piccolo_the_tortoise
New Member
Hello, this is my first time posting on here. I have a tortoise named Piccolo who has been having health issues (or possibly brumating, but I am unsure). He barely eats and has been very lethargic, these symptoms started in early June.
I recieved Piccolo unexpectedly in February. He was being neglected, he was in a dusty box in a cold garage with no food or water. His beak was pretty overgrown. He had puffy eyelids. I am unsure how long he had gone without food or water when I got him, it was probably over a month though. His shell has always looked smooth, no signs of pyramiding or anything like that.
When I brought him home, it took him a couple days to eat. Initially he was very dehydrated, but his condition improved with soaking and access to water. After he settled in, Piccolo had a hearty appetite and started to eat everyday. I fed him a variety of leafy greens, weeds, and flowers. He got grassland tortoise mix and calcium without D3 as supplements on top of his food. Some of his favorites include dandelions, radicchio, butter lettuce and the crunchy romaine lettuce. He loves dandelions so much he would start chasing me when he saw them :')
I had taken him to an exotic vet when I got him, I did a fecal exam which revealed parasites, and we treated him with oral antiobiotics. The vet said that he looked pretty good outside of being dehydrated. A little underweight but he was bouncing back he seemed very energetic. I gave him soaks 2-3 times a week.
He was doing good and getting better for the next couple of months, his eyes became clearer and less puffy and his energy levels were fantastic. His appetite was great, everything was pretty normal.
I did not know much about tortoises when I got him, but I researched a lot and improved his setup over the next few months. His enclosure is set up in the living room of my dorm, it's a decently sized space. Luckily my roomate doesn't seem to mind too much. We just built a screen lid for it so the entire thing is covered. The bottom story is around 32 square feet, and there is a hutch with a ramp attached to it. He has loose substrate which is a mix of organic topsoil, cypress mulch, playsand, and Exo-Terra's stone desert substrate mix. He has two basking spots, one on the bottom story and one on the hutch. There is an Arcadia UVB light that spans across the bottom section of his enclosure. His basking temps at around 92 degrees and the ambient temps in the enclosure range from 72-80. I've got all his basking lamps hooked up to thermostats and timers to monitor the temps.
His appetite started to decrease in early June, which was also around the time when he was upgraded to his big enclosure. At first I wasn't worried, but then he started going over a week without eating and didn't show interest in dandelions.
I took him to a new vet and explained his symptoms, we did bloodwork which showed a decrease in the liver enzymes, but the vet did not seem to be too concerned about it at the time. She recommended to bring him back in if the symptoms did not improve. The vet also discussed husbandry with me and helped me correct the UVB in Piccolo's enclosure (we upgraded to a 12% T5 Arcadia UVB light that is much larger).
At the time the vet suspected that he could have some sort of infection. They prescribed him Ceftazidime which was adminstered via injection every 3 days, I did these injections myself at home. After the treatment was finished, there was no improvement (perhaps even a further decrease in appetite).
After his condition was not improving, I decided to take him back to the vet. We did another round of bloodwork which showed an increase in issues. I don't fully understand the labwork so I will attatch a screenshot of it for more context, this labwork was done in July. The vet did not prescribe any new medications or treatment. The vet recommended an ultrasound for further diagnostics, but it would have been at least $1,600 or more. I tried calling around to all of the exotic vets in my area, but very few of them see reptiles and their pricing was all the same (plus additional fees for an initial exam). I could not afford to do this, and I haven't been able to find anywhere cheaper.
The vet then recommended to do tube feedings. So we did three tube feedings. He reguritated during one of them. I was not there to observe it (the vet takes him to a backroom) so I am unsure if it could've been from incorrect placement or temperature being too cold. We have not had any more issues with him reguritating. These tube feedings were very stressful for him.
I got in contact with an exotic vet online who was very kind and offered advice. They think that his condition sounds like fatty liver disease, which I also suspect. They recommended syringe feeding him Critical Care formula, which I started doing. Recently switched from the Critical Care formula to Emeraid Herbivore formula as it has less protein. Piccolo is very difficult about the oral feedings but I've been able to get small amounts in him. I do believe this has been helping him a bit. He will often eat small amounts on his own after getting syringe fed.
