Unexpected Death

Edannuesannu

New Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2021
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Long Island, ny
My eastern Herman was a male one year old named Hope. He was in excellent health. Eating, walking like crazy around his tortoise home. He was an inside turtle. Then yesterday I went to see him and he looked fine. It looked like he was staring at something upright, head up.. he would do that a lot. When I went back an hour later he was in the same position and my heart dropped. I picked him up and he was swollen.. eyes open, neck and body so swollen. It looked like he had pooped out his insides. I am sorry but I am so upset. I don’t have any idea what happened to him. Please can someone tell me what they think about this? He was absolutely so healthy.. I am sick with sadness. He would look up at me when I came over. He knew when I was in the room.. please someone tell me what u think happened. Please. EL
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,550
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Oh man I am so so very sorry.
Had he been pooping normally and daily or how often?
What was his diet?
My guess would be he strained too hard to try and pass a poop. That he had a blockage of some kind.
@Yvonne G
@maggie3fan
 

Ink

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jun 10, 2016
Messages
2,431
Location (City and/or State)
Virginia
Sorry for your loss
 

mark1

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2015
Messages
1,930
Location (City and/or State)
ohio
"healthy" to dead is not that uncommon in animals ..... has led me to take any sign of illness seriously ..... sorry for your loss .......
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,220
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
My eastern Herman was a male one year old named Hope. He was in excellent health. Eating, walking like crazy around his tortoise home. He was an inside turtle. Then yesterday I went to see him and he looked fine. It looked like he was staring at something upright, head up.. he would do that a lot. When I went back an hour later he was in the same position and my heart dropped. I picked him up and he was swollen.. eyes open, neck and body so swollen. It looked like he had pooped out his insides. I am sorry but I am so upset. I don’t have any idea what happened to him. Please can someone tell me what they think about this? He was absolutely so healthy.. I am sick with sadness. He would look up at me when I came over. He knew when I was in the room.. please someone tell me what u think happened. Please. EL
Only a necropsy by an experienced reptile vet can answer this question. The swelling comes from decomposition gases pushing from the inside out.

Here is a list of common issues. Maybe one will sound familiar:
Dry start/dehydration
poisoning from something eaten or from something in the environment like soil substrate
insect attack
impaction from sand in the substrate, or perlite in soil, or moss, or plastic plants
long term malnutrition from feeding mostly grocery store greens with a lack of correct supplementation
over heating in summer
failure to thrive due to the wrong types of bulbs
long term failure due to a small enclosure

Questions are welcome. We are happy to review your enclosure and routine to try and see potential problems if you want. So sorry that Hope didn't make it.
 

Edannuesannu

New Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2021
Messages
2
Location (City and/or State)
Long Island, ny
Only a necropsy by an experienced reptile vet can answer this question. The swelling comes from decomposition gases pushing from the inside out.

Here is a list of common issues. Maybe one will sound familiar:
Dry start/dehydration
poisoning from something eaten or from something in the environment like soil substrate
insect attack
impaction from sand in the substrate, or perlite in soil, or moss, or plastic plants
long term malnutrition from feeding mostly grocery store greens with a lack of correct supplementation
over heating in summer
failure to thrive due to the wrong types of bulbs
long term failure due to a small enclosure

Questions are welcome. We are happy to review your enclosure and routine to try and see potential problems if you want. So sorry that Hope didn't make it.
Thanks for all who did reply. I just want to know how this could have happened so I don't repeat the same mistake I had a sulcatta and a marginated. that are doing well. just want to make sure it wasn't something contagious that will make them sick too..Any more information would be greatly appreciated. Edsannu
 

Jan A

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2021
Messages
1,813
Location (City and/or State)
Boulder, CO
Thanks for all who did reply. I just want to know how this could have happened so I don't repeat the same mistake I had a sulcatta and a marginated. that are doing well. just want to make sure it wasn't something contagious that will make them sick too..Any more information would be greatly appreciated. Edsannu
Practice safe handling between your other torts, just like you would if you had one kid with mumps & another without. Don't share dishes between them. Wash your hands frequently. Sterilize those things common to your Hermann's enclosure before thinking about using them again elsewhere. That's simple.

Posting photos of the enclosure may help in analyzing why your tort died. Did he exhibit other symptoms like poor appetite? Do you know how the breeder started him?

All of that being said, I am deeply sorry for your loss. It just hurts. And you must also look out for your other torts, so anything suggesting symptoms or disease would be helpful in protecting your other torts. Again, I'm so sorry.
 

Chefdenoel10

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2018
Messages
3,156
Location (City and/or State)
New Jersey
My eastern Herman was a male one year old named Hope. He was in excellent health. Eating, walking like crazy around his tortoise home. He was an inside turtle. Then yesterday I went to see him and he looked fine. It looked like he was staring at something upright, head up.. he would do that a lot. When I went back an hour later he was in the same position and my heart dropped. I picked him up and he was swollen.. eyes open, neck and body so swollen. It looked like he had pooped out his insides. I am sorry but I am so upset. I don’t have any idea what happened to him. Please can someone tell me what they think about this? He was absolutely so healthy.. I am sick with sadness. He would look up at me when I came over. He knew when I was in the room.. please someone tell me what u think happened. Please. EL

I am so terribly sorry for your loss!!!
I am at a loss for words.
I only hope all that answer this thread can help carry you past this horrible time.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and Hope. May God bless him now and always.
❤️?☹️????
 

