Roughfxr
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2015
- Messages
- 9
Hello all! I am new to the forum, I am quiet member as I enjoy reading/researching this forum. I have over 10 years (20 if you want to include anole keeping and breeding as a youngster) of reptile keeping and breeding. I have kept and bred the simplest of lizards (anoles beardies etc) to more demanding GTPs. Currently i only have a few spiders, 2 frilled dragons, and now 2 tortoises..I have had my run with rehabbing multiple beardies, snakes with uri, mouth rot, etc when I worked part time at a pet store many years ago... I have spent a fortune with a herp vet and learned a lot. I LOVED educating people with proper upkeep, and the exciting world of herps..
Recently I have moved to texas and after getting my mother a hermanns tortoise (as she has been mentioning wanting one for years) I decided to dip my toes into the tortoise world. I was hooked after keeping the lil fella only after a cpl weeks. I did a lot of research and ruled out many tortoises that didnt seem like a right fit for me. Size, personalities etc... I lucked out and found a local breeder of Indian stars. Well, she's (nebula) just a shining ray of sunshine!
Anyways, to get to the point - I am trying to get at is I do my research, I am up on my husbandry skills and always finding ways to improve my animals quality of life, I am also new to tortoises. I had a mata mata for quite some time Years ago but never tortoises.. After getting nebula the star, I came across a local who had a leopard tortoise for adoption. Free, as it was ill. I figured with some tlc, i could have a tortoise to keep outdoors (weather permitting) and interact with! (as nebula - as great as she is, still is quite shy) so i offered to take it in, sub adult approx 6 inches... He died before I got home (10 minute drive) the next day I texted the guy to let the him know (he mentioned other tortoises) what had happened and I wanted to educate him on what to look for and what he should do to prevent this in his others. Pay attention to the eyes, appetite, poops, etc... Warning him these things caught early = best results.... He contacted me later that day to tell me the other one who was older one "didnt look right." I told him of a local vet who I was planning to take the other too, I have a newer relationship with this vet as my previous herp vet (20 yrs in practice) is in another state... From what I can tell, this one seemed fairly educated on reptiles when I took him fecal samples from my frilleds as a part of routine check up.. He mentioned treating snakes, other lizards etc... I was also recommended from the local herp show to this vet.. During the coarse of the conversation the owner asked if I could take this one as he was worried about it. I agreed and upon pick up, this one at least had its eyes part of the way open.... A bit of lethargic. This was Saturday night. I rushed him home, immediately started rehydration by putting him in the tub. He drank, and then laid there lifeless... I quarantined him and got the temps up in a open top tub, 90-95 degrees by heat mat, alternating with emitter and day lamp in attempts for light cycle and maintaining higher temps. Sunday. Soaked him in petialite and baby food carrots x 2 approx 45 mins each time. This perked him up, eyes open and a bit more movement. Not much, as the situation wasnt getting much better for him, but he wasnt degrating either... Monday morning came along, I took him and had to drop off at the vet. Provided a list of symptoms and history (kept outdoors, wet conditions, poor diet, no hide box w/heat at night) bubble nose, wheezing, no appetite, lethargy.... Vet wanted to take X-rays... I told them lets try an antibiotic and re evaluate in a day or two.. (X-rays 200$, I figure I could spend this money at vet I found by word of mouth who specializes in torts but short notice I couldn't get the time off such a short notice to get clear out there- and if the situation wasnt going to improve i could have made it later in the week) vet prescribed baytril - one dose given lh arm and I took the other one. Tuesday this guy is eating (only ate strawberries, I cannot get interest in anything else) I figure this was better than nothing for the moment, as I don't know when his last meal was and what... So wed still improving, no bubbles present, I've been cleaning around his eyes daily and removing the boogers and dis colored reddish brown gunk (dirt,body fluids??) I got him to eat quite a bit of greens as I had to slice one strawberry in many thin slices and mix it in with watercress, argula(prev ower states it was his fav green), dandelion greens, a cpl pieces of spring mix lettuce and oxbow herbivore sprinkles. He ate approx %70 of what was offered. (Including the greens!!) Keep in mind I've still had him dry and soaking x3 daily approx 30-60 mins each time and maintaining warmer water.. Thursday (today) eyes are open, more active than ever but still looks terribly dehydrated. Eyes still sunken in, hardly ate anything at all today and this evening when soaked he excreated a few piles of white strands... Worms, mucus?? I don't know... After his soak, he was fully of energy, eyes wide open but I did notice his eye lids are puffy looking.... I decided to place him in the giant vision cage I had in storage, I used newspaper a the bedding so I could monitor poops... And keep it drier.. I have dropped the ambient temps to around 85-87 night time, and ambient will remain the same with basking of 95 during the day.. i have not given him his 2nd baytril injection as directed by the vet as I was suppose to the next day... i didnt want to resort to antibiotics in the first place... but the sitution didnt seem to be improving and i felt like i needed to act quickly. I think the tortoises have been sick awhile when I got them... i am afraid with his dehydrated state, along with malnutrition, I may be causing more damage... I have made friends with a couple of the local tortoise keepers that have been guiding me well thus far. But I am now reaching out to the members in this community to help me with the next few critical steps... Any and all advice will be appreciated. Some of you senior members seem to be quite savy on this subject so I am anxious to hear what is next. As my rescues in the past have made big progress by day 5, but these were snakes and lizards....or for the not so fortunate ones didnt make it by day 5..
