Russian tortoise white blood cell count low so needs ct scan?

Blackdog1714

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Yeah he is spoiled! He has at least 4 different foods to eat per day!

They are in separate tables. Blink would probably eat Cadwell if he had the chance he's very aggressive even though he's smaller.

The top pic is cadwells (my tortoise)
The bottom pic is blinks (my partners tortoise) Blinks is a mess because he is the most hyperactive troublemaker of a tortoise you have ever seen
Blink has nothing on my leopard. His food is 1 meter from his water dish but always puts food in it with ?, pee, and substrate. My Russian is just grumpy and will burrow and not go in his hide
 

Maggie3fan

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Yeah I can see that. It's really heartwarming to see the responses.

Another reason I'm determined to keep this thread updated is because a couple of times ive searched the forum for posts about an issue myself or a friend might be having but as the saying goes "op never delivers". They kind of explain the situation and get some input but sometimes don't say how the situation ended. So I'm just kind of keeping things updated in case it becomes relevant to someone else at some point so they get the full story. I know I've been guilty of it in the past.
Think about this. Instead of adding on to that thread and making it longer you can make different threads (like this one) only different, 1.white blood count another thread Cadwell is eating...another thread cat scan...now I am just making this up, but what I am trying to say, make more threads shorter, and more people will read it. When It gets too long nobody reads all of it...just sayin for a friend
 

Jan A

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Hi all. Just an update on Cadwell for anybody interested. After his second blood test his white blood cell count has increased by a tiny amount. However the rest of his bloods were fine (minus a slight calcium reduction due to his not eating) we finished his antibiotics but, typically, when administering the final dose my partner must've been a bit too rough with cadwells front right leg because he wouldn't move it for days after (he feels really guilty) when a new vet (who was amazing and so knowledgeable) rang with the blood results I explained the leg situation and she checked the records and said that was also the leg they took bloods from the day before too and it's probably just been injured by being manhandled two days running and to keep an eye but it should be fine.

Cadwell seems much better in himself. He's moving in and out of his basking spot. Eating (just his faves so far) but eating daily. He's even had an escape attempt or two. He's pooped and urated a couple of times. And he's putting some weight on that bad leg now. He's very slow but he is on the mend.

The new vet agreed that some torts do slow down in winter and white blood cells can naturally drop but there was clearly an infection due to his turn around after the antibiotics. She recommends giving him 4-6 weeks of good food, vitamins and plenty of baths and space to heal and we'll see how he is after that time. Obviously if he starts to go downhill again I am to take him straight back. But yeah that's where we are atm.

attached pic of Cadwell (left) and his brother blink having a soak.
vid of Cadwell having some tortoise diet (not the healthiest I know but it's one of the only things he's interested in eating atm)
Hi all. Just an update on Cadwell for anybody interested. After his second blood test his white blood cell count has increased by a tiny amount. However the rest of his bloods were fine (minus a slight calcium reduction due to his not eating) we finished his antibiotics but, typically, when administering the final dose my partner must've been a bit too rough with cadwells front right leg because he wouldn't move it for days after (he feels really guilty) when a new vet (who was amazing and so knowledgeable) rang with the blood results I explained the leg situation and she checked the records and said that was also the leg they took bloods from the day before too and it's probably just been injured by being manhandled two days running and to keep an eye but it should be fine.

Cadwell seems much better in himself. He's moving in and out of his basking spot. Eating (just his faves so far) but eating daily. He's even had an escape attempt or two. He's pooped and urated a couple of times. And he's putting some weight on that bad leg now. He's very slow but he is on the mend.

The new vet agreed that some torts do slow down in winter and white blood cells can naturally drop but there was clearly an infection due to his turn around after the antibiotics. She recommends giving him 4-6 weeks of good food, vitamins and plenty of baths and space to heal and we'll see how he is after that time. Obviously if he starts to go downhill again I am to take him straight back. But yeah that's where we are atm.

attached pic of Cadwell (left) and his brother blink having a soak.
vid of Cadwell having some tortoise diet (not the healthiest I know but it's one of the only things he's interested in eating atm)
That is such good news!! CONGRATS!!
 

No1much

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Think about this. Instead of adding on to that thread and making it longer you can make different threads (like this one) only different, 1.white blood count another thread Cadwell is eating...another thread cat scan...now I am just making this up, but what I am trying to say, make more threads shorter, and more people will read it. When It gets too long nobody reads all of it...just sayin for a friend
Hey thanks for the advice. I did do that initially but the threads were combined by admins and I was advised to keep things in one place since all the issues were connected to one illness. I'm just keeping the thread updated in case someone experiencing similar issues finds it useful somehow. I'm not really worried if most people don't read it as long as someone who the information is helpful to does. Sorry I didn't see this earlier I didn't get a notification.
 

