URI

markouki

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Oct 5, 2021
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27
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Hamilton
Hello guys,

I’m new here, so excited to join, and hopefully some would be able to help.

I have Baby/Juvenile Greek Tortoises (they were 3), one of them got sick with URI, she was given Enrofloxacin 0.5 mg once a day the first two days, then on the third day and because there was no improvement the vet decided to increase her dose to 1 mg. Few hours after she was given the injection she died ?
(Of course she was put in quarantine from the rest when she got sick)

Now, the smallest baby of them seems to be sick, she’s eating but very little, she now has some snort on her nostrils, and yesterday she started opening wide her mouth to breath.. I’m trying to bathe her in a shallow warm water daily to keep her hydrated but she doesn’t seem to like it. Her UV lamb is on for 12 hours a day, and her heating lamb is turned on all the time (I live in ON Canada) The enclosure temp is 85-90.

I’m worried about her, shall I agree to give her the same medication the other tortoise got? (I’m so scared she’s going to die like the other one ?.. I really think the other one overdosed but it might be just me thinking that) or shall I demand that she is given a ceftazidime shot every 72hrs since it’s not as harsh as Baytrl?
The vet is recommending oral Enrofloxacin and a shot of Vitamin A, What do you think? Please help me if you have any experience with this. It breaks my heart when I look at her.

Lastly, what can I do to strengthen the immunity of the third tortoise? I’m terrified they are all sick, he’s showing early signs too.. he’s touching his head with his arm and not as his usual self ?

After reading some forms here, I went ahead and gave both yesterday Tobramycin
Eye drops, one drop in each eye & each nostril. I feel I don’t want to jump to antibiotic infection just yet. Am I risking their liver?


Thank you all
 

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tazpjm

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Condolences on your tortoise may she rest in peace? I dont know much but I would try a different vet (preferably a reptile vet).
 

markouki

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Hamilton
Condolences on your tortoise may she rest in peace? I dont know much but I would try a different vet (preferably a reptile vet).
There isn’t any with good reputation around me/other surrounding cities.
I don’t want my two babies to be an experiment :-(
 

tazpjm

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There isn’t any with good reputation around me/other surrounding cities.
I don’t want my two babies to be an experiment :-(
I saw yur city when i visited your account, and searched about vets in Hamilton (i hope i dont come off to creepy). I saw a veterinary center called Grandview animal hospital, they have 4.9 stars on google. If you don't want to go there, I would try the eye drops and see what happens. If you see and signs of their conditions get worse i would suggest trying to find a good vet. Sorry if I'm not much help:(.
 

TeamZissou

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Wow, sorry to hear that you had a tortoise die from this vet treatment. Whatever you do, do not let the vet give a Vitamin A injection. This can be toxic for tortoises.

Usually the first step is to obtain a prescription for neo-poly-dex drops from a vet and try that for a couple weeks before going to something stronger. @zovick

URIs can be caused by a variety of reasons, but temps and overall stress on the tortoises are big factors. Check your setup/husbandry against this info:


Where is Hamilton btw?
 

tazpjm

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I saw yur city when i visited your account, and searched about vets in Hamilton (i hope i dont come off to creepy). I saw a veterinary center called Grandview animal hospital, they have 4.9 stars on google. If you don't want to go there, I would try the eye drops and see what happens. If you see and signs of their conditions get worse i would suggest trying to find a good vet. Sorry if I'm not much help:(.

I saw yur city when i visited your account, and searched about vets in Hamilton (i hope i dont come off to creepy). I saw a veterinary center called Grandview animal hospital, they have 4.9 stars on google. If you don't want to go there, I would try the eye drops and see what happens. If you see and signs of their conditions get worse i would suggest trying to find a good vet. Sorry if I'm not much help:(.
I also found a reptile vet called Burloak animal hospital with 4.8 stars on google, they work with exotic animals.?
 

zovick

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Hello guys,

I’m new here, so excited to join, and hopefully some would be able to help.

I have Baby/Juvenile Greek Tortoises (they were 3), one of them got sick with URI, she was given Enrofloxacin 0.5 mg once a day the first two days, then on the third day and because there was no improvement the vet decided to increase her dose to 1 mg. Few hours after she was given the injection she died ?
(Of course she was put in quarantine from the rest when she got sick)

Now, the smallest baby of them seems to be sick, she’s eating but very little, she now has some snort on her nostrils, and yesterday she started opening wide her mouth to breath.. I’m trying to bathe her in a shallow warm water daily to keep her hydrated but she doesn’t seem to like it. Her UV lamb is on for 12 hours a day, and her heating lamb is turned on all the time (I live in ON Canada) The enclosure temp is 85-90.

