PLEASE HELP: closed eyes, weak, not eating

[lovebugaphid]

Where did you acquire this baby from?

the place we got it is called the serpent and the lizard they're located in Quebec (we're in the Toronto area). they were nothing but helpful & their animals seem well taken care of. I really think they're good people & I'll contact them to get more info on the tort & to see if they would work with us to maybe get another baby.

I feel terrible & my husband and I are working really hard to get the little one to thrive. I know it doesn't always work out, but still...

 

[lovebugaphid]

I think this baby was sick when you got it. You should contact the seller and try to exchange it for a healthy one. My guess is that it is suffering from a respiratory infection along with failure-to-thrive syndrome.

oh dear is there nothing we can do? I will get in contact with the people we got it from & see what they can do. thank you for your help.

 

[ascott]

I would work with the little one until he is better or not.....keep him warm, keep him hydrated and be sure to bother him often (what I mean is, that when a baby is sick and weak they tend to sleep alot and can seem to sleep away---wake him up and soak him and wake him up and hold him and walk about with him and do this a few times a day, this way he can not simply easily give up) if you are able to take him outdoors in the fresh air I would do this also, the natural sun does wonders.....and also come to grips with the idea that you can do all that you can and the outcome may still not be favorable....but as long as the little one is trying I believe the human should to....

And I only asked about the seller so that you can be sure to let them know what has happened....

 

[lovebugaphid]

I would work with the little one until he is better or not.....keep him warm, keep him hydrated and be sure to bother him often (what I mean is, that when a baby is sick and weak they tend to sleep alot and can seem to sleep away---wake him up and soak him and wake him up and hold him and walk about with him and do this a few times a day, this way he can not simply easily give up) if you are able to take him outdoors in the fresh air I would do this also, the natural sun does wonders.....and also come to grips with the idea that you can do all that you can and the outcome may still not be favorable....but as long as the little one is trying I believe the human should to....

And I only asked about the seller so that you can be sure to let them know what has happened....

again, thank you so much for your help & suggestions. we truly appreciate it. no matter what happens we'll try our best & keep this thread updated.

 

[lovebugaphid]

update on our little guy:

still sleeping a lot with little movement. opens eyes only during frequent soaks (baby food, pedialyte, warm water). plastron is still soft & still not eating on its own. we are still feeding the little guy our wheatgrass concoction & zilla jump start by dropper. we continue the frequent soaks, temperatures from 83-93F basking area at 102F. we lowered humidity to 65-70% to see if that would help. we turned off the UV light for several days to see if that would help with the eyes, but the little guys eyes still stayed closed. we turn it on when we aren't able to get direct sunlight on the little one.

but on a lighter note, weather's been better so we've been able to bring the tort outside & WHAT A DIFFERENCE! eyes open, active, even nibbling food! ONLY when outsideI don't want to get my hopes up but it's been great being able to see the little one like that. we're taking it day by day & so far today has been a good one.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

You can also add some liquid calcium to the baby food soaks. I've seen that help soft shelled babies. Keep up the good work and let us know how he is doing.

 

[Katybug]

My baby was in this same boat. I was doing all the same things you are and not seeing any improvements. I took her to a vet and he gave her 3 vitamin shots and neoymin ointment for her eyes. He told me to apply 2 x daily for 10 days.
She started to get better the quickest when I started soaking her bedding with a spray bottle I use coco coir bedding and soak her entire cage with a spray bottle 2 x daily. I also covered her tank lights and all with tin foil. this has helped the most!!! i couldn't keep the humidity inside the cage with the open top. You may not need the other heat bulb after you do this because the tin foil holds the heat in so well/ I use the 100watt zoo med uvb heat basking bulb during the day with my humidity fogger and the heat bulb at night and turn the fogger off. this has helped me so so much and my baby is doing so well. You may be able to find the ointment at your local vet store. i attached a picture of our ugly covered cage. My husband is working on building her a covered top. The humidity seems to be what has helped her.

 

[Katybug]

Also my baby eats the Spring mix best. the Collard greens and turnip greens not so much. I am just focusing on her eating at all so maybe try just the spring mix. I also mixed in some baby food carrots to get her appetite going.

 

[ascott]

How long ago did you purchase the uva/uvb bulb? If the tort livens up ALOT when outdoors in the sun I wonder if the bulb is still putting off the correct uva/uvb? I mean, a tort outdoors will act differently that a tort indoors....but I would check the bulb to be sure it is not worm out or defective???

