TURTLE BABY

[Carol S]

It has been two weeks and 1 day since the dog attack on Turtle Baby. Physically he seems to be healing. He has taken a few bites of food since the attack, although he ate a hisbicus flower last Monday. (The vet said that it might be at least 2 weeks before he started eating). I am concerned as he stays in his hide or hides in the plants all day (when he is in his outside enclosure for some sunshine), whereas before he was very outgoing and was not afraid or nervous and only went in his hide to sleep at night. After he has his medicated soak, ointment and bandaging routine I put him back in his inside enclosure and he runs to his hide and stays there the rest of the day. Do you think this is a normal response because it is nature's way of protecting him as he heals or do you think that he is so traumatized from the attack that he will never be trusting and outgoing as he was before? I feel so bad for my little guy as before the attack all he had ever known was love and kindness, and to be mauled by a dog would be so truamatizing and painful. Plus I am sure his daily medicated soaking, ointment application and bandaging adds somewhat to his stress, although he does not outwardly seem stressed by this. The only part that he seems to mind is when I have to wrap the stretch tape around his shell to hold his gauze in place, then he tries to get away. It must be scary and painful to have an injection every three days.

He will be going for a follow-up visit at the vet later this week. I will feel much better when he starts eating more regularly and not staying in is hide all day long. As mentioned above, a week ago today he ate almost a whole hisbicus flower and then the next day he took a few bites of Spring mix so I though he was starting to eat again, but since then I have only seen him take a bite of a plant when he was having some sun time in his outside enclosure.

Does the antibiotic Fortaz cause them to not want to eat? He is on a shot every three days. He has had 4 shots so far. His last show was yesterday (Sunday).

Any feedback, suggestions, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Pokeymeg]

RE: TURTLE BABY

I think his response is totally normal. He was attacked and now he gets shot in the arm every day! BUT, he will get over it, not to worry!! It will take time, but eventually he will realize he is safe and secure again.

 

[wellington]

RE: TURTLE BABY

I agree it is probably normal. After all the treatment and his life actually gets back to normal, he will figure out he is safe. He was attacked and now all the treatment, I would run and hide too.

 

[turtletrucker]

RE: TURTLE BABY

Yeah, I would not worry about the skittish behavior too much. He has been through a serious trauma and even the processing power of a tortoise can recognize what that means. I always joke that Taiki, my Indian Star, is a terrible tortoise because she does not startle that easily and rarely goes in her shell when a wild tortoise probably would. I am sure if she was attcaked and had been given a reason to fear predators that her wild instinct would come back and she would be much more evasive and careful.

But he is also a tortoise and so eventually, once he is all healed up and he is back to his normal, safe, pampered life style I am sure you will see him coming back out of his shell (pun intended).