1. What signs other than sunken eyes will indicate dehydration?
2. Approx how long till I see the dehydration with 3x soaks daily start to improve?
3. The 2nd dose of baytril, should I give it to him? Or am I doing more harm by not, in case the bacteria becomes "resistant" much like if humans don't finish the coarse of antibiotic.
4. What other healthier choice foods can I offer to stimulate feeding? Other than strawberries.. I have tried carrots, dandelion greens, dandelion flowers, watercress, spring mix lettuce, corn (prev ower mentioned fawn of it) mixed with tortoise diet
5. When should I start adding humidity to the enclosure?
6. Was an X-ray nessary?
7. Do you recommend different temps durning this recovery period?
From what I understand tortoises can take months somtimes to heal and recover. I will be keeping him in the giant vision cage with power sun bulb and reptile sun tubes/ plant tube light from Home Depot for supplemental lighting. Once he is eating, and drinking and appears normal he will go outside in a tortoise pen part grass and other part old sand box for those warm texas days. but i think he will be brought indoors at night and kept in on poor weather days... previously he has been kept outdoors nearly year around with no hide box to retreate to at night. the guy told me they stayed outside as the sucatas went into the box at night... i guess i wouldnt want to share a house with a territorial adult male suclata either... I am seeking advice of what to do next and should I change anything currently. Thank you in advance!
Recently I have moved to texas and after getting my mother a hermanns tortoise (as she has been mentioning wanting one for years) I decided to dip my toes into the tortoise world. I was hooked after keeping the lil fella only after a cpl weeks. I did a lot of research and ruled out many tortoises that didnt seem like a right fit for me. Size, personalities etc... I lucked out and found a local breeder of Indian stars. Well, she's (nebula) just a shining ray of sunshine!
Anyways, to get to the point - I am trying to get at is I do my research, I am up on my husbandry skills and always finding ways to improve my animals quality of life, I am also new to tortoises. I had a mata mata for quite some time Years ago but never tortoises.. After getting nebula the star, I came across a local who had a leopard tortoise for adoption. Free, as it was ill. I figured with some tlc, i could have a tortoise to keep outdoors (weather permitting) and interact with! (as nebula - as great as she is, still is quite shy) so i offered to take it in, sub adult approx 6 inches... He died before I got home (10 minute drive) the next day I texted the guy to let the him know (he mentioned other tortoises) what had happened and I wanted to educate him on what to look for and what he should do to prevent this in his others. Pay attention to the eyes, appetite, poops, etc... Warning him these things caught early = best results.... He contacted me later that day to tell me the other one who was older one "didnt look right." I told him of a local vet who I was planning to take the other too, I have a newer relationship with this vet as my previous herp vet (20 yrs in practice) is in another state... From what I can tell, this one seemed fairly educated on reptiles when I took him fecal samples from my frilleds as a part of routine check up.. He mentioned treating snakes, other lizards etc... I was also recommended from the local herp show to this vet.. During the coarse of the conversation the owner asked if I could take this one as he was worried about it. I agreed and upon pick up, this one at least had its eyes part of the way open.... A bit of lethargic. This was Saturday night. I rushed him home, immediately started rehydration by putting him in the tub. He drank, and then laid there lifeless... I quarantined him and got the temps up in a open top tub, 90-95 degrees by heat mat, alternating with emitter and day lamp in attempts for light cycle and maintaining higher temps. Sunday. Soaked him in petialite and baby food carrots x 2 approx 45 mins each time. This perked him up, eyes open and a bit more movement. Not much, as the situation wasnt getting much better for him, but he wasnt degrating either... Monday morning came along, I took him and had to drop off at the vet. Provided a list of symptoms and history (kept outdoors, wet conditions, poor