No1much

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Another update for anyone interested. Cadwell has shown further improvement. His eating is still off but I'm not sure if he's just become reliant on my hand feeding him because he tends to wait for me to come home. His front leg is healed. His back leg still has a slight drag on it though. That red "rash" on his chest has cleared up in the last week and he is incredibly active. Like almost annoyingly so haha.
But in all seriousness I'm relieved.

Unless there are serious developments this will probably be the last update as it's probably becoming annoying ?

Attached is a pic of his plastron today (sans rash) and a lil gif of him loving bum scratches also today.
 

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Krista S

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I’m so glad to hear Cadwell‘s health is still headed in the right direction. Your updates aren’t annoying at all. It’s helpful for other members to read about and will give them hope if they’re in the same situation. This thread will be helpful to others for years to come.
 

Jan A

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This is wonderful news! We'd like to see updates on Cadwell! We always want to know our extended tort family is doing well. After all, that's why we're here!

He certainly has mastered the scratch dance! :D
We really do love photos & videos!! It's so good that Cadwell is better!!
 

No1much

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Okay definitely the last update ?

This week Cadwell has started eating "normally" and has been super active (actually driving me crazy ?).
Until this point he has been picking at certain foods, usually just his favorites but this week he has been demolishing everything in his path. In the past he'd have good days and bad days but he's consistently had good days for the last couple of weeks and has got his strength back up enough to try and parkour up everything.

No sign of a rash or a limp or any Ill effects from being poorly.

It's been 10 long weeks and 100s of pounds in vets bills but I would only consider him fully recovered this week.

As before I'm just updating for the people who may have a similar situation so they know just how long it takes for their tort to fully recover.

Thank you everyone for the advice.
 

Maggie3fan

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Hey thanks for the advice. I did do that initially but the threads were combined by admins and I was advised to keep things in one place since all the issues were connected to one illness. I'm just keeping the thread updated in case someone experiencing similar issues finds it useful somehow. I'm not really worried if most people don't read it as long as someone who the information is helpful to does. Sorry I didn't see this earlier I didn't get a notification.
I would hope you didn't get a notification about me...there's much more interesting reading. Yeah, those moderators!!! However, that said, people who have commented on your post and given you advice about your tort DO want to see updates
 

Maggie3fan

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Okay definitely the last update ?

This week Cadwell has started eating "normally" and has been super active (actually driving me crazy ?).
Until this point he has been picking at certain foods, usually just his favorites but this week he has been demolishing everything in his path. In the past he'd have good days and bad days but he's consistently had good days for the last couple of weeks and has got his strength back up enough to try and parkour up everything.

No sign of a rash or a limp or any Ill effects from being poorly.

It's been 10 long weeks and 100s of pounds in vets bills but I would only consider him fully recovered this week.

As before I'm just updating for the people who may have a similar situation so they know just how long it takes for their tort to fully recover.

Thank you everyone for the advice.
I'd like to say one more thing...think about this, you can't just use us and leave. I have been on this forum for...hey...MODERATORS...no wonder people think I don't know squat...I have been here since 2008 not 2018... fix it!
Anyway, don't stop posting, I take pictures of my animals and write about them and post'em. These members know more about me and my animals than they want to...lol That's a lot more fun than posting about him being sick...this is Mary Knobbins, she's a rescue age unknown...100_7496.JPG
 

Jan A

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I'd like to say one more thing...think about this, you can't just use us and leave. I have been on this forum for...hey...MODERATORS...no wonder people think I don't know squat...I have been here since 2008 not 2018... fix it!
Anyway, don't stop posting, I take pictures of my animals and write about them and post'em. These members know more about me and my animals than they want to...lol That's a lot more fun than posting about him being sick...this is Mary Knobbins, she's a rescue age unknown...View attachment 324868
Mary Knobbins can't come to the phone right now. She's a little hung up!
 

KarenSoCal

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Okay definitely the last update ?

In the past he'd have good days and bad days but he's consistently had good days for the last couple of weeks and has got his strength back up enough to try and parkour up everything.
Somehow parkour is to Cadwell as bobsledding is to the Jamaican team! LOL!

What a great mind's eye image! Love it!
 
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