Rescue Sulcata

[Big Bowzer]

Hi there. I am new to the forum and new to tortoise care giving. I am rescuing a 17 year old, 109 lbs sulcata. I was told he had a respiratory infection and had stopped eating. The owner did not want to pay for treatment and asked to have him put down ☹ so I stepped in.

We have a nice big enclosure in our backyard. With a heated room for him at night. There is a heat pad, and we have ceramic bulbs with temp regulation, and I am keeping him warm since he has a cold. (No less than 75)

We have completed the antibiotics and he no longer has a runny nose, but he still isn't eating. We assumed care on Tuesday and he still hasn't eaten or drank anything. He has had at least 1 bath a day because I have no idea when he ate or pooped last.

During his bath yesterday I noticed he was drooling. He would extend his neck really far and then suck it all the way back in his shell. When he poked his head out again there would be drool on the edge of his mouth. Not sure if I should be concerned about that, but it makes me think there is some wrong inside his mouth, causing him to not eat.

I made an appointment for the vet for Monday. I asked for a feeding tube and an x-ray to check for blockages. I feel like I am at a real disadvantage not knowing what his normal behaviors are. Is there anything else I should ask the vet to check while at am there?

Thanks for any advice you have. ❤

 

[Krista S]

Hi there. I am new to the forum and new to tortoise care giving. I am rescuing a 17 year old, 109 lbs sulcata. I was told he had a respiratory infection and had stopped eating. The owner did not want to pay for treatment and asked to have him put down ☹ so I stepped in.

We have a nice big enclosure in our backyard. With a heated room for him at night. There is a heat pad, and we have ceramic bulbs with temp regulation, and I am keeping him warm since he has a cold. (No less than 75)

We have completed the antibiotics and he no longer has a runny nose, but he still isn't eating. We assumed care on Tuesday and he still hasn't eaten or drank anything. He has had at least 1 bath a day because I have no idea when he ate or pooped last.

During his bath yesterday I noticed he was drooling. He would extend his neck really far and then suck it all the way back in his shell. When he poked his head out again there would be drool on the edge of his mouth. Not sure if I should be concerned about that, but it makes me think there is some wrong inside his mouth, causing him to not eat.

I made an appointment for the vet for Monday. I asked for a feeding tube and an x-ray to check for blockages. I feel like I am at a real disadvantage not knowing what his normal behaviors are. Is there anything else I should ask the vet to check while at am there?

Thanks for any advice you have. ❤

Welcome to the forum. I don’t have the experience to give you advice, but I just wanted to say thank you for giving this tortoise a fighting chance. I’m sure the real pros will be by shortly with some good advice for you. I’ll be thinking about your tortoise, hoping for the best. ??

 

[Jan A]

Welcome to the forum. I don’t have the experience to give you advice, but I just wanted to say thank you for giving this tortoise a fighting chance. I’m sure the real pros will be by shortly with some good advice for you. I’ll be thinking about your tortoise, hoping for the best. ??

Me too. Thank you for rescuing him.

 

[KarenSoCal]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

I think you should bump the minimum temp up to 85°F. Most of the time RI's are caused by cold temps, and the cure is lots of heat. Leave it at 85° until 2 weeks after all symptoms are gone. 80°F is considered the minimum for most tortoises.

It sounds like he was moved from his previous home to yours on Tues? If so, 5 days is not a long adjustment time. It can take weeks for a tort to be comfortable in a new home. Also, the cool temp can cause them not to eat because it is difficult to digest when they're chilly.

I'm not sure about the drool. Hopefully the vet can get a good look down his throat. It is a vet who knows torts, right? You need an exotics vet who has experience with torts. Do not let the vet give vitamin shots, especially vit A. Torts don't need the shots, and the skin around the injection site can be severely damaged, causing it to slough off.

I think it may be too soon for a feeding tube. Depending on how long he hasn't been eating, he can go a long time without food. Have the vet evaluate him for weight and take that into consideration. If he isn't skinny, maybe hold off for a while. Give the increased heat time to help, and let him get more acclimated to his new home.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi there. I am new to the forum and new to tortoise care giving. I am rescuing a 17 year old, 109 lbs sulcata. I was told he had a respiratory infection and had stopped eating. The owner did not want to pay for treatment and asked to have him put down ☹ so I stepped in.

We have a nice big enclosure in our backyard. With a heated room for him at night. There is a heat pad, and we have ceramic bulbs with temp regulation, and I am keeping him warm since he has a cold. (No less than 75)

We have completed the antibiotics and he no longer has a runny nose, but he still isn't eating. We assumed care on Tuesday and he still hasn't eaten or drank anything. He has had at least 1 bath a day because I have no idea when he ate or pooped last.

