Need help, How can i prevent them from hating me?

[twotortmomma]

I took my tortoises to the vet the other day for their yearly, and it turns out Leo the greek has giardia in his feces. We are suppose to be giving him, as well as Filbert Metronidazol twice a day orally. Thing is the only way the vet showed us to administer was grabbing behind the head, prying the mouth open and squirting it in. Not only has this proven difficult t almost impossible, a lot of the time, they end up with half the dose coming out as soon as we release the head. On top of this, they have begun to retreat to their shells with a hiss whenever we are even in eyesight. It is also becoming difficult to convince them to stick their head out. It breaks my heart that I have basically broken any trust i may have had from them. I dont know if I can handle this for 4 more days, and she (vet) said that it may have to be treated a couple of times! Can the medicine be dropped on the food? They wouldnt get their recommended doses that way probably though... Help?

 

[tortadise]

Well try putting a dose for each in some mazuri and give it to them each in a seperate tub.

 

[GBtortoises]

The way the vet showed you is the most effective to get all or as much of the medication down the tortoises throat. If that isn't accomplished than you're really not doing much good with it.
If you're not used to doing it, it will work better with two people. Sit in a chair, with a towel in your lap. Place the tortoise with it's rear between your legs so that the tortoises faces to your right or left (whichever is easier for you). Open your legs enough for the tortoises rear to slide down between your legs some so that it's body is at a 45 degree or steeper angle. It's front end should be resting on one of your thighs and facing upward. Gently reach in behind the tortoises head with your thumb and forefinger. Just behind it's skull, where it meets the neck gently and slightly squeeze just enough so that the tortoise can't slip it's head back. Slowly and uniformly pull it's head straight out. A healthy, strong tortoise will resist, this is normal (and a good sign). Do not force it's head out but firmly keep your hand in position and do not allow it to retract it's neck. Little by little, each time the tortoise's resistance lets up you can pull the head and neck out a little more. Once the head is out far enough, keep it firmly in position and with your other hand use a thin, but firm object (I use professional dental tools) to open the jaw on the side of the mouth. You will sometimes have to start by getting and object in between the upper and lower jaw at the beak and sliding around to the side. If you have long, good strong fingernails you may be able to pry the jaws open with them. I do not! Once the jaw is open your helper should be ready to give the medication. You didn't mention what it was being administered with but a small eye dropper or better still a syringe with a 3-4" long flexible tube works best. The helper will need to get the tip of whatever the medication is being adminstered with to the back of the mouth, past the base of the tongue. Basically into the entrance of the throat. Once this has been accomplished and the medication administered do not let go of the head yet. But instead tip the tortoise a little closer to 90 degrees vertically to allow the medication to run down the throat farther. Once the tortoise retracts it's head it can potenially expel most of the medication. This is why it is important to keep the head extended for a few seconds after the medication is administered, to allow for as much as possible to be swallowed. It sounds like a lot but after a while it is actually a very quick and effective method to administer medications orally.

 

[mattgrizzlybear]

It is better to have a healthy tort than a tort that hates you!

 

[shellysmom]

The way the vet showed you is the most effective to get all or as much of the medication down the tortoises throat. If that isn't accomplished than you're really not doing much good with it.
If you're not used to doing it, it will work better with two people. Sit in a chair, with a towel in your lap. Place the tortoise with it's rear between your legs so that the tortoises faces to your right or left (whichever is easier for you). Open your legs enough for the tortoises rear to slide down between your legs some so that it's body is at a 45 degree or steeper angle. It's front end should be resting on one of your thighs and facing upward. Gently reach in behind the tortoises head with your thumb and forefinger. Just behind it's skull, where it meets the neck gently and slightly squeeze just enough so that the tortoise can't slip it's head back. Slowly and uniformly pull it's head straight out. A healthy, strong tortoise will resist, this is normal (and a good sign). Do not force it's head out but firmly keep your hand in position and do not allow it to retract it's neck. Little by little, each time the tortoise's resistance lets up you can pull the head and neck out a little more. Once the head is out far enough, keep it firmly in position and with your other hand use a thin, but firm object (I use professional dental tools) to open the jaw on the side of the mouth. You will sometimes have to start by getting and object in between the upper and lower jaw at the beak and sliding around to the side. If you have long, good strong fingernails you may be able to pry the jaws open with them. I do not! Once the jaw is open your helper should be ready to give the medication. You didn't mention what it was being administered with but a small eye dropper or better still a syringe with a 3-4" long flexible tube works best. The helper will need to get the tip of whatever the medication is being adminstered with to the back of the mouth, past the base of the tongue. Basically into the entrance of the throat. Once this has been accomplished and the medication administered do not let go of the head yet. But instead tip the tortoise a little closer to 90 degrees vertically to allow the medication to run down the throat farther. Once the tortoise retracts it's head it can potenially expel most of the medication. This is why it is important to keep the head extended for a few seconds after the medication is administered, to allow for as much as possible to be swallowed. It sounds like a lot but after a while it is actually a very quick and effective method to administer medications orally.

