I don't know how many of you remember but I joined this forum because of a Russian tort we purchased from Petco before we know ANYTHING about torts. A few weeks after we got her we realized 'Josh' was very sick and after subsequent vet visits learned that she was basically in some sort of renal/ organ/ body failure.
The vets didn't really think she'd live much longer but she's managed quite well in spite of walking limitations, etc. She's a very happy friendly tort.
Yesterday afternoon she had some sort of stroke like occurrence, spasming, foaming, etc. I wondered if she'd become over heated and put her in a soak just in case but the temps were all normal.
I decided it might just be time to say goodbye and cried for a while and the took her out onto the grass and sunshine ready to wait it out. It was obvious that she was having trouble breathing and she'd gone pretty much unblinking. A few times I thought for sure she was gone.
Well. She was still with us at bedtime so I tucked her in with a kiss. And she's still with us today, but appears that she's lost most of the strength in her back legs, which were never particularly agile. She's alert and making nom faces and eating BUT she can't move herself. She'll very determinedly go where she wants if I lift up her rear and let her front navigate.
So. Now what? If it were one of my mammals I would probably say goodbye and take her to the vet for euthanasia. But torts seem to stop eating when they want to go. In the wild she wouldn't be able to reach her food. Here I can give her food and move her into good temps, etc, but is that the tort equivalent of life support?
I suppose what I am asking is do you think she will stop showing interest in food when she is ready to go?
The vets didn't really think she'd live much longer but she's managed quite well in spite of walking limitations, etc. She's a very happy friendly tort.
Yesterday afternoon she had some sort of stroke like occurrence, spasming, foaming, etc. I wondered if she'd become over heated and put her in a soak just in case but the temps were all normal.
I decided it might just be time to say goodbye and cried for a while and the took her out onto the grass and sunshine ready to wait it out. It was obvious that she was having trouble breathing and she'd gone pretty much unblinking. A few times I thought for sure she was gone.
Well. She was still with us at bedtime so I tucked her in with a kiss. And she's still with us today, but appears that she's lost most of the strength in her back legs, which were never particularly agile. She's alert and making nom faces and eating BUT she can't move herself. She'll very determinedly go where she wants if I lift up her rear and let her front navigate.
So. Now what? If it were one of my mammals I would probably say goodbye and take her to the vet for euthanasia. But torts seem to stop eating when they want to go. In the wild she wouldn't be able to reach her food. Here I can give her food and move her into good temps, etc, but is that the tort equivalent of life support?
I suppose what I am asking is do you think she will stop showing interest in food when she is ready to go?
*hugs* Now drive careful and fingers crossed for a good diagnosis.
