Poorly tortoise

Dolly01

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I have had my tortoise 34 years & 4 week ago she stopped eating & moving. I took her to the vet who took bloods, gave her oxygen & X-rays ! This confirmed that she wasn’t compacted with eggs! The vet was unsure what was wrong with her & I brought her home with antibiotics! She is eating very little & not moving or pooing ! I’m bathing her everyday & putting her under a heat lamp, she normally lives outside ! Any suggestions would be helpful!
 

Yvonne G

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As long as you're bringing her in to sit under the heat lamp, try also setting her in a tub of water under the lamp. Position the lamp over one end of the tub so she can get away from the direct heat if she wants. Make it be a tub she can't climb out of. If you can find a large enough tub, so she can get impatient and start scrambling around trying to get out, that would be good too. Let her soak for an hour, even though she wants out, just leave her in there. Try this for a week or so and let us know if it makes a difference.
 

Dolly01

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As long as you're bringing her in to sit under the heat lamp, try also setting her in a tub of water under the lamp. Position the lamp over one end of the tub so she can get away from the direct heat if she wants. Make it be a tub she can't climb out of. If you can find a large enough tub, so she can get impatient and start scrambling around trying to get out, that would be good too. Let her soak for an hour, even though she wants out, just leave her in there. Try this for a week or so and let us know if it makes a difference.
 

Dolly01

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Thanks I will try heat over water ! I have just bathed her & manipulated her hind legs to try & stimulate ! I am also wondering if I should try Mineral Oil in her cloaca but not too confident doing this ! The vet suggested she may have herpesvirus but surely she would be dead by now ?!
 

Sarah2020

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Suggest you share pics to see if there is anything obvious to some of the breeders on here. Heat aids digestion so environment is key but you have 34 years with your tortoise. There may be something that it needs changing as a mature tortoise. There are care sheets on here once species is identified which may help to review. Ensure fresh food and water is available to allow grazing.
 

Yvonne G

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If she's constipated the vet should have recognised that on the x-ray, but, at any rate, leaving her in a tub of water past the time she wants out, and allowing her to scramble around trying to escape causes lots and lots of poop to come out, even constipated poop. But check her frequently to make sure she's safe.
 

Dolly01

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Suggest you share pics to see if there is anything obvious to some of the breeders on here. Heat aids digestion so environment is key but you have 34 years with your tortoise. There may be something that it needs changing as a mature tortoise. There are care sheets on here once species is identified which may help to review. Ensure fresh food and water is available to allow grazing.
 

Dolly01

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The vet also mentioned ulcers in her mouth, can anyone see them as I think they may have gone ?!
 

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Lyn W

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Could she have eaten something toxic in the garden that have given her ulcers and upset her?
What do you normally feed her?
Cucumber isn't good as a regular diet but it does have a laxative effect, If my tort seems to need a hand pooping I grate some of the flesh only (not skin or seeds) to a mush and feed that - hopefully to make it work quicker but I have no evidence for that. Opuntia does the same and aloe vera but only if you have plants that you know are chemical free.
Antibiotics can affect her appetite, I hope she's better soon.
 

Dolly01

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Thanks guys! ?! Yeah she really isn’t well ?! I think she’s slowly dying!! I’ve tried everything still no poop, she’s literally not interested in anything ! Could she have gone into a semi hibernation to maybe get well ?
 

Sarah2020

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Have tried warmth is it in a warm place try putting food very close. They can be stubborn and you need to try everything. Hope you can turn this around.
Care sheet which may give you some ideas
 
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