Urgent! Our Sulcata is frozen. Please help!

queen koopa

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Not sure the best forum for this post. I also put it in the Sulcata forum:
We have a ten year old Sulcata. It is bitterly cold where we live now, and she has a custom built heated enclosure /house for winter. We've never had a problem with her before in winter with this enclosure. Last night she broke out and got into the yard and we didn't know. We checked on her about 9pm and she was in her house and healthy and moving around. It snowed all night. It was about 10 degrees outside overnight. We found her this morning about 10 am, frozen and covered in snow outside her house by our fence. I called the exotic pet vet who told us to do several lukewarm/warm baths throughout the day for a couple days to rewarm her. It's been 12 hours with no signs of life. She is currently dry between soakings and in a heated bathroom. I don't know what else to do. I'm so so sad. We lived in a warmer climate until a few years ago when employment brought us out here. I feel awful and heartbroken and don't need any admonishment, I just need advice and help for what to do right away. The vet lives four hours away And there is a snowstorm so I can't get her there. The local vets have no experience with exotic animals and didn't have any ideas other than warm baths. observing her physically: Her eyes were half open originally and now they are mostly closed. Her limbs were frozen stiff but are now soft and somewhat movable but not flaccid. However they have not changed position. I don't see any breathing movements or air from her nose but I expressed some liquid gently from her nostrils. Her head can move back and forth gently but cannot be extended. I haven't tried hard, just wanted to see if I could help her head to extend and retract to get some air into her lungs, but no luck. She seems warm though she is still cold inside her shell by her neck. This is all the information I have. Please help if you have any ideas or if there is any hope. The vet seemed to think there was a good chance she would revive, but considering she had food in her stomach, I don't know if she will. I've heard it can freeze and cause internal damage even if she does revive. I'm just sick about this. I'm so sad.
Omg this is terrible.... so sorry. How big was she?
 

Tom

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If there are still some signs of life. use an outdoor heating lamp ASAP or bring the tort into the house.
That picture is a house fire in the making. You should never use plastic bakelite fixtures for tortoise heating, and those clamps always fail. The clamps should be removed, and hang those fixtures from overhead. That enclosure is also WAY too small for that tortoise. That is not suitable to live in all winter.
 

Animal mom

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THANK YOU everyone for the words of comfort. She definitely passed away after much effort at rewarming. I found a local pet crematory who picked her up last night. We are heartbroken ?. Thank you all. She was family and such a big part of our lives.
 

pcrealty

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THANK YOU everyone for the words of comfort. She definitely passed away after much effort at rewarming. I found a local pet crematory who picked her up last night. We are heartbroken ?. Thank you all. She was family and such a big part of our lives.
RIP
 

Obbie

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I am so very sorry for your loss, please find some good memories you two shared. ????? I want to say, take time and go slow with warming. I’m inclined to say don’t give up until she changes smell.
 
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maureen allenza

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I am so very sorry for your loss, please find some good memories you two shared. ????? I want to say, take time and go slow with warming. I’m inclined to say don’t give up until she changes smell.
I am so very sorry. I lost my little tort a month ago. I know how awful you feel! The shock of it is terrible! I will keep you all in my prayers!
 

Relic

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That picture is a house fire in the making. You should never use plastic bakelite fixtures for tortoise heating, and those clamps always fail. The clamps should be removed, and hang those fixtures from overhead. That enclosure is also WAY too small for that tortoise. That is not suitable to live in all winter.
Not only is the lighting set-up a fire waiting to happen, the location is equally disturbing. To wit: Heat source precariously suspended over the tort's enclosure. Enclosure full of flammable material (mulch). Enclosure resting on top of flammable material (wood floor). This potential fire cleverly located at the base of an open stairway, also constructed of flammable material (wood). So once the fire begins, the products of combustion (posionous gases) and flames can race up the stairway, possibly overcoming/trapping occupants upstairs. Hopefully, the front door is near the base of the stairs so the firefighters can enter, quickly extinguish the fire, and begin looking for bodies...
 

SJTort

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Not only is the lighting set-up a fire waiting to happen, the location is equally disturbing. To wit: Heat source precariously suspended over the tort's enclosure. Enclosure full of flammable material (mulch). Enclosure resting on top of flammable material (wood floor). This potential fire cleverly located at the base of an open stairway, also constructed of flammable material (wood). So once the fire begins, the products of combustion (posionous gases) and flames can race up the stairway, possibly overcoming/trapping occupants upstairs. Hopefully, the front door is near the base of the stairs so the firefighters can enter, quickly extinguish the fire, and begin looking for bodies...
Honestly, I think you went too far on this one. An unfortunate event occurred and she did her best to help save it. Yes, there is a fire danger here. However, your lengthy, sarcastic response is unnecessary, especially since she already told us that the tort is already gone.
 

Tom

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Honestly, I think you went too far on this one. An unfortunate event occurred and she did her best to help save it. Yes, there is a fire danger here. However, your lengthy, sarcastic response is unnecessary, especially since she already told us that the tort is already gone.
You are confusing the OP who lost her tortoise due to freezing with pcrealty who posted a picture with the suggestion of using a heat lamp to try to revive the OP's frozen tortoise. Relic is responding to my comment about the picture in post number 20. Not the OP.

Relic and I are trying to help pcrealty avoid a very likely tragedy that is about to occur.
 

SJTort

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You are confusing the OP who lost her tortoise due to freezing with pcrealty who posted a picture with the suggestion of using a heat lamp to try to revive the OP's frozen tortoise. Relic is responding to my comment about the picture in post number 20. Not the OP.

Relic and I are trying to help pcrealty avoid a very likely tragedy that is about to occur.
Thank you for clarifying. I understand now.
 

Unkapunka

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I am truly sorry for your loss.Sometimes things happen and if you felt you did your best , well that at least would make me feel better. I wouldn't let it stop you from getting another. I'm sure there are torts who have a very bad home. Maybe rescue one of them.
 

Relic

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Honestly, I think you went too far on this one. An unfortunate event occurred and she did her best to help save it. Yes, there is a fire danger here. However, your lengthy, sarcastic response is unnecessary, especially since she already told us that the tort is already gone.
I spent 29 years as a firefighter in a major city. If you had seen what I've seen, you would think differently. And you really think 7 sentences is lengthy?
 
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