 

[lovebugaphid]

You can also add some liquid calcium to the baby food soaks. I've seen that help soft shelled babies. Keep up the good work and let us know how he is doing.

thank you for your help. we've gone out and gotten some liquid calcium & have started calcium soaks (a couple sprays into warm water). I hope this helps.

 

[lovebugaphid]

My baby was in this same boat. I was doing all the same things you are and not seeing any improvements. I took her to a vet and he gave her 3 vitamin shots and neoymin ointment for her eyes. He told me to apply 2 x daily for 10 days.
She started to get better the quickest when I started soaking her bedding with a spray bottle I use coco coir bedding and soak her entire cage with a spray bottle 2 x daily. I also covered her tank lights and all with tin foil. this has helped the most!!! i couldn't keep the humidity inside the cage with the open top. You may not need the other heat bulb after you do this because the tin foil holds the heat in so well/ I use the 100watt zoo med uvb heat basking bulb during the day with my humidity fogger and the heat bulb at night and turn the fogger off. this has helped me so so much and my baby is doing so well. You may be able to find the ointment at your local vet store. i attached a picture of our ugly covered cage. My husband is working on building her a covered top. The humidity seems to be what has helped her.

thank you so much for your help. I've been keeping up with your thread about your little tortoise & I'm so glad the little one is doing better we have similar set ups I believe. we also have a fogger, but keep it on constantly. we're in the Toronto area & it's still pretty dry right now. we struggle to keep humidity up without the fogger on, even with our tin foil covering. so we keep it on all the time. thank you for your suggestions & I'll keep this thread updated.

 

[lovebugaphid]

How long ago did you purchase the uva/uvb bulb? If the tort livens up ALOT when outdoors in the sun I wonder if the bulb is still putting off the correct uva/uvb? I mean, a tort outdoors will act differently that a tort indoors....but I would check the bulb to be sure it is not worm out or defective???

hmm..I haven't thought of that. we just bought the bulb in..February I believe? but we do have a back up, I will try switching it out right away I hope it helps! thanks so much!

 

[lovebugaphid]

update: I'm just not sure what it is with our little guy. while inside the enclosure eyes closed, no movement, no eating or drinking. but when we take the tort outside it's like he/she's a whole different tortoise! eyes open & clear, super active, even nibbling on grass! I just don't understand it...it's like night & day. I'll be completely re-doing the enclosure tomorrow & have already replaced the bulb. for now, we'll try and give the little one as much outside time as possible. thanks for all your help everyone.

 

[ascott]

Hmmm? Seems to me the little one knows he is designed to be outdoors (as much as possible)....maybe plans for an outdoor enclosure that is safe for him to be in alot of the time will help out???

 

[taza]

I live just outside of Toronto, and yes we are having some decent weather but we still got three inches of snow last week. So unless the sun is out watch he doesn't get a chill. So glad to hear he is doing better though.

 

[lovebugaphid]

I live just outside of Toronto, and yes we are having some decent weather but we still got three inches of snow last week. So unless the sun is out watch he doesn't get a chill. So glad to hear he is doing better though.

it's good to hear from someone in canada! I recently moved out here from sunny Southern California so it's quite the change for me. when does it usually get warm enough to bring the tortoise outside? & do you know any tortoise breeders in canada? we'd love to get more

 

[lovebugaphid]

Hmmm? Seems to me the little one knows he is designed to be outdoors (as much as possible)....maybe plans for an outdoor enclosure that is safe for him to be in alot of the time will help out???

for sure! this whole tortoise world is truly addicting (in a good way) I've been researching outdoor enclosures all morning. I can't wait till the weather is good enough to bring the tort outside all day. the little guy is truly solar powered

 

[taza]

If y;our interested in another Leopard I know someone. I'll let you know when he has more. I'll contact him soon if you like.

 

[lovebugaphid]

If y;our interested in another Leopard I know someone. I'll let you know when he has more. I'll contact him soon if you like.

sweet! I'll PM you

 

[mikeh]

What are you using to measure temp/humidity inside the enclosure?
Digital reader or mechanical dial?
Mechanical dials can be very inaccurate.

Dual Digital thermo/humidistat, $15 at home depot.
Infrared gun $30. This allows you to know exact torts temp. You will be able to compare torts temp. while its active outside to what its like inside.
How high of the ground is the MVB? Too low will drive the tort to hide. Too high will result in low UVB levels. MVBs are known to be defective or fail prematurely. Its a good idea to invest into UVB meter 6.2 or 6.5 in cold climate where artificial UVB is needed much of the year, to measure the UVB output of the bulbs.

Can you post a photo of habitat?