My turtle recently passed away, and I want to found out how she passed away.

rosietoes420

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Hello, I used to have a three toed 5 year old box tortoise, she was about 6 inches wide and was a very small turtle, for about a month she wouldn't eat, and her eyes were basically swollen shut, she was able to move around and do normal activities, just the year before the same issue happened, but we soaked her in carrot baby food, and about after a week of trying that her eyes opened up, but this time it didn't work, and about a week ago one day we checked on her about an hour before we found her again and she had passed, I really would like to find out how she passed away, any answers or probable causes of her death? (we did try to feed her by the way)
 

rosietoes420

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We also feed her mealworms, she was a very small turtle, tried feeding her all fruits and vegetables.
 

zovick

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Hello, I used to have a three toed 5 year old box tortoise, she was about 6 inches wide and was a very small turtle, for about a month she wouldn't eat, and her eyes were basically swollen shut, she was able to move around and do normal activities, just the year before the same issue happened, but we soaked her in carrot baby food, and about after a week of trying that her eyes opened up, but this time it didn't work, and about a week ago one day we checked on her about an hour before we found her again and she had passed, I really would like to find out how she passed away, any answers or probable causes of her death? (we did try to feed her by the way)
Any answers you get on here will simply be educated guesses by people with varying degrees of knowledge. If you want to get the correct information/answer(s) as to why your turtle died, you will need to get a necropsy done by a vet. Put the turtle in a zip-loc plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator (NOT the freezer) until you can get it to a vet for a necropsy. The sooner you can get it to the vet, the better.

Note that this procedure is not inexpensive. It could cost a couple hundred dollars or more.
 

rosietoes420

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Any answers you get on here will simply be educated guesses by people with varying degrees of knowledge. If you want to get the correct information/answer(s) as to why your turtle died, you will need to get a necropsy done by a vet. Put the turtle in a zip-loc plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator (NOT the freezer) until you can get it to a vet for a necropsy. The sooner you can get it to the vet, the better.

Note that this procedure is not inexpensive. It could cost a couple hundred dollars or more.
Yeah, right now we can't afford to get a necropsy done, but I really would entertain people taking educated guesses, It's just one hour shes alive, the next one she's not, maybe getting a necropsy is a good option but it is quite a bit of money at this moment, how long can I keep her before they can't do a necropsy?
 

method89

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Not the answer you are going to want to hear, but it sounds like there was husbandry issues that ultimately lead to this turtles death. You had reoccurring issues that the cause was not found or corrected just treated.
 

rosietoes420

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Not the answer you are going to want to hear, but it sounds like there was husbandry issues that ultimately lead to this turtles death. You had reoccurring issues that the cause was not found or corrected just treated.
I appreciate your reply, I really wish I could've done something differently that didn't lead to her fate, what do you think I did wrong that let to her death? did the starve cause she didn't eat enough before hibernation? (it is hibernating time afterall), did she get dehydrated and die? she took multiple baths everyday, or did she maybe get overheated, when we found her her eyes have been swollen shut for a while and she was completely unresponsive, (the hour before she was alive and doing ok)
 

method89

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I appreciate your reply, I really wish I could've done something differently that didn't lead to her fate, what do you think I did wrong that let to her death? did the starve cause she didn't eat enough before hibernation? (it is hibernating time afterall), did she get dehydrated and die? she took multiple baths everyday, or did she maybe get overheated, when we found her her eyes have been swollen shut for a while and she was completely unresponsive, (the hour before she was alive and doing ok)
Without having all the facts and setup info and pictures etc it would be really tough to say what was the exact cause.
 

Yvonne G

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I can't speak to your specific turtle problem, but after having been in the turtle rescue business for over 30 years, I CAN tell you the main reasons for turtles with swollen shut eyes.

First of all you have to have the correct set up. They need to live in a WARM, HUMID environment with plenty of leaf litter to dig down into when they rest.

They need to be fed animal protein along with veggies and fruit.

A turtle needs a bit of space to explore, not be kept in a too small enclosure.