The person online was able to put together a care package of subcontanious fluids for me to give Piccolo as well. I have been doing the subcue fluid injections for about a week now to help with his dehydration. The fluids are LR rather than saline to avoid further dehydrating him. I've also been keeping up with soaking him and I will soak him with reptile electrolytes twice a week.
He is still very lethargic day to day, he just burys himself and sleeps all day I am not sure what I should do next to try to help him, or if I need to back off and give him time to rest. I had reached out to the only tortoise rescue in my area recently to hear their advice, and they did not really have anything outside of suspecting he could be trying to brumate. The rescue said that the liver enzymes can drop when they are brumating. They said that it sounds like I am doing everything right in terms of husbandry and care, which was reassuring but I still feel worried about the little guy.
I have been trying to take him outside for at least 30 minutes everyday whenever possible. I also have been doing soaks outside in the shade with him to give him more time outside. He does like to roam around outside, I think he enjoys the time we spend out there.
I have been considering going to the vet to do another fecal sample, I want to double check that he does not have any remaining parasites that could be causing this decreased appetite and lethargy. I've been holding off on more bloodwork because I don't want to stress him out. I've tried to look for different vets but the options around here are very limited.
I also just had a surgery on the 15th. Currently recovering with Piccolo in a travel enclosure with me at my parents house. The enclosure he is in right now was his old bin I recieved him in, it's probably around 50 gallons. All his temps are good and he's got his UVB light still. I am aware it is not ideal but I could not think of a better alternative. He has just been tunneling and sleeping for most of the time. We are going home and he will be back in his big enclosure soon.
Two days ago he did eat a bunch of romaine lettuce on his own, he was really enjoying the crunchy parts of it. He would only eat when I hand fed him it though. He shows no interest to the spring mix or darker greens I offer, which is unfortunate because I know romaine isn't too nutrional. I have been having the most success with butter lettuce and romaine. I have experimented with offering lots of different foods, he is unfortunetly picky and just does not want to eat most of the time.
I want to help him feel better, but I am not sure exactly what is going on or what my next steps should be with his care. I have been worried about stressing him out too much, so I have been trying to give him space and time to rest. I check on him a few times but I don't handle him except for his subcue injections and syringe feedings.
If anyone has thoughts on what could be causing this or any sort of advice, I would love to discuss. I have been trying to find more information on fatty liver disease, but most of the cases of it are only caught after the liver is in failer. There is not much information on it that I have been able to find.
I recieved Piccolo unexpectedly in February. He was being neglected, he was in a dusty box in a cold garage with no food or water. His beak was pretty overgrown. He had puffy eyelids. I am unsure how long he had gone without food or water when I got him, it was probably over a month though. His shell has always looked smooth, no signs of pyramiding or anything like that.
When I brought him home, it took him a couple days to eat. Initially he was very dehydrated, but his condition improved with soaking and access to water. After he settled in, Piccolo had a hearty appetite and started to eat everyday. I fed him a variety of leafy greens, weeds, and flowers. He got grassland tortoise mix and calcium without D3 as supplements on top of his food. Some of his favorites include dandelions, radicchio, butter lettuce and the crunchy romaine lettuce. He loves dandelions so much he would start chasing me when he saw them :')
I had taken him to an exotic vet when I got him, I did a fecal exam which revealed parasites, and we treated him with oral antiobiotics. The vet said that he looked pretty good outside of being dehydrated. A little underweight but he was bouncing back he seemed very energetic. I gave him soaks 2-3 times a week.
He was doing good and getting better for the next couple of months, his eyes became clearer and less puffy and his energy levels were fantastic. His appetite was great, everything was pretty normal.
I did not know much about tortoises when I got him, but I researched a lot and improved his setup over the next few months. His enclosure is set up in the living room of my dorm, it's a decently sized space. Luckily my roomate doesn't seem to mind too much. We just built a screen lid for it so the entire thing is covered. The bottom story is around 32 square feet, and there is a hutch with a ramp attached to it. He has loose substrate which is a mix of organic topsoil, cypress mulch, playsand, and Exo-Terra's stone desert substrate mix. He has two basking spots, one on the bottom story and one on the hutch. There is an Arcadia UVB light that spans across the bottom section of his enclosure. His basking temps at around 92 degrees and the ambient temps in the enclosure range from 72-80. I've got all his basking lamps hooked up to thermostats and timers to monitor the temps.
His appetite started to decrease in early June, which was also around the time when he was upgraded to his big enclosure. At first I wasn't worried, but then he started going over a week without eating and didn't show interest in dandelions.
