Swim test

[JeffR]

So I came back from vacation and was giving a group of Burmese Stars a bath and noticed one sort of sank. Water was not over there heads but it was clear she was less buoyant

On closer inspection she had a few bubbles from her nose so pretty clearly had a respiratory infection. Took her to vet and after a course of ceftaz and 3 months of intermittent tube feeding she is back on track and eating like a cow. Interesting she laid about 10 eggs 2 months into the illness right on the ground (too weak to dig. Hole?).

So I was soaking another tort (Sri Lankan yearling) she is floating off to one side like there is a gas bubble on the right side. Once again the tort was able to touch the bottom but clearly was more buoyant on one side.

I have to think without an X-ray buoyancy or float testing while soaking. might be be a helpful screening tool? Or at least an indication to visit a vet?

Anyone else have any experience in this area?


I have

 

[Markw84]

Very interesting observation. Sounds like a useful test and worth trying. I have not experienced this as luckily have not dealt with RI issues.

 

[wellington]

What test did vet do to confirm the RI? Wondering because I would never run a tort to the vet because of a few nose bubbles while in a soak or right after, specially if it sunk some where it's nose could have been in/under the water.
If I suspected anything, I would have just upped the heat/temps.

 

[TechnoCheese]

That's really interesting!

 

[JeffR]

What test did vet do to confirm the RI? Wondering because I would never run a tort to the vet because of a few nose bubbles while in a soak or right after, specially if it sunk some where it's nose could have been in/under the water.
If I suspected anything, I would have just upped the heat/temps.

It was the first thing I noticed and when I took a closer look she would not eat and then did not head in for the night. I might have picked up she was sick eventually? I can

What test did vet do to confirm the RI? Wondering because I would never run a tort to the vet because of a few nose bubbles while in a soak or right after, specially if it sunk some where it's nose could have been in/under the water.
If I suspected anything, I would have just upped the heat/temps.

What test did vet do to confirm the RI? Wondering because I would never run a tort to the vet because of a few nose bubbles while in a soak or right after, specially if it sunk some where it's nose could have been in/under the water.
If I suspected anything, I would have just upped the heat/temps.

It was just the first sign that there was a problem. Bath time is often a chance to see if they are healthy. Sinking where the others were bopping up higher in the kiddie pool seemed off. The bubbles are fairly characteristic and not actually too subtle a finding. Things were clearer when she wasn’t eating and did not go into her heated hide at night. It is more of putting everything together. And we brought her in and turned up the heat for sure as well.

 

[mark1]

works with water turtles..... if they're floating crooked something is up......

 

[Tom]

So I came back from vacation and was giving a group of Burmese Stars a bath and noticed one sort of sank. Water was not over there heads but it was clear she was less buoyant

On closer inspection she had a few bubbles from her nose so pretty clearly had a respiratory infection. Took her to vet and after a course of ceftaz and 3 months of intermittent tube feeding she is back on track and eating like a cow. Interesting she laid about 10 eggs 2 months into the illness right on the ground (too weak to dig. Hole?).

So I was soaking another tort (Sri Lankan yearling) she is floating off to one side like there is a gas bubble on the right side. Once again the tort was able to touch the bottom but clearly was more buoyant on one side.

"The float test" is how my vet taught me to check for pneumonia. If they float lopsided, they have it. You've got a serious problem there my man.

My burms all live outside and I've never had one get sick. Do you know what happened? What are the night temps? What are the daytime temps in winter?

I keep ambient in the night boxes at 80 24/7/365. When daytime highs are less than 70ish or not sunny, I have heat lamps on timers that run all day for them to get under and warm themselves up above ambient.

 

[dd33]

Have you had any losses in this group of tortoises? Do you keep any other types of tortoises?

 

[JeffR]

"The float test" is how my vet taught me to check for pneumonia. If they float lopsided, they have it. You've got a serious problem there my man.

My burms all live outside and I've never had one get sick. Do you know what happened? What are the night temps? What are the daytime temps in winter?

I keep ambient in the night boxes at 80 24/7/365. When daytime highs are less than 70ish or not sunny, I have heat lamps on timers that run all day for them to get under and warm themselves up above ambient.

"The float test" is how my vet taught me to check for pneumonia. If they float lopsided, they have it. You've got a serious problem there my man.

My burms all live outside and I've never had one get sick. Do you know what happened? What are the night temps? What are the daytime temps in winter?

I keep ambient in the night boxes at 80 24/7/365. When daytime highs are less than 70ish or not sunny, I have heat lamps on timers that run all day for them to get under and warm themselves up above ambient.

Fortunately the ordeal is over. But it took about 3 months. Every other day shots and tube feedings. Not sure how it came on as it started back in August when it was plenty hot, but of course night temps dropped. While on vacation they were watered and fed and well cared for but not completely locked in at night (they have been really good at tucking themselves in) so maybe she did not make in back into the “Tom box” one night?

It is a wonderful feeling watching her mow threw a plate sized mound of food after not eating for several months !! Now back up to 4650 grams and gaining

 

[Tom]

Fortunately the ordeal is over. But it took about 3 months. Every other day shots and tube feedings. Not sure how it came on as it started back in August when it was plenty hot, but of course night temps dropped. While on vacation they were watered and fed and well cared for but not completely locked in at night (they have been really good at tucking themselves in) so maybe she did not make in back into the “Tom box” one night?

