Syringe feeding oral hydration/food

[danishrubberduck]

My tortoise is under the care of a reptile vet. I am a tech at a non-exotic vet clinic and I feel mostly comfortable doing his medical care but I am seeking a video or a picture tutorial on how to give oral hydration (so IV fluids but orally) along with his critical care diet. I already ordered the special syringe tip that the vet did recommend (KVP curved metal syringe tip) and I do know that I need to be careful to avoid the trachea BUT I have yet to find a video or a pic tutorial on what I am actually looking at when I insert the syringe tip. Any help would be great! He is a Russian Tortoise that has been under the weather. (I also reached out to his vet to see what her suggestions are too)
TIA!

 

[wellington]

What are the symptoms he is having? Why does the vet feel like he needs to be syringe fed?
Most vets, even reptile vets, have never been taught anything about tortoises. We have seen on here alone many times where the vet gave bad advice.
Let us know the symptoms and everything that is involved with his housing, substrate, temps: day, night, basking, cool end?
We may be able to help without the very stressful force feeding.

 

[mark1]

My tortoise is under the care of a reptile vet. I am a tech at a non-exotic vet clinic and I feel mostly comfortable doing his medical care but I am seeking a video or a picture tutorial on how to give oral hydration (so IV fluids but orally) along with his critical care diet. I already ordered the special syringe tip that the vet did recommend (KVP curved metal syringe tip) and I do know that I need to be careful to avoid the trachea BUT I have yet to find a video or a pic tutorial on what I am actually looking at when I insert the syringe tip. Any help would be great! He is a Russian Tortoise that has been under the weather. (I also reached out to his vet to see what her suggestions are too)
TIA!

i would not use a metal one ..... when their neck is in its an S curve ..........

 

[Yvonne G]

Not eating is a sympton, not an illness. In order to 'cure' your tortoise you must be the detective and try to figure out WHY he stopped eating. Answering Wellington's questions will help us help you. Using the carrot baby food method MAY get him eating again, but you still need to figure out why he stopped.

When confronted with a turtle or tortoise that has stopped eating I have had good luck with the carrot baby food method:

Using a small container with a small footprint, but sides tall enough he can't climb out mix Gerber (or any brand) strained carrots 50%/50% warm water/baby food.

Leave him soaking in the solution for 45minutes to an hour. If you do this daily, at the end of three days his eyes should be open and appetite should be back.

 

[danishrubberduck]

Thanks all. I trust the vet as she's a head reptile vet for zoo here and owns her own torts and have worked with her for years.

His set up is fine, set up by following the guidelines on the Russian Sub-Thread.

He's appetite has been less and he stopped eating his greens but will eat his soaked pellet/dried grass diet but just not with his normal gusto.

His bloodwork indicated dehydration even with an increase in soaking. I gave him a B vitamin injection along with doing his oral "iv fluids" as directed.

 

[wellington]

Thanks all. I trust the vet as she's a head reptile vet for zoo here and owns her own torts and have worked with her for years.

His set up is fine, set up by following the guidelines on the Russian Sub-Thread.

He's appetite has been less and he stopped eating his greens but will eat his soaked pellet/dried grass diet but just not with his normal gusto.

His bloodwork indicated dehydration even with an increase in soaking. I gave him a B vitamin injection along with doing his oral "iv fluids" as directed.

I'm afraid you are not understanding. Most of the info out there is old, and wrong. If you would answer my questions I asked, we can see if you actually have the correct info
Sadly, even most zoos, do not give the best correct care.
We can't help you if you don't give us the answers we need to help you.
What will it hurt to answer our questions? If you don't and just continue with what you are doing, which obviously isn't working or this likely wouldn't have happened, you could do more harm.
We aren't here making money by helping you. We help because we care about your tortoise and we give of our time freely to try and help a tortoise get the best care available.

 

[wellington]

Thread 'The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise' https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...ise-any-temperate-species-of-tortoise.183131/

 

[wellington]

i would not use a metal one ..... when their neck is in its an S curve ..........

To the OP. If your vet didn't know this, then maybe she doesn't know as much as you think. Something to chew on.

 

[jsheffield]

I took in a rescue tort a few years ago that was light as a feather and not eating.

The thing that turned the trick was ridiculously long soaks in warm water and babyfood (I used a variety of them, all with one or more of: carrot, sweet potato, mango, banana).

I would soak this guy in a container he couldn't climb out of in a warm mix of water and babyfood for between 4-10 hours each day; I kept it/him warm by doing the soaking in a closed system that was at the desired temperature, so that I didn't have to worry about the mix or tortoise cooling down.

Over a few weeks of the treatment, the tortoise began to put on weight very slowly, and then eventually began to eat on his own, outside of the treatments.

I would try this method before trying to force-feed a tortoise, as I'd be worried about them aspirating some of the food, which could lead to an infection, and the long soaks are a non-invasive support method that I have personally seen work wonders.

Jamie

 

[SinLA]

I took in a rescue tort a few years ago that was light as a feather and not eating.

The thing that turned the trick was ridiculously long soaks in warm water and babyfood (I used a variety of them, all with one or more of: carrot, sweet potato, mango, banana).

I would soak this guy in a container he couldn't climb out of in a warm mix of water and babyfood for between 4-10 hours each day; I kept it/him warm by doing the soaking in a closed system that was at the desired temperature, so that I didn't have to worry about the mix or tortoise cooling down.

Over a few weeks of the treatment, the tortoise began to put on weight very slowly, and then eventually began to eat on his own, outside of the treatments.

I would try this method before trying to force-feed a tortoise, as I'd be worried about them aspirating some of the food, which could lead to an infection, and the long soaks are a non-invasive support method that I have personally seen work wonders.

Jamie

How did you create the closed system to keep the water warm?

 

[jsheffield]

How did you create the closed system to keep the water warm?

I placed the small Tupperware for soaking in the tortoise's closed system enclosure, so they had heat and UV while they soaked.

It was a Homes hingeback, but I've also used the same system with a rescue Russian in rough shape.

J