Sick Redfoot

[RecklessCyanide]

my redfoot was diagnosed to have RI a week ago, i've been treating him with antibiotics, but for recent couple days i found his poop is abnormal, seems like diarrhea, i uploaded 2 pics of it for you guys to see, maybe you guys have experienced same situation as mine did. (pics are disgusting!!). However his appetite is better now and his breathing sound is shaping up as well. he gained a lot of weight. i will weigh him a week later to be sure he's still gaining weight. also his plastron appears differently than before. it was all yellow when i got him like 5 weeks ago, now there is a black spot centered at the plastron. i don't know if this is normal. hopefully not metabolic bone disease. let me hear your thoughts on this about the poop and plastron. really appreciated.

 

[stojanovski92113]

What are your temps in your redfoots home?

 

[Yvonne G]

Go outside and find a stand of tall grass and cut a couple handfuls with the scissors. Then cut it up into about 1" pieces and mix it in with his food. You'll be adding more fiber and this should tighten up the stool.

I don't know about the spot on the plastron. I would say it's normal, but you see him in real time, I only see a picture.

 

[Careym13]

How old is your tortoise? Can you post pictures of it's enclosure? What is the diet like? What are your four temps (basking, night, warm and cool side)?

 

[Morob7]

I have never given antibiotics to a tortoise before, but diarrhea is a common side effect of antibiotics in humans. I would make sure it has access to clean water to drink and soak in to prevent dehydration. It is encouraging that his symptoms have improved with the antibiotics. I would only be alarmed if the diarrhea does not resolve after finishing the antibiotic course.

 

[crimson_lotus]

I would wait a few days and see if the stool works itself out, as consistency will change as you feed variety to your tortoise, just from personal experience. If I feed my tortoise cactus fruit or kiwi, I tend to get stool that is fairly separated with a bunch of undigested seeds mixed in there.

As for the brown spot on the plastron...mine has it. I think most red foots have it from the pictures I've seen.

 

[dmmj]

did the vet happen to mention it diarrhea was a side effect of the antibiotics?

 

[Morob7]

Just confirmed with a vet friend of mine that they can get diarrhea from antibiotics.

 

[RecklessCyanide]

What are your temps in your redfoots home?

85-90 during the day, 82 at night

 

[RecklessCyanide]

his temperature is around 85-90 during the day and 82 at night. he has access to water all time and i soak him for 20-25 mins daily. his food mainly composed of radicchio,spring mix, mushroom, banana, strawberry, squash, apple and reptistick. i don't give banana and strawberry too often. i think he just lost appetite again, he now seems only eat reptistick and he starts to wobble when walk, i don't know if that's because he was dehydrated for a day because i didn't come home yesterday and his water dish was all dry up or it's something else. he still has diarrhea. I don't know what to do with him, today is the 10th day since i started treating him. the only improvement is his breathing sound gets less frequent and less heavyish.

 

[Mantissa3]

his temperature is around 85-90 during the day and 82 at night. he has access to water all time and i soak him for 20-25 mins daily. his food mainly composed of radicchio,spring mix, mushroom, banana, strawberry, squash, apple and reptistick. i don't give banana and strawberry too often. i think he just lost appetite again, he now seems only eat reptistick and he starts to wobble when walk, i don't know if that's because he was dehydrated for a day because i didn't come home yesterday and his water dish was all dry up or it's something else. he still has diarrhea. I don't know what to do with him, today is the 10th day since i started treating him. the only improvement is his breathing sound gets less frequent and less heavyish.

Has this resolved? Can you take pictures of your habitat and post them?
Hope your baby is already much better.
Karen

 

[kathyth]

That black spot is normal on Redfoots.

 

[Anyfoot]

That black spot is normal on Redfoots.

I 2nd this. Dont worry about dark patch on the plastron. Totally normal for this species.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I.M.O. your temps are on the high side for a Redfoot.
Mine are happiest between 79-89. But are most active in the lower 80s.
I got three RF from Miami and they all had runny poo for weeks. It cleared up with feedings of correct food. It just took a while.
The Fortaz that I treated Bertha with did not cause diarrhea. But it did seem to knock out her beneficial bacteria as she did not eat again after treatment for weeks and then once she ate, couldn't pass anything.

 

[Sarah_Marie]

I.M.O. your temps are on the high side for a Redfoot.
Mine are happiest between 79-89. But are most active in the lower 80s.
I got three RF from Miami and they all had runny poo for weeks. It cleared up with feedings of correct food. It just took a while.
The Fortaz that I treated Bertha with did not cause diarrhea. But it did seem to knock out her beneficial bacteria as she did not eat again after treatment for weeks and then once she ate, couldn't pass anything.

Were you giving the Fortaz orally or injecting it?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Were you giving the Fortaz orally or injecting it?

By injection. I think it was every third day. One of those days, I broke a needle trying to get it into the area of the neck. Otherwise it went smoothly.

 

[Sarah_Marie]

By injection. I think it was every third day. One of those days, I broke a needle trying to get it into the area of the neck. Otherwise it went smoothly.

Your poor tort. Hopefully all is better now. I was fortunate enough that my tort didn't have any issues while on Fortaz. They can be such sensitive creatures sometimes.