Hi!
I was in the pet store a few weeks ago and saw a cute greek tortoise trying so hard to climb out of it's tank i knew it was the one for us. I had been thinking for a while about getting a tortoise for my hubby since he grew up with two redfoots at home and loves them. I thought i had done my research and called my mother inlaw for advice, searched online, talked to a vet, and spoke to the pet store employees and we brought Cleopatra home.
We have a 2x4 x6" high container with coconut substrate, and a heat lamp, and hiding log. Temps at cool end are 75 degrees and under basking lamp are 90-95 degrees.
(I don't have a uvb/UVA BULB yet as the vet said as long as i take her outside eachday for 30 min she would be fine...fixing that though as you will see)
So here are my newbie issues i never even thought of
1 . The morning after i brought her home she had a runny nose. I called the vet who said she was stressed and to give her a few days.
2. She didn't eat for a couple of days but slowly got used to us and started eating her spring mix salad and squash.
3. She did much better as she got out of her log and got warmed up but atfer a weeks we noticed her nose got congested and started oozing green goo. She also started walking slower and staying in her log a lot more.
4. I made a vet appointment for that day (yes he "treats" reptiles?)
Cleopatra pooped just before we went and I noticed small white worms in her poop - a lot of them! So I put it in a baggy cleaned the area and we went to the vet.
5. The Vet checked her poop and said she had pin worms, but not to worry about it because worms are a normal part of a toroise's digestive system. and he decided not to treat her despite me asking him to. I have three kids including one with a feeding tube. worms in my house are NOt a good idea. Then he gave her an antibiotiv shot (bactrin) and told me to give her a shot at home near her front legs each day for 5 days and then every other day for 3 weeks.
6. I wasn't happy with the treatment plan, but I had only had the tortoise for two weeks and am still learning. While we were still at the vet Cleopatra then vomited twice. I grabbed a nurse who told the doctor and was told that she was just stressed. went home with a bottle of bactrin and 15 syringes
7. SHot on day one was hard, but got easier only because she stopped moving so much. She hides in her log all day and didn't eat for three days. I give her a soak after the shot each day, but I don't see her drinking anything. Finally yeesterday I offered a mix of romaine (her so far favorite treat) radichio and pumpkin and she ate, but when I watched her walk around she couldn't even hold herself up and her shell kept dropping, she just kind of scoots along. then lays there with her legs splayed out.
8. I called my in laws who say they think it it the worms getting worse, so I called another vet in the area who told me to go get panacure from the pet store (in a bottle made for goats , but the same medicine) and to give her .25 ml. I tried yesterday but she would not open her mouth and when I tried to get her to, her head and arm started to spasm.
I am very worried about our little cleo. WHat would you do? I am not giving her the shot today, and will out the panacure on her food in the hopes that she will eat. keep her warm and such, but I can't get a UVZ/UVB bulb until Friday on Pay day. Thoughts? Advice?
Thanks
I was in the pet store a few weeks ago and saw a cute greek tortoise trying so hard to climb out of it's tank i knew it was the one for us. I had been thinking for a while about getting a tortoise for my hubby since he grew up with two redfoots at home and loves them. I thought i had done my research and called my mother inlaw for advice, searched online, talked to a vet, and spoke to the pet store employees and we brought Cleopatra home.
We have a 2x4 x6" high container with coconut substrate, and a heat lamp, and hiding log. Temps at cool end are 75 degrees and under basking lamp are 90-95 degrees.
(I don't have a uvb/UVA BULB yet as the vet said as long as i take her outside eachday for 30 min she would be fine...fixing that though as you will see)
So here are my newbie issues i never even thought of
1 . The morning after i brought her home she had a runny nose. I called the vet who said she was stressed and to give her a few days.
2. She didn't eat for a couple of days but slowly got used to us and started eating her spring mix salad and squash.
3. She did much better as she got out of her log and got warmed up but atfer a weeks we noticed her nose got congested and started oozing green goo. She also started walking slower and staying in her log a lot more.
4. I made a vet appointment for that day (yes he "treats" reptiles?)
Cleopatra pooped just before we went and I noticed small white worms in her poop - a lot of them! So I put it in a baggy cleaned the area and we went to the vet.
5. The Vet checked her poop and said she had pin worms, but not to worry about it because worms are a normal part of a toroise's digestive system. and he decided not to treat her despite me asking him to. I have three kids including one with a feeding tube. worms in my house are NOt a good idea. Then he gave her an antibiotiv shot (bactrin) and told me to give her a shot at home near her front legs each day for 5 days and then every other day for 3 weeks.
6. I wasn't happy with the treatment plan, but I had only had the tortoise for two weeks and am still learning. While we were still at the vet Cleopatra then vomited twice. I grabbed a nurse who told the doctor and was told that she was just stressed. went home with a bottle of bactrin and 15 syringes
7. SHot on day one was hard, but got easier only because she stopped moving so much. She hides in her log all day and didn't eat for three days. I give her a soak after the shot each day, but I don't see her drinking anything. Finally yeesterday I offered a mix of romaine (her so far favorite treat) radichio and pumpkin and she ate, but when I watched her walk around she couldn't even hold herself up and her shell kept dropping, she just kind of scoots along. then lays there with her legs splayed out.
8. I called my in laws who say they think it it the worms getting worse, so I called another vet in the area who told me to go get panacure from the pet store (in a bottle made for goats , but the same medicine) and to give her .25 ml. I tried yesterday but she would not open her mouth and when I tried to get her to, her head and arm started to spasm.
I am very worried about our little cleo. WHat would you do? I am not giving her the shot today, and will out the panacure on her food in the hopes that she will eat. keep her warm and such, but I can't get a UVZ/UVB bulb until Friday on Pay day. Thoughts? Advice?
Thanks