I’m worried about her, shall I agree to give her the same medication the other tortoise got? (I’m so scared she’s going to die like the other one ?.. I really think the other one overdosed but it might be just me thinking that) or shall I demand that she is given a ceftazidime shot every 72hrs since it’s not as harsh as Baytrl?
The vet is recommending oral Enrofloxacin and a shot of Vitamin A, What do you think? Please help me if you have any experience with this. It breaks my heart when I look at her.

Lastly, what can I do to strengthen the immunity of the third tortoise? I’m terrified they are all sick, he’s showing early signs too.. he’s touching his head with his arm and not as his usual self ?

After reading some forms here, I went ahead and gave both yesterday Tobramycin
Eye drops, one drop in each eye & each nostril. I feel I don’t want to jump to antibiotic infection just yet. Am I risking their liver?


Thank you all
First, forget the Baytril (enrofloxacin) injections. It is brutal for tortoises to receive that drug. Yes, you should insist on the use of ceftazidime (Fortaz) every three days instead. If the infection is really bad, it can be given every other day.

Second, if you can get the Neo-Poly-Dex ophthalmic drops rather than Tobramycin drops, they will have a better effect since they contain two antibiotics (Neomycin and Polymyxin B) plus a mild corticosteroid (Dexamethasone) which reduces inflammation.
 

markouki

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27
Location (City and/or State)
Hamilton
First, forget the Baytril (enrofloxacin) injections. It is brutal for tortoises to receive that drug. Yes, you should insist on the use of ceftazidime (Fortaz) every three days instead. If the infection is really bad, it can be given every other day.

Second, if you can get the Neo-Poly-Dex ophthalmic drops rather than Tobramycin drops, they will have a better effect since they contain two antibiotics (Neomycin and Polymyxin B) plus a mild corticosteroid (Dexamethasone) which reduces inflammation.
Thank you so much I’ll see if I can get that
 

markouki

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Location (City and/or State)
Hamilton
Thank you so much I’ll see if I can get that
When is the time to make that decision? (Give the injection) I don’t want to rush into it, but at the same time I wanna make sure I’m not potentially harming my tort by waiting too long
 

zovick

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Messages
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When is the time to make that decision? (Give the injection) I don’t want to rush into it, but at the same time I wanna make sure I’m not potentially harming my tort by waiting too long
It is hard to describe exactly WHEN to inject. You will need to determine that by watching the tortoise's actions. If it seems to be lethargic and doesn't eat much, I would start the injections. If it seems to be having large amounts of mucus production and/or difficulty breathing such as keeping its mouth open and/or pumping its head in and out to breathe, that would also cause me to begin injections.

Since one tortoise has already died, I would not wait a long time, though. The thing is, it is hard to say if the first one died from the URI or the Baytril injections, which confuses the issue.
 

markouki

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Hamilton
It is hard to describe exactly WHEN to inject. You will need to determine that by watching the tortoise's actions. If it seems to be lethargic and doesn't eat much, I would start the injections. If it seems to be having large amounts of mucus production and/or difficulty breathing such as keeping its mouth open and/or pumping its head in and out to breathe, that would also cause me to begin injections.

Since one tortoise has already died, I would not wait a long time, though. The thing is, it is hard to say if the first one died from the URI or the Baytril injections, which confuses the issue.
True. I can’t be 100% sure if was the injection. I’ll try to time how many times she opens her mouth to breath per minute. That should give us an indication correct? I remember with the other one that died.. just the night prior she was opening her mouth a lot (but she was already given two doses of the injection)
 

markouki

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True. I can’t be 100% sure if was the injection. I’ll try to time how many times she opens her mouth to breath per minute. That should give us an indication correct? I remember with the other one that died.. just the night prior she was opening her mouth a lot (but she was already given two doses of the injection)
Thanks for all the help!
 

zovick

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10 Year Member!
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True. I can’t be 100% sure if was the injection. I’ll try to time how many times she opens her mouth to breath per minute. That should give us an indication correct? I remember with the other one that died.. just the night prior she was opening her mouth a lot (but she was already given two doses of the injection)
The tortoise is opening its mouth to breathe multiple times per minute? If my tortoise were opening its mouth to breathe more than once every couple of hours or so, I would start using the ceftazidime.
 

markouki

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The tortoise is opening its mouth to breathe multiple times per minute? If my tortoise were opening its mouth to breathe more than once every couple of hours or so, I would start using the ceftazidime.
I’m sorry it was a typo.. I meant to say per hour.
I checked with the Vet, ceftazidime is not readily available, it’ll take till Friday to get it (it is Tuesday night). Do I have that luxury of waiting? Alternatively, this one is available.. would it work? Or shall I wait till Friday? I’m sorry if I’m annoying you with so many questions. Thank you so much!
 

