Sick tortoise

[MartyR]

We ordered a tortoise online for my 12 year olds birthday. We had a nice one before. This one though doesn't eat and is not active at all. We have the same set up with heat and uv. We went to a veterinary that specializes in reptiles and he pit it on a antibiotic a month ago. No real change yet. And now there is a cut/hole under hs chin in the picture. We have no sharp objects in his area. Any help or suggestions would be great. My son is really sad about the whole situation Thank you

 

[Tom]

That looks pretty bad. Looks like you got a wild caught import that is in bad shape.

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[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome, you have found the right place to give your tort every chance.
Have you given him luke/baby warm soaks since you've had him?
If you post some pics of his enclosure members can see if there's anything that could be affecting him.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Marty, and welcome! Please show us pictures of the tortoise top and bottom, so we can understand what species he is to be able to better help you.

When a tortoise is showing signs of illness, I set him up in a smaller tank, what I refer to as a 'hospital' tank. Depending upon the tortoise's size, I may use a 10 gallon aquarium for this purpose. I cover the whole thing, lights and all, with a sheet of plastic, and tuck the edges under the aquarium. I like the temperature inside to be around 85F day and night.

If you have a vet you are in good with, ask them for a prescription for Terramycin water soluble powder, then go online and find a place that sells it. It's been a while, but I've bought it before at 1800petmeds.com.

You use a teaspoon of powder per quart of warm water, but you have to make adjustments according to the size of the bowl you're using. You want the water to come up to the middle of the tortoise's sides. Soak him in the solution for about an hour. If you set the bowl back inside the hospital tank, the water will stay warm. You should notice an improvement in a few days. (use something he can't climb out of)

Every time you take him out of the soak, rinse him off and dry him then set him in front of the food, back in the tank. I chop up the greens during this period to make it easier for him to eat, and I use a lot of the type of greens we don't normally feed, like lettuce, etc. just to get him interested in eating.

Good luck, and please keep us informed.