Update on "redfoot"

[Cherbear]

I posted some pics of my redfoot that I had just bought at a petstore. I asked about her watery eyes and some other questions. Well yesterday her eyes were still watering and she seemed sluggish still. I decided that since she was still under warranty that I would return her. The manager that I talked to was really nice and said that they would take her to the vet and she would call me to let me know what was wrong if anything. Well she just called me and said that the tort had a bit of a respiratory infection and that it got antibodics. Well they are going to keep it for a couple days and I have the chance to buy it back. Also the vet said that it was not a redfoot but a yellowfoot.

So would you guys think it would be safe to buy it back? And I'll repost the only pics I have of her. Is she in fact a yellowfoot?

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n31/cherbear71/Redfoot001.jpg
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n31/cherbear71/Redfoot002.jpg
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n31/cherbear71/Redfoot003.jpg

 

[GotTurtles]

Looks like a redfoot to me. I can't see the head scales but it looks redfoot to me. Watery eyes can be from lack of moisture in the air. Maybe it needs more humidity. As far as it being safe to buy......... dunno. I wouldnt buy a sick tortoise but thats just me.

 

[Cherbear]

That's what I was thinking too. I wished I had taken more pics before I returned her. Well I'm going to a reptile show this Saturday so it's hard to tell what I'll find.

 

[Cherbear]

Sorry to bother everyone with a million questions, but I talked to the petstore manager again today and she said that the vet also told her that their eyes just water normally anyways. As long as it's clear it's alright. So, I know watery eyes can be a sign of dehydration, but can a redfoot that is in perfect health have watery eyes?

 

[PeanutbuttER]

I'm under the impression that watery eyes isn't a good thing. It means there's something wrong with how the tort is being kept (ie lack of humidity). I wouldn't say that's a "normal" thing for them even though most people keep them dry and they have wet eyes because of it.

I bought my first redfoot from a pet store and she had been sick a couple times before I got her. She's had shell rot as well so bad in the past that her plastron was entirely pitted from it (now that she's grown the new growth is coming in nicely though). Since I've had her she hasn't gotten sick at all and is completely healthy. Being taken care of makes a big difference in their health.

I don't think it would be bad to buy her back, but see if they'll give you a deal since you're buying a sick tort afterall. They ought to shave that price down for you (after all, there is always the possibility that she'll need to go see a vet again in the next 6 months as a result of being sick right now so better to save your money for that possibility) but you may need to get a manager involved/approval.

 

[Cherbear]

Well the petstore is Petsmart and they just happened to go on sale this week, so the one I returned was $100+tax and now their on sale for $70+tax. If I can't find what I'm looking for at the reptile show tomorrow, I think I'll go back a buy another one they just got in today, if it's still there. I held it and it felt so much stronger than the other one. And it's eyes were not watering. Thanks for all the help.

 

[PeanutbuttER]

Oh yeah, if you've got a healthier one to choose from then definitely pick that one. Especially if it feels stronger and doesn't have any visible problems. Though, the watery eyes in my experience are generally humidity related. So even otherwise healthy redfoots kept dry will begin to "cry".

I should say that I was watching mine at Petco for about a year and wanted to get her the whole time. So, when I found out she'd been sick and that nobody was buying her I ended up getting her for a bit under half price after chatting with a worker and her manager one night. They wanted to get rid of her as she was getting bigger and more pyramided, which worked out to my advantage because I really wanted her anyway.

 

[Cherbear]

Wow, a year. I'm glad you bought her. I'll post pics of whatever I end up getting, if anything.

 

[TKCARDANDCOIN]

I am also loking at a redfoot at a petsmart in the cleveland,ohio area.Same thing, on sale 69.99 from 99.99 a couple of days ago. Looks like the one in the picture.I wonder if they are related,same size,color.

 

[HarleyK]

I have actually never seen an rf sold at a petsmart. The shell looks pretty smooth!

 

[Cherbear]

Yeah, mine just started selling them. They used to always have russians.

 

[HarleyK]

For $70 that's a great deal on a 4-5" rf. I'll swing by petsmart this weekend.

 

[Yvonne G]

We have 2 Petsmarts in my town, and both of them have brand new redfoots for sale. They must've bought quite a few of them.

Yours was a redfoot, that vet didn't know what he was talking about.

And the weeping eyes is because he was being kept on substrate that was too dry.

 

[matt41gb]

Just a red-foot with no red.

-Matt

 

[Cherbear]

I ended up going back and buying the other redfoot they had for sale. It seems like it has more red on the legs. I hope it does o.k. At least it's not crying. I also bought a baby leopard tortoise at a reptile show. It's so tiny and so fragile looking. I've never had a tortoise hatchling before. I'm worried out of my mind.

 

[HarleyK]

Congrats on your purchase that is a heck of a deal! Gluck with the torts.

 

[Mandolynn]

Was the other RF you bought in the same cage as the sick one? I adopted my RFs from PetSmart, and the care they so often receive is sad. I would take your new little girl to a experienced Vet, and if there are any problems, take the bill to the manager. If you put up a stink, they will pay it, or at least part of it, and you'll have peace of mind. It's a good idea take them to the vet when you first get them anyway, but especially from a pet store. And what kind of vet did they take the other one to? Good Luck!
Oh and btw PetSmart stores are now going to have RFs on automatic replenishment, which means that they will always have them and their new regular price is going to be $99 after today. We will be seeing a lot more sick RFs, because they can not seem to come close to providing the care they need most of the time. I almost bought a little girl at the store here, she was so pretty, but had weepy eyes and came in that same day. Also, my hubby said we have no room for yet another RF home.

 

[goReptiles]

I was just at petsmart last week, and they had one that was about a year or two. He was on dry subtrate but looked great, no watery eyes and no closed shut ones.

I was told by the dog trainer, who I've known for a while, that they don't pay any attention to the humidity levels or anything. They just stick them in there and hope for the best. They don't mist, soak, nothing. They didn't even have a water bowl or food bowl in there (they feed and remove the food dish). I still don't think there's an excuse for no water bowl though.

 

[Cherbear]

No they hadn't put the one I had returned out yet, although it's out now. The one I ended up buying had only been in for two days. He/she is still doing fine. He's been eating really good and no crying. He does spend a lot of time in his hide. Is that normal?