But the MAIN thing is heat and humidity. Once they get cold they stop eating. When they stop eating their eyes swell shut.
 

Relic

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In Tulsa, I would have recommended keeping the box turtle outside year-round. It's often hard to duplicate the natural environment, i.e. sunshine, heat, cold, humidity, seasonal change, etc. I find it easier with native species to just keep them exposed to nature 24/7/365. It will not eliminate all problems, but the turtle will mostly be dealing with the same problems he would have experienced in the wild, i.e. predators, food availability, water availability, etc. My work as a keeper is to mitigate those problems as best I can. Best of luck if you try again.
 

maureen allenza

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Hello, I used to have a three toed 5 year old box tortoise, she was about 6 inches wide and was a very small turtle, for about a month she wouldn't eat, and her eyes were basically swollen shut, she was able to move around and do normal activities, just the year before the same issue happened, but we soaked her in carrot baby food, and about after a week of trying that her eyes opened up, but this time it didn't work, and about a week ago one day we checked on her about an hour before we found her again and she had passed, I really would like to find out how she passed away, any answers or probable causes of her death? (we did try to feed her by the way)
I am so sorry that this happened to your tortie and you. My little Russian, Derrick, died suddenly in Nov. He had no discharges, signs of illness. In fact 2 months before had a clear bill of health at the vet. It was a total shock to find he had passed. I feel really sad for you. My worry was that I had read somewhere that tortoises can feel pain even after death unless the brain is destroyed. So besides grieving, I was very distraught that he was suffering. He died on Sunday. Due to the pandemic, I could not get him to the vet until Thur. The whole thing was very traumatic.
 

rosietoes420

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I am so sorry that this happened to your tortie and you. My little Russian, Derrick, died suddenly in Nov. He had no discharges, signs of illness. In fact 2 months before had a clear bill of health at the vet. It was a total shock to find he had passed. I feel really sad for you. My worry was that I had read somewhere that tortoises can feel pain even after death unless the brain is destroyed. So besides grieving, I was very distraught that he was suffering. He died on Sunday. Due to the pandemic, I could not get him to the vet until Thur. The whole thing was very traumatic.
I'm so sorry for your loss, the same thing happened to me, we tried reviving our turtle for an hour, I just wished I could've done something differently that could've saved her life, very sweet turtle.
 

Phyllis wilkins

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Hello, I used to have a three toed 5 year old box tortoise, she was about 6 inches wide and was a very small turtle, for about a month she wouldn't eat, and her eyes were basically swollen shut, she was able to move around and do normal activities, just the year before the same issue happened, but we soaked her in carrot baby food, and about after a week of trying that her eyes opened up, but this time it didn't work, and about a week ago one day we checked on her about an hour before we found her again and she had passed, I really would like to find out how she passed away, any answers or probable causes of her death? (we did try to feed her by the way)
 

Phyllis wilkins

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When one of my hens died the vet recommended I take her to the animal division of the department of agriculture for a necropsy. I was billed thirty dollars for the procedure and received a detailed report. I don’t know if they do tortoises. You could try calling.
 

Maggie3fan

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Any answers you get on here will simply be educated guesses by people with varying degrees of knowledge. If you want to get the correct information/answer(s) as to why your turtle died, you will need to get a necropsy done by a vet. Put the turtle in a zip-loc plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator (NOT the freezer) until you can get it to a vet for a necropsy. The sooner you can get it to the vet, the better.

Note that this procedure is not inexpensive. It could cost a couple hundred dollars or more.
I have an exotic Vet who will do a necropsy for free because she uses that to help her learn more.
 

zovick

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I don't want my girl to get all cut up....
Obviously, it is your decision, but without a necropsy, you will never know what caused the death and whether or not it could have been prevented, knowledge which could help you care for another one in the future.
 

rosietoes420

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Obviously, it is your decision, but without a necropsy, you will never know what caused the death and whether or not it could have been prevented, knowledge which could help you care for another one in the future.
yep, thanks for your help.
 
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