoise vets, I even called and double checked before I bought Miira. The doc is an exotics doc, and the second closest is nearly 2 hours away.
 

Mattesj

New Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2021
Messages
19
Location (City and/or State)
Spain
As I do every morning I put my 2.5 month old leopard to soak in water just above its head. It likes that and usually just walks around, trying to climb out of the tub. Today I put her in and she was fine, walking around like normal. 15 mins in I felt the water and it felt a little cold so I quickly replaced it with some warmer water. She started to run in the water, scrambling about before calming down, again like normal.

I take her out of the water to put her in her enclosure, she isn't moving. I tap her leg, no effect. I boop her nose, nothing. She is motionless. I put her in her enclosure to see if that will help.

She still isn't moving. Something is wrong.

Please, help me, I don't know what to do or if I did anything wrong. I just want my Miira to be okay.
 

Mattesj

New Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2021
Messages
19
Location (City and/or State)
Spain
My leopard tortoise doesn’t like to soak. She prefers to be dry. She will relocate if she finds one area gets wet (she has the run of my yard).
 

New Posts

Top