Redfoot health advice

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Feylin

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Hello, I have lurked here for a long time but need some advice on my redfoot.

I have had Lois for 19 years. Recently, my husband's job moved us to Germany and Lois came with us. My vet back home (SEAVS in Washington, DC) said she may develop a URI from the general stress of travel and to be on the lookout for it. Lois seemed very normal when I got her off the plane, but I've been watching her.

Her behavior is normal. She is just as social and interactive with us as ever.

She spends more time under her heat lamp than usual, but this apartment is colder than our place in DC because our heat is not under our control (which sucks, but apparently that's common here). I have a second heat lamp on order to make sure her whole enclosure doesn't go below 60F. Right now her basking spot is the correct temp.

She is suddenly VERY picky about food. I normally do not feed a pelleted diet, and use all fresh and have the usual supplements on it. She eats her protein normally, but vegetables and fruits are treated with suspicion. She takes a bite and then spends time inspecting them closely before walking away. She's excited to see food, but doesn't end up eating produce. Could it taste that different here? I ordered some Mazuri, and she eats that happily.

Her water intake is the same. Urine and poop are normal.

She sounds *slightly* wheezy/whistly, but she has sounded like that for all of the 19 years I've had her. When she's had a URI in the past, she sounds downright snotty when she breathes.

So. Do I worry? Should I keep a close eye on her for now, or do we get a vet appointment? The not eating as much bothers me and I'd rather keep her on the mostly fresh food diet instead of a pelleted food.

Any advice you have is welcome. Thanks from Lois :tort: and I!
 

Feylin

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Will it help to get a response if I post a picture of her? haha.

Here she is all ready to travel on the plane. I had heat packs all in the insulation around her and the Continental employees refreshed them every 4hrs to keep her at 75F the whole trip.
6727704917_fd7c020c1c.jpg


Having fun on NYE before we left. (Those are fake drinks, just colored water!)
6610194923_db7f2bc76b.jpg
 

bikerchicspain

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I would keep a very close eye on her, she could be over stressed from the journey, if you are really concerned take her to a vet ( rep vet)..
 

jackrat

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If I had to make a guess,I would say the produce overseas tastes different. I know it tastes different to me,but for the most part I like it more.
 

Feylin

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bikerchicspain said:
I would keep a very close eye on her, she could be over stressed from the journey, if you are really concerned take her to a vet ( rep vet)..

Thanks, yes, OK. I was leaning towards that too. There is a good tortoise vet about 2hrs from me by car. Just trying to balance the stress of 2hrs in a car, I suppose.


I think food is better tasting here too! It's been 10+ years since I used a pelleted food, but I suppose I will supplement her diet with it until she gets over herself about the produce here.. Is Mazuri still a good brand? How do you all feed it if you use it?
 

ascott

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If it were me....I would not add stress of a drive and vet visit just yet....give her some time to de stress and settle in some..and likely the produce there does have a bit of a different process so likely a bit different taste....maybe try some strawberry or banana and see if that can inspire a bit more interest with some veggies? And bump the amount of mazuri you are giving her when you give her that until she gains interest in the veggies and fruit on those feeding days...you know? Love the pic...maybe she should not hit the sauce so heavily and she will feel more like eating...LOL...:D
 

Feylin

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ascott said:
If it were me....I would not add stress of a drive and vet visit just yet....give her some time to de stress and settle in some..and likely the produce there does have a bit of a different process so likely a bit different taste....maybe try some strawberry or banana and see if that can inspire a bit more interest with some veggies? And bump the amount of mazuri you are giving her when you give her that until she gains interest in the veggies and fruit on those feeding days...you know? Love the pic...maybe she should not hit the sauce so heavily and she will feel more like eating...LOL...:D

She treats all produce with deep suspicion. Strawberries, banana, grapes, even mango- she inspects it, takes a bite or two, and then won't touch it. Kale (or other dark greens) was a staple of her diet before the move but I could not find it in Germany, not even at the commissary on base! Finally we found some at a fancy grocery store in France and she was so excited when she saw/smelled it. She only ate small amount of it. She kept looking at the kale, looking at me, like I had done this to her LOL.
 

DixieParadise

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I know this sounds weird, but you may be able to find canned Kale. Also, they use unpatable water to irrigate produce with, so...good suggestion is to throughly wash and rinse all produce and fruit. Good luck to you...she is probably just stressed from the move. She is very beatiful...hope she is back to her old self soon.
 

Feylin

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DixieParadise said:
I know this sounds weird, but you may be able to find canned Kale. Also, they use unpatable water to irrigate produce with, so...good suggestion is to throughly wash and rinse all produce and fruit. Good luck to you...she is probably just stressed from the move. She is very beatiful...hope she is back to her old self soon.

Yeah, the water thing happens in the US too. Plus if you're buying local/organic, they're fertilizing with poop from some animal (as opposed to chemical fertilizers) so you have to wash it well anyways! I always wash it all very well for us and for her!

I'm not sure about the canned kale. Frozen and canned produce does not have the same nutritional content as fresh. I would be concerned that it doesn't have the fiber and calcium (and other minerals) that she needs.

It's warming up, here in Germany, so I'm hoping our house won't be so cold for her. That will help, I think.
 
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