Update on the sick leopard tortoise

[scubatyler]

I talked to the vet on Thursday and he wanted me to come in and get the little guy started on antibiotics. He said that Baytril is the only one that he could even begin to prepare that small on a dose with. We decided that the doses have to he administered orally because there is no way to inject 0.02 mL. It actually comes out to be a single drop out of the smallest size of needle available. I place the drop on the end of the feeding tube after it has been filled with food, then suck the drop in. Having the drop right in the end insures that the full dose gets administered. Has anyone else heard of doing this? It has been about 3 weeks that Chester has been sick and he hasn't gotten any better or any worse so I am hoping this will help.

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, Baytril CAN be administered orally. And the way you're doing it sounds good.

Are you soaking Chester in either baby food water or in bird vitamin water? I can't give you the science of it, but it really does help.

 

[scubatyler]

I am soaking him in bird vitamin water once per day and normal water once per day. Today when I offered him food he went over to his feeding station several times and pushed the greens around with his nose for a long time but never opened his mouth and ate any. He seems a little more active today.

 

[Yvonne G]

That makes me think he can't smell. A tortoise that can't smell the food won't eat. Try flushing his nasal passages out with sterile saline solution. It comes in a squeeze bottle in the pharmacy for human eyes. You can either use the squeeze bottle or put a bit into a syringe with no needle and squirt that. Don't worry about fluid going into his lungs, as the other side of the nasal passages ends in the roof of their mouth, not down the throat.

 

[scubatyler]

I am quite sure that he can smell because he made his way to the feeding area several times without opening his eyes this morning. I thought that maybe he couldn't smell at first too so I moved him like 2 feet away from his food 3 different times in different directions and he turned around every time and walked straight back to the food without ever opening his eyes. I was surprised to see him do this. I think I will try the nose rinse anyways though. Thanks!