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zovick

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I’m sorry it was a typo.. I meant to say per hour.
I checked with the Vet, ceftazidime is not readily available, it’ll take till Friday to get it (it is Tuesday night). Do I have that luxury of waiting? Alternatively, this one is available.. would it work? Or shall I wait till Friday? I’m sorry if I’m annoying you with so many questions. Thank you so much!
I don't know anything about Cefazolin. Sorry. If it were me, I would just get the ceftazidime and start using it Friday.

BTW, where is Hamilton? In Ontario, Canada, in the US, or where?
 

markouki

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Hamilton
I don't know anything about Cefazolin. Sorry. If it were me, I would just get the ceftazidime and start using it Friday.

BTW, where is Hamilton? In Ontario, Canada, in the US, or where?
Thanks Zovick, I will wait, and hopefully she won’t get worse.
Yes I’m in Hamilton ON, Canada ??
 

maureen allenza

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Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
86
Hello guys,

I’m new here, so excited to join, and hopefully some would be able to help.

I have Baby/Juvenile Greek Tortoises (they were 3), one of them got sick with URI, she was given Enrofloxacin 0.5 mg once a day the first two days, then on the third day and because there was no improvement the vet decided to increase her dose to 1 mg. Few hours after she was given the injection she died ?
(Of course she was put in quarantine from the rest when she got sick)

Now, the smallest baby of them seems to be sick, she’s eating but very little, she now has some snort on her nostrils, and yesterday she started opening wide her mouth to breath.. I’m trying to bathe her in a shallow warm water daily to keep her hydrated but she doesn’t seem to like it. Her UV lamb is on for 12 hours a day, and her heating lamb is turned on all the time (I live in ON Canada) The enclosure temp is 85-90.

I’m worried about her, shall I agree to give her the same medication the other tortoise got? (I’m so scared she’s going to die like the other one ?.. I really think the other one overdosed but it might be just me thinking that) or shall I demand that she is given a ceftazidime shot every 72hrs since it’s not as harsh as Baytrl?
The vet is recommending oral Enrofloxacin and a shot of Vitamin A, What do you think? Please help me if you have any experience with this. It breaks my heart when I look at her.

Lastly, what can I do to strengthen the immunity of the third tortoise? I’m terrified they are all sick, he’s showing early signs too.. he’s touching his head with his arm and not as his usual self ?

After reading some forms here, I went ahead and gave both yesterday Tobramycin
Eye drops, one drop in each eye & each nostril. I feel I don’t want to jump to antibiotic infection just yet. Am I risking their liver?


Thank you all
So sorry about your sweet baby! I will pray for the others! Such little beauties!
 

markouki

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Oct 5, 2021
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27
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Hamilton
Sounds like a good plan. Good luck with your tortoise.
Hi there,
Do we have a general guideline for how many injection the tort should get?
I know it’s one injection every 72 hours.. but how many should they receive? Do I stop when I see an improvement? Or is there a course of specific number of injections?

Thank god I was finally able to get the meds and we started today with the first injection. The vet had to poke them twice because he thinks that one injection of a 0.2 ml is so much at once?! Is that correct?

Also, one of my tort bled from the injection sites (on both arms) is that normal? I was heart broken ?
 

zovick

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10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
3,388
Hi there,
Do we have a general guideline for how many injection the tort should get?
I know it’s one injection every 72 hours.. but how many should they receive? Do I stop when I see an improvement? Or is there a course of specific number of injections?

Thank god I was finally able to get the meds and we started today with the first injection. The vet had to poke them twice because he thinks that one injection of a 0.2 ml is so much at once?! Is that correct?

Also, one of my tort bled from the injection sites (on both arms) is that normal? I was heart broken ?
The ceftazidime is routinely given every 72 hours as you mentioned, but if the infection is severe, then giving it every 48 hours is recommended. I would recommend treating the tortoise with 4-5 doses if given every 72 hours or 5-6 doses if given every 48 hours. Record on which side the injections are given each time and alternate sides to minimize trauma to the injection sites.

I don't know exactly how big your tortoises are, nor where the vet injected the medication (should be given in the "armpit" area of the front leg), but I would normally give the whole .2 ml as one injection to my tortoises unless they were extremely tiny (think hatchling Western Hermann's). Did the vet use a 1 cc tuberculin syringe?

Bleeding from the injection sites should be pretty minimal or non-existent. Where did the vet inject the tortoise(s)?
 

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