Near Drowning-Amazing Outcome

[ahillard]

A few weeks ago, I posted a story about my 17 year old male tortoise "Gecko" (my son named him when he was a little boy). He dug under the fence into an unsafe part of the yard. I fed the tortoises on Friday morning, and when I looked for him on Saturday, I could not find him. I eventually found him...head down-tail up..in a round ditch, full of water, that was just about his size. There was no way for him to get out. His head was submerged for at least 18 hours.
He was completely limp when I found him-and I was sure that he was dead. To make a long story short-I found a vet that said "bring him right in". She gave him a shot of Lasix, I kept him inside under a heat lamp for a week, giving him antibiotic injections to prevent pneumonia. He began eating about 3 days later. He is completely fine now. It is just amazing that he survived that series of events.
I have since fortified the the enclosure. After being a desert tortoise owner for 25 years, I am in the process of building very secure structure for my tortoises. I have a greater love and appreciation for them after this very wrenching series of events.
I am so glad that I found this forum!! I have learned much by reading the information that you share. Thank you so much!! April, Gecko and Tim

 

[Yvonne G]

It's good to read a success story every once and a while.

 

[bouaboua]

Thank you for share the good news and warning. I will love to see your new structure you will built. Please do share with us once is completed or even through out the process.

 

[snaofreno]

All I can say is WOW!!!!!! How lucky you are.

 

[mike taylor]

Thank god you found him in time .

 

[lovebugaphid]

amazing! so happy he made it

 

[Ashes]

Oh I'm so happy to read this!!!!

 

[DaveRoth]

Awesome that he survived!

I had a similar thing happen with our baby sulcata. It was turned over in its water dish, maybe an inch deep at best. It was only turned over for probably less than 15 minutes though and when I saw him (her?) I grabbed him out of there and he was fine.
Moral of the story, use a SHALLOW water dish for torts.