AgataP

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
654
Location (City and/or State)
Seattle, WA
I am very sorry to hear about your sweet tortoise being gone too soon.
Sending you a big hug.
From what you describing it also sounds to me a little bit like a possible poisoning. Just from an experience with my cat that I found in a very similar situation.
Did you possibly change anything ?
Substrate, food etc?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,220
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Thanks for all who did reply. I just want to know how this could have happened so I don't repeat the same mistake I had a sulcatta and a marginated. that are doing well. just want to make sure it wasn't something contagious that will make them sick too..Any more information would be greatly appreciated. Edsannu
It could be something contagious. You'll need a necropsy to find out.
 

MenagerieGrl

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
1,159
Location (City and/or State)
El Sobrante, CA.
I know from experience, how hard it it to lose a "buddy". You rack your brain, searching for answers. As Tom had said, a necropsy might be in order to give you some sort of peace. Wishing you and the other torts MY best.
 

maureen allenza

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
86
Only a necropsy by an experienced reptile vet can answer this question. The swelling comes from decomposition gases pushing from the inside out.

Here is a list of common issues. Maybe one will sound familiar:
Dry start/dehydration
poisoning from something eaten or from something in the environment like soil substrate
insect attack
impaction from sand in the substrate, or perlite in soil, or moss, or plastic plants
long term malnutrition from feeding mostly grocery store greens with a lack of correct supplementation
over heating in summer
failure to thrive due to the wrong types of bulbs
long term failure due to a small enclosure

Questions are welcome. We are happy to review your enclosure and routine to try and see potential problems if you want. So sorry that Hope didn't make it.
I am so sorry for Hope's passing. You're sad because you loved your pet and in shock. You thought he'd live 50-100 years! I lost my Russian Tortoise, ?, Derrick on November 13, his eighth birthday. Just 3 months earlier, he'd had a physical and passed with flying colors. I was always told what a great job I did with him, so I have absolutely no idea what went wrong. To this day, I miss him. My prayers are with you! Focus on the love you gave him. He obviously felt that.
 

maureen allenza

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
86
I am so sorry for the loss of Hope
Only a necropsy by an experienced reptile vet can answer this question. The swelling comes from decomposition gases pushing from the inside out.

Here is a list of common issues. Maybe one will sound familiar:
Dry start/dehydration
poisoning from something eaten or from something in the environment like soil substrate
insect attack
impaction from sand in the substrate, or perlite in soil, or moss, or plastic plants
long term malnutrition from feeding mostly grocery store greens with a lack of correct supplementation
over heating in summer
failure to thrive due to the wrong types of bulbs
long term failure due to a small enclosure

Questions are welcome. We are happy to review your enclosure and routine to try and see potential problems if you want. So sorry that Hope didn't make it.
My eastern Herman was a male one year old named Hope. He was in excellent health. Eating, walking like crazy around his tortoise home. He was an inside turtle. Then yesterday I went to see him and he looked fine. It looked like he was staring at something upright, head up.. he would do that a lot. When I went back an hour later he was in the same position and my heart dropped. I picked him up and he was swollen.. eyes open, neck and body so swollen. It looked like he had pooped out his insides. I am sorry but I am so upset. I don’t have any idea what happened to him. Please can someone tell me what they think about this? He was absolutely so healthy.. I am sick with sadness. He would look up at me when I came over. He knew when I was in the room.. please someone tell me what u think happened. Please. EL
I am so sorry for the loss of Hope. You are grieving the loss of your pet and in shock-he was supposed to live 50-100 years. Last November I lost my Russian Tortoise, ? Derrick, on his eighth birthday! I have absolutely no idea what happened. He had a vet 3 months before. Passed his physical with flying colors. I still can't believe he's gone. Focus on the love you gave him. It's obvious he felt it.
 

mylittlecholla

Active Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2020
Messages
230
Location (City and/or State)
Fillmore, California
My eastern Herman was a male one year old named Hope. He was in excellent health. Eating, walking like crazy around his tortoise home. He was an inside turtle. Then yesterday I went to see him and he looked fine. It looked like he was staring at something upright, head up.. he would do that a lot. When I went back an hour later he was in the same position and my heart dropped. I picked him up and he was swollen.. eyes open, neck and body so swollen. It looked like he had pooped out his insides. I am sorry but I am so upset. I don’t have any idea what happened to him. Please can someone tell me what they think about this? He was absolutely so healthy.. I am sick with sadness. He would look up at me when I came over. He knew when I was in the room.. please someone tell me what u think happened. Please. EL
I am so very sorry for your pain and sorrow. What happened to Hope is the sort of thing we all dread. I am a first time toftoise keeper, so I have no wisdin m of offer you, just empathy. Your description of Hope's awareness of you, touched a familiar chord. To lose a beloved animal companion is indeed a shocking experience, even when there's no mystery about what caused the problem.
My eastern Herman was a male one year old named Hope. He was in excellent health. Eating, walking like crazy around his tortoise home. He was an inside turtle. Then yesterday I went to see him and he looked fine. It looked like he was staring at something upright, head up.. he would do that a lot. When I went back an hour later he was in the same position and my heart dropped. I picked him up and he was swollen.. eyes open, neck and body so swollen. It looked like he had pooped out his insides. I am sorry but I am so upset. I don’t have any idea what happened to him. Please can someone tell me what they think about this? He was absolutely so healthy.. I am sick with sadness. He would look up at me when I came over. He knew when I was in the room.. please someone tell me what u think happened. Please. EL
I
 
  • Like
Reactions: GSM

Dragon

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2022
Messages
290
Location (City and/or State)
michagin
im so sorry for your loss, the people here can help you im sure....give them as much information as you can my prayers are with you
 

New Posts

Top