Well, drat. I can't imagine how frustrating this is for you.
Tortoise dying of old age?
- Thread starter ZEROPILOT
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Well, drat. I can't imagine how frustrating this is for you.
I wish we could!!
Zeropilot... sorry that I just now read this thread.
After reading about your experiences I would confidently say that this girl is simply suffering from the stress of being moved into a new environment. Other keepers and authors have mentioned animals that became stressed and refused to eat--or ate only sparingly--for a very long time after being relocated or separated from 'their group'.
I've heard of alligator snapping turtles, Galapagos tortoises, Testudo species and other turtles who have gone 'off feed' for long periods of time because (it is assumed anyway) of being moved, relocated and so forth.
Peter Pritchard had a juvenile alligator snapping turtle go a year without eating when he first acquired it 40 years ago. But I saw this very turtle last year and now he is a huge beast that is doing just fine.
I respect the opinions of everyone else here but I would say to lay off all of the poking and prodding by vets. If the previous owner has kept this tortoise in good health for many years it is doubtful that some disease is at work. And as was mentioned, old age doesn't seem like the problem either since these animals live much longer than what you indicated.
Leave her be. Reduce the stress of handling and just offer her tempting items. I bet she comes around. Remember these animals live a long time, have a very slow metabolism and can go long periods of time with little or no food.
BTW, Tortadise mentioned the IC screening at the University of Florida. The university no longer deals with private keepers and you must first have your vet contact April Childress at UF-- in advance--- regarding the screening. Then the vet has to coordinate with the university and deal directly with them on their schedule.
Apparently, the lab at the University of Florida became overwhelmed with keepers wanting to send samples for screening and so they stopped the program.
After reading about your experiences I would confidently say that this girl is simply suffering from the stress of being moved into a new environment. Other keepers and authors have mentioned animals that became stressed and refused to eat--or ate only sparingly--for a very long time after being relocated or separated from 'their group'.
I've heard of alligator snapping turtles, Galapagos tortoises, Testudo species and other turtles who have gone 'off feed' for long periods of time because (it is assumed anyway) of being moved, relocated and so forth.
Peter Pritchard had a juvenile alligator snapping turtle go a year without eating when he first acquired it 40 years ago. But I saw this very turtle last year and now he is a huge beast that is doing just fine.
I respect the opinions of everyone else here but I would say to lay off all of the poking and prodding by vets. If the previous owner has kept this tortoise in good health for many years it is doubtful that some disease is at work. And as was mentioned, old age doesn't seem like the problem either since these animals live much longer than what you indicated.
Leave her be. Reduce the stress of handling and just offer her tempting items. I bet she comes around. Remember these animals live a long time, have a very slow metabolism and can go long periods of time with little or no food.
BTW, Tortadise mentioned the IC screening at the University of Florida. The university no longer deals with private keepers and you must first have your vet contact April Childress at UF-- in advance--- regarding the screening. Then the vet has to coordinate with the university and deal directly with them on their schedule.
Apparently, the lab at the University of Florida became overwhelmed with keepers wanting to send samples for screening and so they stopped the program.
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UF is many hundreds of miles away.
She has gone 4 days again now without a nibble.
If I knew for a fact that it was stress related I'd place her back in the group. But then monitoring if she eats or poops would be very hard.
She has gone 4 days again now without a nibble.
If I knew for a fact that it was stress related I'd place her back in the group. But then monitoring if she eats or poops would be very hard.
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Someone here at work gave me some mushy, soft mangoes.
I'm going to put everyone together. (My male included) and let a Mango orgy of eating take place.
I'll photograph and report on how it goes.
If she wants to eat in a group...I'll know today.
I'm going to put everyone together. (My male included) and let a Mango orgy of eating take place.
I'll photograph and report on how it goes.
If she wants to eat in a group...I'll know today.
Turtlepete
Well-Known Member
Hundred percent agree with Carl.
Perhaps the "mango orgy" (nice term
) will convince her to eat, if she's surrounded with other torts enjoying it….
Perhaps the "mango orgy" (nice term
) will convince her to eat, if she's surrounded with other torts enjoying it….
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Everybody ate except Bertha. As I expected.
Pedro came out for some love and my smallest female, still named Julio, chased him back into his igloo.
Pedro came out for some love and my smallest female, still named Julio, chased him back into his igloo.
Sorry to hear this Ed, I've been reading most of your posts regarding this issue and it seems as it could be a combination of both stress and an unknown pathogen.
Similar to why wild caught specimens sometimes don't make it. The pathogen is already in the system but does not do any harm because the immune system is healthy. But then we add high levels of stress and it all goes downhill.
Very sorry to have just read that your tort isn't well. What about a vet's visit?
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The gang together for dinner. The very first time some if them have seen each other and likely the only time I'll risk having Bertha in the mix.
Bertha has a B on her shell. The one with the R is Ruby. The male is in his igloo.
Bertha is off her food again. It's been five days this time.
She is still going down hill.
The small one is my pit bull, Julio. A name she got when I thought she was a he....
This will very likely be the only family photo. Ever.
Bertha has a B on her shell. The one with the R is Ruby. The male is in his igloo.
Bertha is off her food again. It's been five days this time.
She is still going down hill.
The small one is my pit bull, Julio. A name she got when I thought she was a he....
This will very likely be the only family photo. Ever.
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Two vets and two visits. Nothing found.
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I agree. It's all up to her now if she makes it or not.
If it were my tortoise, I'd place her back with your group and leave her alone to get used to living in one place. You can put her in front of the food daily, and if she doesn't move throughout the day, put her back in the hiding place in the evening. But otherwise, leave her alone.
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Yvonne. There's still the unknown illness factor.
I can't risk having all four sick.
If I knew for a fact that it would be ok I would.
She's been in her isolation pen now for about a month.
I can't risk having all four sick.
If I knew for a fact that it would be ok I would.
She's been in her isolation pen now for about a month.
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Put a plexiglass divider in and let her see the others . Maybe she will eat thinking the others will munch her food .
Have you tried offering something different like elephant ear (colocasia) or christmas cactus? My male red foot and 2 female yellow foots love them, sometimes something new works.
I am wondering something, if she was with the group at one time and no one else in the group seem sick then would you think that whatever is wrong with her may not be contagious?
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It's very likely that she is NOT the carrier of some plague. She seems to have gotten ill or at least gotten worse since I've had her. I'm just being cautious. Right now, keeping her alone is the best way I have to monitor her eating or not and my other two girls are very active and even aggressive. They bump each other over the best food and sleeping spots. Bertha is just too weak.
If she starts to eat again, her options will open up.
The few items she has eaten, she didn't eat again. Yesterdays mango was a bad sign because it smelled very strongly and was very ripe. It should have made her eat. The others went crazy.
If she starts to eat again, her options will open up.
The few items she has eaten, she didn't eat again. Yesterdays mango was a bad sign because it smelled very strongly and was very ripe. It should have made her eat. The others went crazy.