I took him to a new vet and explained his symptoms, we did bloodwork which showed a decrease in the liver enzymes, but the vet did not seem to be too concerned about it at the time. She recommended to bring him back in if the symptoms did not improve. The vet also discussed husbandry with me and helped me correct the UVB in Piccolo's enclosure (we upgraded to a 12% T5 Arcadia UVB light that is much larger).
At the time the vet suspected that he could have some sort of infection. They prescribed him Ceftazidime which was adminstered via injection every 3 days, I did these injections myself at home. After the treatment was finished, there was no improvement (perhaps even a further decrease in appetite).
After his condition was not improving, I decided to take him back to the vet. We did another round of bloodwork which showed an increase in issues. I don't fully understand the labwork so I will attatch a screenshot of it for more context, this labwork was done in July. The vet did not prescribe any new medications or treatment. The vet recommended an ultrasound for further diagnostics, but it would have been at least $1,600 or more. I tried calling around to all of the exotic vets in my area, but very few of them see reptiles and their pricing was all the same (plus additional fees for an initial exam). I could not afford to do this, and I haven't been able to find anywhere cheaper.
The vet then recommended to do tube feedings. So we did three tube feedings. He reguritated during one of them. I was not there to observe it (the vet takes him to a backroom) so I am unsure if it could've been from incorrect placement or temperature being too cold. We have not had any more issues with him reguritating. These tube feedings were very stressful for him.
I got in contact with an exotic vet online who was very kind and offered advice. They think that his condition sounds like fatty liver disease, which I also suspect. They recommended syringe feeding him Critical Care formula, which I started doing. Recently switched from the Critical Care formula to Emeraid Herbivore formula as it has less protein. Piccolo is very difficult about the oral feedings but I've been able to get small amounts in him. I do believe this has been helping him a bit. He will often eat small amounts on his own after getting syringe fed.
The person online was able to put together a care package of subcontanious fluids for me to give Piccolo as well. I have been doing the subcue fluid injections for about a week now to help with his dehydration. The fluids are LR rather than saline to avoid further dehydrating him. I've also been keeping up with soaking him and I will soak him with reptile electrolytes twice a week.
He is still very lethargic day to day, he just burys himself and sleeps all day I am not sure what I should do next to try to help him, or if I need to back off and give him time to rest. I had reached out to the only tortoise rescue in my area recently to hear their advice, and they did not really have anything outside of suspecting he could be trying to brumate. The rescue said that the liver enzymes can drop when they are brumating. They said that it sounds like I am doing everything right in terms of husbandry and care, which was reassuring but I still feel worried about the little guy.
I have been trying to take him outside for at least 30 minutes everyday whenever possible. I also have been doing soaks outside in the shade with him to give him more time outside. He does like to roam around outside, I think he enjoys the time we spend out there.
I have been considering going to the vet to do another fecal sample, I want to double check that he does not have any remaining parasites that could be causing this decreased appetite and lethargy. I've been holding off on more bloodwork because I don't want to stress him out. I've tried to look for different vets but the options around here are very limited.
I also just had a surgery on the 15th. Currently recovering with Piccolo in a travel enclosure with me at my parents house. The enclosure he is in right now was his old bin I recieved him in, it's probably around 50 gallons. All his temps are good and he's got his UVB light still. I am aware it is not ideal but I could not think of a better alternative. He has just been tunneling and sleeping for most of the time. We are going home and he will be back in his big enclosure soon.
Two days ago he did eat a bunch of romaine lettuce on his own, he was really enjoying the crunchy parts of it. He would only eat when I hand fed him it though. He shows no interest to the spring mix or darker greens I offer, which is unfortunate because I know romaine isn't too nutrional. I have been having the most success with butter lettuce and romaine. I have experimented with offering lots of different foods, he is unfortunetly picky and just does not want to eat most of the time.
I want to help him feel better, but I am not sure exactly what is going on or what my next steps should be with his care. I have been worried about stressing him out too much, so I have been trying to give him space and time to rest. I check on him a few times but I don't handle him except for his subcue injections and syringe feedings.
If anyone has thoughts on what could be causing this or any sort of advice, I would love to discuss. I have been trying to find more information on fatty liver disease, but most of the cases of it are only caught after the liver is in failer. There is not much information on it that I have been able to find.
