New Tortoise Parent

[Eagle Dancer]

Hello Everyone and thank you for the Birthday message

I am the new parent of two beautiful Leopard Tortoise babies. Benny & Joon.

My avatar is the picture that was sent to me before I acquired them on January 20th

I was told that Joon was born on New Years and Benny was born a week later and that they are from two different clutches. I was also told that one of them is a cross between two different kinds of Leopards and the other is just of one type. I don't really know much more than that.

They both came to me with upper respiratory disease
I didn't know this until three or four days passed as I was doing minimal contact in order to reduce the stress of a new home, but I could hear wheezing and whistling… on a lilliputian scale of course.
I rushed them straight away to the vet. Besides having to start injections for 20 days, bless their little hearts, they were riddled with parasites and had to go thru deworming.

They were also not hydrated properly and were very dry. the lady said she would soak them every 3 or 4 days.


Benny is much stronger now and has had a couple big growth spurts.

Joon was determined to die for about a month and a half. She was originally larger then Benny, but now she is much smaller. She has just started to take a turn for the better and in the past week and a half she has started to put on weight. Yea!

I am trying to learn everything I possibly can so I can do right by these precious little creatures. They really are precious and have amazing unique personalities.

This is a picture of Benny from a couple days ago. I will also post pictures from when I first got them. I pretty much take pictures or video everyday



…I can do this, ok…one…two…. Is it ON three, or after three…. ok, I can do this…..

 

[Jacqui]

Your picture comment gave me a chuckle! Welcome to TFO. Glad they are both becoming healthy for you and growing.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

You just don't know how lucky you are to have found a good vet who knows tortoises. They are so few and far between. And you, being a newbie to tortoises, to be able to take care of a sick one and get it back up and running...well, my hat's off to you (I almost said, "Lady" but then I realized your user name is not really male or female), Newbie!

 

[Yvonne G]

One thing...please read the threads at the top of the Leopard section (the sulcata section too), I see you're using hay for bedding. Baby tortoises need humidity and hay will mold if you wet it, so get something that you can moisten.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello and welcome to the TFO from AZ .


Sent from my iPhone using TortForum

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome. Here are some threads that will offer you some insight:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pairs.34837/

It would be good for you to share the source of your tortoises so that others can avoid making the same mistake.

 

[Eagle Dancer]

One thing...please read the threads at the top of the Leopard section (the sulcata section too), I see you're using hay for bedding. Baby tortoises need humidity and hay will mold if you wet it, so get something that you can moisten.

Hello Yvonne, Thank you so much for the support and kind words.
Yes, I am concerned about the hay as well, but the vet wanted me to keep their enclosure dryer while they still have a lot of mucous. they both still wheeze and have bubbles coming out of their nostrils. Joon is a lot better at letting me wipe her nose. Benny can sometimes be like trying to put socks on a three year old.
I'm trying to dance the line between a couple warm baths a day and keeping them warm. I'm hoping that I can start a sphagnum moss bed soon. I really am worried about their overall hydration and the moisture factor





No peeing in the pool. You know they put that stuff in the water that turns blue… no kidding
(Joon is on the left. Back when she was bigger)

 

[Eagle Dancer]

Thank you, Jacqui, Aldabra and Grandpa Turtle.

And thank you Tom for the links. Hugely appreciated.

I spoke with the Vet about my concerns with this tortoise breeder as I feel they are basically puppy milling (multiple clutches a year.)
I asked him to let them know that their tortoises are carriers of upper respiratory disease and they need to rectify the situation as soon as possible.
There just aren't enough people out there prepared to raise a sick baby or rescue one.
The Vet knows them, but didn't know what they were doing. He promised to speak with them.

Joon has been thru two different courses of antibiotics already and is still sick. I cry after every time I have to give her an injection under her arm.
The thing that worries me the most is when I find her on her back. She's still pretty weak and she gives up trying.




nummynummynummynummynummynummynummy

(they love to spread out their back legs when they're truly enjoying what they are eating. They also wag their tails, which he was doing here)

 

[jaizei]

Welcome to the forum

 

[bouaboua]

Hello and Welcome. Good to have you here. Welcome.

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[Evy]

Welcome, cute torties!



London my lovely Sulcata tortoise :0))