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Ramsey

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Joined
Dec 30, 2016
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284
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San Diego California
Hello, so I have some good news.

After a vet visit and a myriad of changes, things are looking better. My baby is very active and has eaten two days in a row.

He had lost 5 grams going down to 38 from 43 originally. The vet prescribed him antibiotics and an appetite stimulant as well as eye drops. Along with those three, they tube fed him once bringing him back up to 42g.

I've also soaked him in pure carrot baby food twice now.

Since the visit on Tuesday, he's eaten yesterday and today and now weighs 44g solid. All in his habitat.

This may not mean much to others, but it's priceless to me. I feel this guy is just as important as I am in this world.

This has made my week. I know I'm far from out of the woods, but I feel very optimistic. Wanted to thank everybody and will keep posted.

I'm not sure which of the many changes are to credit (or perhaps none/time). He's soaking now and happily drinking too.
 

cmacusa3

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Joined
Oct 23, 2014
Messages
3,191
Location (City and/or State)
Bixby
Hello, so I have some good news.

After a vet visit and a myriad of changes, things are looking better. My baby is very active and has eaten two days in a row.

He had lost 5 grams going down to 38 from 43 originally. The vet prescribed him antibiotics and an appetite stimulant as well as eye drops. Along with those three, they tube fed him once bringing him back up to 42g.

I've also soaked him in pure carrot baby food twice now.

Since the visit on Tuesday, he's eaten yesterday and today and now weighs 44g solid. All in his habitat.

This may not mean much to others, but it's priceless to me. I feel this guy is just as important as I am in this world.

This has made my week. I know I'm far from out of the woods, but I feel very optimistic. Wanted to thank everybody and will keep posted.

I'm not sure which of the many changes are to credit (or perhaps none/time). He's soaking now and happily drinking too.
Great news!

It could be several of the changes but My thought was the temps but again it could've been several. Who knows but glad to hear he's eating
 

Ramsey

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2016
Messages
284
Location (City and/or State)
San Diego California
Update:

Had our vet follow-up visit today and got a fully clean bill of health. He's halfway through his antibiotics and has been nonstop active and feeding daily. He's gaining weight, soaking, pooping.

Very pleased right now and proud of my little guy. Thanks for everybody's help/input. I have many more questions to come!
 

Ramsey

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5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2016
Messages
284
Location (City and/or State)
San Diego California
Some more updates. I should probably make a separate official thread for my guy, but this will do for now.

So my baby is now eating a good variety of greens and some mazuri LS. A few new outstanding questions:

1) He has never once gone into his hide. I even put a second hide, no dice. I've read as much as I could and seems like this is no biggie. Thoughts?

2) he never retracts into his shell. Well, he does when he's super mad after I give him his antibiotic injections. Otherwise, all extremeties are out, always. Vet said this means he's comfy. Sound normal?

3) when he sleeps, he sleeps like a log. Sometimes even picking him up, he opens his eye for a second to look at me, then continues to snore again. Normal?

4) the vet said he's between 4-5 months old. . That being said, his plastron is still a bit soft for my liking. Carapace is rock hard, but I can depress on his belly. Is that normal for this age? I'm sprinkling calcium +D3 every other meal this week to help.

5) he now poops whenever, not only while bathing. Normal? As long as it doesn't mean diarrhea, I'm OK with it.

6) I know every tortoise grows at their own pace, but what is a good weekly gram target for this age? I'm sure there's an index.

7) I'm considering adding a second story to his habitat with a ramp access. Anybody else have experience with this? Basically, would he use it?

Thanks!
 

Katryoz

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Joined
Jan 21, 2017
Messages
3
I didn’t see any mention of soaking him in warm water. Also my leopard torts all go into hunker down mode when put in an enclosure no matter the temperature or humidity. They spend most of thier life outside actively eating and they are definitely not actIve from fear as they chase me or my husband around in the yard. My favorite tort we named Spikey because of terrible pyramiding that we got from a rescue is the only one that doesn't "hunker down" right away.
 

Ramsey

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5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2016
Messages
284
Location (City and/or State)
San Diego California
Hey thanks for the replies. At first things really got better after the vet visits.

Unfortunately things have since taken another turn for the worst.

My little guy's condition has deteriorated over the past 10 days and we have no idea why.

S/he has 95F basking, 82F everywhere else, including nighttime. 80% humidity. I have two thermostats, a hygrostat and two additional thermometers and hygrometers. UVB bulb on a 13 hour timer. He gets soaked 30 minutes a day. I'm an engineer and fairly particular when it comes to technical parameters. If something needs changing, I will/have done it.

I even have a live webcam on the habitat so I can see if he eats throughout the day.

I offer mazuri soaked and other mixed greens from the database (occasionally with some calcium )which he seemed to eat great for 2+ weeks. Then all the sudden has stopped eating completely about 7/8 days ago.

When I originally received him he was 43g and a soft plastron. Then he dropped to 38g. Once we started the antibiotics he ate regularly and grew to 47g at the max.

Now he's sliding back and weighs 41g. His plastron is more firm but now the carapace (sides) is softer than ever.

Still having positive and hopeful thoughts but I told the misses we're in rough waters now and it doesn't look good (she's really attached to him/her).

With all the parameters seemingly correct, my only explanation is possibly a bad start-up from the seller.

I appreciate everyone's input and help thus far.
 

Katryoz

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Joined
Jan 21, 2017
Messages
3
I'm so sorry your first experience is like this. I would like you and others to know that some Leopards are allergic to antibiotics. We found out the hard way with a tortoise that was doing better after some signs of congestion but we wanted to make sure she didn't give it to the other tortoises
After her first antibiotic shot she went downhill fast. Then I read, maybe in this forum about antibiotics and Leopards. I still feel guilty because she died after me putting antibiotics in her mouth even though she wouldn't eat
My best advice is to get a tortoise hatched and raised in your climate. All of the Tortoises that we have raised up for 4 years are healthy and hardy as are the Tortoises that we bought in and from Florida. The ones that we got from other states have had a very hard time adjusting and we have had some heart breaking deaths as above.
 

cmacusa3

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5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2014
Messages
3,191
Location (City and/or State)
Bixby
Ramsey so sorry to hear this, hope he pulls through.

Like the above poster wrote about the shots, sometimes it only masks the issue. Lots of us here have lost a tort and it sucks, but like me, it only made me work harder to be a better keeper.
 
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Ramsey

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2016
Messages
284
Location (City and/or State)
San Diego California
I'm so sorry your first experience is like this. I would like you and others to know that some Leopards are allergic to antibiotics. We found out the hard way with a tortoise that was doing better after some signs of congestion but we wanted to make sure she didn't give it to the other tortoises
After her first antibiotic shot she went downhill fast. Then I read, maybe in this forum about antibiotics and Leopards. I still feel guilty because she died after me putting antibiotics in her mouth even though she wouldn't eat
My best advice is to get a tortoise hatched and raised in your climate. All of the Tortoises that we have raised up for 4 years are healthy and hardy as are the Tortoises that we bought in and from Florida. The ones that we got from other states have had a very hard time adjusting and we have had some heart breaking deaths as above.

Thanks a lot. Ya, I don't know if it was the meds, she certainly appeared to react well to them initially.
 

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