diet, no hide box w/heat at night) bubble nose, wheezing, no appetite, lethargy.... Vet wanted to take X-rays... I told them lets try an antibiotic and re evaluate in a day or two.. (X-rays 200$, I figure I could spend this money at vet I found by word of mouth who specializes in torts but short notice I couldn't get the time off such a short notice to get clear out there- and if the situation wasnt going to improve i could have made it later in the week) vet prescribed baytril - one dose given lh arm and I took the other one. Tuesday this guy is eating (only ate strawberries, I cannot get interest in anything else) I figure this was better than nothing for the moment, as I don't know when his last meal was and what... So wed still improving, no bubbles present, I've been cleaning around his eyes daily and removing the boogers and dis colored reddish brown gunk (dirt,body fluids??) I got him to eat quite a bit of greens as I had to slice one strawberry in many thin slices and mix it in with watercress, argula(prev ower states it was his fav green), dandelion greens, a cpl pieces of spring mix lettuce and oxbow herbivore sprinkles. He ate approx %70 of what was offered. (Including the greens!!) Keep in mind I've still had him dry and soaking x3 daily approx 30-60 mins each time and maintaining warmer water.. Thursday (today) eyes are open, more active than ever but still looks terribly dehydrated. Eyes still sunken in, hardly ate anything at all today and this evening when soaked he excreated a few piles of white strands... Worms, mucus?? I don't know... After his soak, he was fully of energy, eyes wide open but I did notice his eye lids are puffy looking.... I decided to place him in the giant vision cage I had in storage, I used newspaper a the bedding so I could monitor poops... And keep it drier.. I have dropped the ambient temps to around 85-87 night time, and ambient will remain the same with basking of 95 during the day.. i have not given him his 2nd baytril injection as directed by the vet as I was suppose to the next day... i didnt want to resort to antibiotics in the first place... but the sitution didnt seem to be improving and i felt like i needed to act quickly. I think the tortoises have been sick awhile when I got them... i am afraid with his dehydrated state, along with malnutrition, I may be causing more damage... I have made friends with a couple of the local tortoise keepers that have been guiding me well thus far. But I am now reaching out to the members in this community to help me with the next few critical steps... Any and all advice will be appreciated. Some of you senior members seem to be quite savy on this subject so I am anxious to hear what is next. As my rescues in the past have made big progress by day 5, but these were snakes and lizards....or for the not so fortunate ones didnt make it by day 5..
1. What signs other than sunken eyes will indicate dehydration?
2. Approx how long till I see the dehydration with 3x soaks daily start to improve?
3. The 2nd dose of baytril, should I give it to him? Or am I doing more harm by not, in case the bacteria becomes "resistant" much like if humans don't finish the coarse of antibiotic.
4. What other healthier choice foods can I offer to stimulate feeding? Other than strawberries.. I have tried carrots, dandelion greens, dandelion flowers, watercress, spring mix lettuce, corn (prev ower mentioned fawn of it) mixed with tortoise diet
5. When should I start adding humidity to the enclosure?
6. Was an X-ray nessary?
7. Do you recommend different temps durning this recovery period?
From what I understand tortoises can take months somtimes to heal and recover. I will be keeping him in the giant vision cage with power sun bulb and reptile sun tubes/ plant tube light from Home Depot for supplemental lighting. Once he is eating, and drinking and appears normal he will go outside in a tortoise pen part grass and other part old sand box for those warm texas days. but i think he will be brought indoors at night and kept in on poor weather days... previously he has been kept outdoors nearly year around with no hide box to retreate to at night. the guy told me they stayed outside as the sucatas went into the box at night... i guess i wouldnt want to share a house with a territorial adult male suclata either... I am seeking advice of what to do next and should I change anything currently. Thank you in advance!