Holy cow, that sounds way too complicated. My vet just tells me to put the meds in a treat-type food and stand there to watch them eat it so I know they get it all. It might not work with something bitter like giardia meds, though. In which case, do that ^^^, and good luck You could always wear a disguise when you do it so they don't know it's you, lol.

 

[CDNPyxis]

I do pretty much exactly what GBtortoises does, as stated, it gets easier. The biggest problem I find is that they get their legs in the way and you can't get to their heads with your fingers. This is where I also use dental tools, you can get behind their legs and hook under their beak and slowly pull them out to where you can grab ahold of their head.

Don't worry, once you stop treating them it will not take too long before they will say out when you are around again.

 

[sibi]

I know how you feel. If I had to give my baby oral meds, I would have to go each time to the vet to administer it. I had to give injections which I prefer because I can control the situation better. These meds that the vet gave you, are there injections that can be given instead of trying to shove it down his throat? I know the hiss sound...but I always made my husband be the one to call him out and it was him that my tort seems to remember when I had to give the injections. So, have another person help you out. Look, you are almost finished with it...stick it out a little longer.

 

[ascott]

I don't know if it is only the CDTs here ...but if you get your hands really warm and then place your hands on the top of the shell and begin to rub them in a circular motion...not too fast but not too slow....and then kinda talk to them in a sexy sultry voice (silly sounding I know, hell, maybe because I have all male CDTs they are likely pervs....lol) they will stick their head way out and then whammo....you can have your way with them and be sure to give them a happy ending with a yummy treat of their utmost favorite....

 

[twotortmomma]

It is better to have a healthy tort than a tort that hates you!

Yes i know, but its almost like they wont ever come out, no matter how much tickling, poking, or pinching we do now, the only way to get them to even move their legs out from in front of their faces is to hold them upside down for a long time.... and i mean a LONG TIME. I will try a medicine dropper tonight, they gave us a syringe marked for each tort, but its just a flat tipped no needle syringe... if only i had a bird hand feeding syringe.

 

[GBtortoises]

I don't know if it is only the CDTs here ...but if you get your hands really warm and then place your hands on the top of the shell and begin to rub them in a circular motion...not too fast but not too slow....and then kinda talk to them in a sexy sultry voice (silly sounding I know, hell, maybe because I have all male CDTs they are likely pervs....lol) they will stick their head way out and then whammo....you can have your way with them and be sure to give them a happy ending with a yummy treat of their utmost favorite....

Do you turn the lights down and put on some Barry White before you start too?

 

[Watsonpartyof4]

Do you turn the lights down and put on some Barry White before you start too?

ROTFLMAO!

 

[LuckysGirl007]

Do you turn the lights down and put on some Barry White before you start too?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's great! It would keep them from hating ya...that's for sure!

 

[Yellow Turtle]

I don't know if it is only the CDTs here ...but if you get your hands really warm and then place your hands on the top of the shell and begin to rub them in a circular motion...not too fast but not too slow....and then kinda talk to them in a sexy sultry voice (silly sounding I know, hell, maybe because I have all male CDTs they are likely pervs....lol) they will stick their head way out and then whammo....you can have your way with them and be sure to give them a happy ending with a yummy treat of their utmost favorite....

Do you turn the lights down and put on some Barry White before you start too?

 

[WinterDB]

Do you turn the lights down and put on some Barry White before you start too?

LLLOOOOOLL ohmygoodness.

 

[lvstorts]

totortmomma:
Yes its tough to see their trust wain but you have to do what the vet says. I took in a Redfoot a 4 years ago with shell rot and respiratory problems. She's a big gal and I had to inject her with antiobiotics 2x daily for 10 days. To this day when she sees me she closes up! I'd rather have her closing up and hiding from me than have her dead.

 

[Wondering4toolong]

I find that canned food meatballs (just like you would a dog) does the trick for most oral medication. I use grain free hypoallergenic food for my dogs and my torts for getting in meds. I actually take some kibble and grind it into a powder, mix with a small amt of canned and put the medication in it. (Metronidazole is very bitter and gross, once they get a taste for it they will turn their noses quick!) I make several small meatballs, I give the medication in 1 followed by plain meatballs to wash it down. You can use tortoise pellets instead of dog food (dependent on sp. and tortoise's likes/dislikes) but I have had more success with quality canned dog food...some people use bananas but my guys don't like them that much

(Tink with a Panacur meatball on lettuce wrap LOL)

 

[diaboliqueturtle]

A couple weeks ago I had to give my red foot some meds and the vet told me to do it exactly as stated above. Well, that did NOT work for either of us :-/
What I ended up doing was to put her on the couch while I sat on the floor (so I was lower than her) and offer her a dry piece of Mazuri with my left hand while I had the syringe ready in the other. As she opened her mouth and bit into the kibble, it being dry basically wedged her mouth open so I could quickly insert and squirt the meds down her throat. Worked like a charm

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Oops, other ideas were posted while I was writing... The method I was referring to which was suggested by my vet was to pry her mouth open. I/we like my idea better ;-)