During his bath yesterday I noticed he was drooling. He would extend his neck really far and then suck it all the way back in his shell. When he poked his head out again there would be drool on the edge of his mouth. Not sure if I should be concerned about that, but it makes me think there is some wrong inside his mouth, causing him to not eat.

I made an appointment for the vet for Monday. I asked for a feeding tube and an x-ray to check for blockages. I feel like I am at a real disadvantage not knowing what his normal behaviors are. Is there anything else I should ask the vet to check while at am there?

Thanks for any advice you have. ❤

That's a very interesting shell, quite unique.

His eyes have a lot of pain in them. There's definitely something not right with his world. My first guess would be a very large bladder stone. The X-Ray would show you that. Because of his attitude, he may possible have something stuck inside his mouth or throat. It's good that you're going to the vet. Is this an vet experienced with treating tortoises? But I'm going with stone. Please keep us informed, as we all learn from others' experiences. And good luck today at the vet!

 

[TammyJ]

Waiting and hoping for the best for your tortoise!

 

[Big Bowzer]

We have pneumonia. I got access to his previous vet records and he has had it for a while, hasn't eaten since June.

Really glad we got the feeling tube, let's hope there are no problems with it (fingers crossed it doesn't come out)


So my plan is to bump up the temp in his night hide to 85. I am giving him only fluids tonight and tomorrow we will start pushing (very) watered down Oxbow Critical Care. I didn't get a lot of clear instructions on how much... 2000 a day, but not how much at a time. I think I am going to start with 100 ml every few hours.... unless anyone has a better idea?

I asked for a barium study to see if there was an intestinal blockage, but his system was moving so slow we can't tell anything yet. We have an appointment for a follow up scan Friday.

The Vet we saw is an exotic vet and says he has a bunch of experience with Tortoises. But he doesn't seem to have much confidence in anything he is saying... I think we will be switching vets soon.

They sent ma a picture of the inside of his mouth, since I specifically asked them to check it out. I will share because I think it looks cool... he seems anemic right? It should be pinker in his month, shouldn't it?

 

[Big Bowzer]

Our Tortoise did not make it. He seemed to improve with the feeding tube, but yesterday he stopped responding.

We asked for a necropsy, mostly for peace of mind to make sure we didn't exacerbate his condition. It was determined that he had kidney failure, with fluid accumulated around his heart and lungs. He had been too dehydrated for too long, along with a UTI.

Rest in peace buddy.

 

[Cherryshell]

I'm so sorry for your loss

 

[Krista S]

I’m so sorry to hear this. Please take comfort in knowing you didn’t everything you could. I’m glad that he got to know what it was like to be cared for, even if just for the short time you had him.

 

[Ink]

Thank you for helping the tortoise! So sorry for your loss.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Our Tortoise did not make it. He seemed to improve with the feeding tube, but yesterday he stopped responding.

We asked for a necropsy, mostly for peace of mind to make sure we didn't exacerbate his condition. It was determined that he had kidney failure, with fluid accumulated around his heart and lungs. He had been too dehydrated for too long, along with a UTI.

Rest in peace buddy.

I'm sorry for your loss. Bless you for trying to help this guy.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Our Tortoise did not make it. He seemed to improve with the feeding tube, but yesterday he stopped responding.

We asked for a necropsy, mostly for peace of mind to make sure we didn't exacerbate his condition. It was determined that he had kidney failure, with fluid accumulated around his heart and lungs. He had been too dehydrated for too long, along with a UTI.

Rest in peace buddy.

Oh I am so sorry. At least you know in your heart you did everything you could.
I commend you for that.

 

[Jan A]

Our Tortoise did not make it. He seemed to improve with the feeding tube, but yesterday he stopped responding.

We asked for a necropsy, mostly for peace of mind to make sure we didn't exacerbate his condition. It was determined that he had kidney failure, with fluid accumulated around his heart and lungs. He had been too dehydrated for too long, along with a UTI.

Rest in peace buddy.

I am so sorry. What a heartbreaker. Big hugs to you & yours.

 

[TammyJ]

Our Tortoise did not make it. He seemed to improve with the feeding tube, but yesterday he stopped responding.

We asked for a necropsy, mostly for peace of mind to make sure we didn't exacerbate his condition. It was determined that he had kidney failure, with fluid accumulated around his heart and lungs. He had been too dehydrated for too long, along with a UTI.

Rest in peace buddy.

Very sorry about this.