It is a wonderful feeling watching her mow threw a plate sized mound of food after not eating for several months !! Now back up to 4650 grams and gaining

That is odd. We do have cold nights here, but one night outside, or even several in August, should not have caused that problem. Over the last 10 years, there have been three occasions where one of mine was left outside with temps in the low 40s, and none got sick. I put them back in their warm boxes, and soaked them the next day in warm water, and no issues. That hardiness is one of the things I love about platynota. Mistakes happen. They survive the mistakes.

It was over 100 for most of August up your way, so its odd that one could get sick. Glad she recovered.

About the "Tom box"... HA! That made me laugh. I was just watching turtle and tortoise videos on YT yesterday, and someone was showing their tortoise pen and their heated night box. The box was so identical to mine that if I didn't know better, I might have though I built it myself. That design evolved over time and most of the evolution was driven by practicality and function. I tried so many different designs and ideas. Different sizes and heights, different heating, different materials, etc... Just keep trying to make them work better. I look at how other people do it looking for inspiration and I frequently get new ideas from what other people come up with.

 

[JeffR]

That is odd. We do have cold nights here, but one night outside, or even several in August, should not have caused that problem. Over the last 10 years, there have been three occasions where one of mine was left outside with temps in the low 40s, and none got sick. I put them back in their warm boxes, and soaked them the next day in warm water, and no issues. That hardiness is one of the things I love about platynota. Mistakes happen. They survive the mistakes.

It was over 100 for most of August up your way, so its odd that one could get sick. Glad she recovered.

About the "Tom box"... HA! That made me laugh. I was just watching turtle and tortoise videos on YT yesterday, and someone was showing their tortoise pen and their heated night box. The box was so identical to mine that if I didn't know better, I might have though I built it myself. That design evolved over time and most of the evolution was driven by practicality and function. I tried so many different designs and ideas. Different sizes and heights, different heating, different materials, etc... Just keep trying to make them work better. I look at how other people do it looking for inspiration and I frequently get new ideas from what other people come up with.

 

[JeffR]

Trying to figure out how to make a night box out by insulating an IBC tote. The “Tom box” is outstanding but relatively expensive to build (having built three now)


You can get a tote for about $35 and if you could create a front access big enough so the old guys can get in and out easily it might be an option?

 

[Maggie3fan]

Personally, I have kept common tortoises for a lot of years now...the only time I made a tort swim like that was to make them poop. I'm hoping that is not a regular soak? Do I misunderstand something?

 

[dd33]

I've used an IBC tote for a summer shade house for tortoises. There is really no way to easily insulate them other than spray foam.

 

[JeffR]

Personally, I have kept common tortoises for a lot of years now...the only time I made a tort swim like that was to make them poop. I'm hoping that is not a regular soak? Do I misunderstand something?

You are not really making them swim just a deep soak, “the tortoise treadmill” style. If they are consistently tipping to one side one lung may be involved if they seem less buoyant it suggest both lungs could be involved. Combined with other things like not eating or panting respirations you might figure out there is a problem?

 

[JeffR]

Have you had any losses in this group of tortoises? Do you keep any other types of tortoises?

I have Leopards, MEPs, Sri Lankans and Rads as well but do not keep any of them together. The only other “losses” ever were 2 Sri Lankans babies about a year ago which I think was from hatchling failure as they never grew at all. The 11 Burmese Stars have otherwise been super hardy.

 

[jaizei]

Trying to figure out how to make a night box out by insulating an IBC tote. The “Tom box” is outstanding but relatively expensive to build (having built three now)


You can get a tote for about $35 and if you could create a front access big enough so the old guys can get in and out easily it might be an option?

Would you want it to be accessible from the top like a night box? That and a tortoise friendly door/drawbridge on the front would be the parts where I think it might be more difficult that just a wood box.

For insulation, you can glue foamboard onto the cage, and then glue plywood onto that to protect it. And then I would use screws or bolts at the top/bottom through the plywood to the cage. I prefer the mechanical fasteners to glue, but I think the glue makes it easier to install the screws/bolts.

 

[JeffR]

Would you want it to be accessible from the top like a night box? That and a tortoise friendly door/drawbridge on the front would be the parts where I think it might be more difficult that just a wood box.

For insulation, you can glue foamboard onto the cage, and then glue plywood onto that to protect it. And then I would use screws or bolts at the top/bottom through the plywood to the cage. I prefer the mechanical fasteners to glue, but I think the glue makes it easier to install the screws/bolts.

 

[JeffR]

100% access is the tricky part

Was thinking of framing it with 2x4’s screwed through the metal from inside out and incorporating Tom’s foam board style onto that (wedging foam board between 2x4’s) and then you can put some foam board on the bottom and wrap it with whatever eg. shingles, bamboo, even heavy duty canvas. Access from the front might be best accomplished with two door system one smaller one for the torts and a bigger one for the old guys trying to maintain the shelter. But I can see a top access working as well just creates more seams for heat loss.