Vet visit

[Crystallynda]

I am shocked to say that this vet literally

Just told me about him getting the Vitamin A injection “which of course I denied”
“And she said and I quote” not to listen to this group because she’s basing his needs off off science!! ???

She said she’s getting ready to be handled back to me and hung up the phone.....

Is someone mad...prob ??

She also said I need to mimic his natural habitat and get him UV because of bone problems that can happen later! Main reason she did to give the tort a Vitamin A shot because his eyelid is swollen in the the inside of his eyelid!

Any thoughts on this @Tom

 

[ZEROPILOT]

You DO need UV.
Either from a quality T5 uvb tube light or from the sun.
And those vitamin shots always get administered by vets who do not understand tortoises.
You did well.
Avoid that vet.

 

[Tom]

Science... What are we basing our recommendations on? Whimsical untested fantasies and fairly tails? What a condescending and insulting thing to say. You should really invite that vet here to learn some things about tortoises form people who actually know something about them. She'd be a better vet if she could put her pride aside for a little while.

How does an animal (tortoise) that eats a diet high in vitamin A daily, become vitamin A deficient? They don't. Vitamin A deficiency can be a problem with some aquatic turtles or box turtles that are not fed properly. When a vet thinks this is happening to a tortoise, and then proclaims "SCIENCE", they are only losing what little credibility they might have had and really making themselves look ignorant.

No one knows how to mimic the natural habitat, and human attempts to do so lead to failure and tortoise death. Fewer than 1 in 300, some estimates say 1 in 1000, babies survive to adulthood in the wild. Which elements of the wild are we supposed to mimic? Predation? Drought and dehydration? Seasonal starvation? Parasite and pathogen attacks? Conspecific aggression and territoriality? This sentiment is uttered and parroted constantly and has been for decades, but in practice it makes no sense and cannot work. Rather than foist our human suppositions of what we think the "wild" is all about upon our tortoises, how about we use the methods of "science" and examine what works and what doesn't work in the living examples we have right in front of our faces every single day? My suggestion is to NOT mimic the natural habitat with all its hazards and deadly consequences and instead mimic what other successful tortoise keepers have done and are doing. The wlld is a cruel and unforgiving place. Our enclosures shouldn't be.

To answer your question, I think it is a great idea to have both an indoor and an outdoor enclosure. Give the tortoise some outside time and access to sunshine and natural grazing when weather permits. I like to limit this amount of time in smaller tortoises because my scientifically conducted side-by-side experiments and demonstrated multiple times and unanimously that babies do better in every measurable way by being kept indoors in correctly set up stable environments vs. being left outside all day to dry out and dehydration while dealing with temperature extremes. My general rule that has served me well is one hour of sunning time per inch of tortoise. I like to do this 2-4 times per week for babies, and more as they age and gain size.

I do not know what is causing the eye issue on your tortoise, but as I said before, I suspect it is that unusual bulb, or dust from the dry substrate. I would eliminate those possibilities first and then look elsewhere is those are not the problem. I'd love to pull blood from your tortoise and see where the vitamin A levels are. I'll bet money the levels are normal and not deficient.

 

[Tom]

You DO need UV.
Either from a quality T5 uvb tube light or from the sun.
And those vitamin shots always get administered by vets who do not understand tortoises.
You did well.
Avoid that vet.

Man... You just used a fraction of the words I used and said essentially the same darn thing! Well done. You set a good example for me to learn from.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Man... You just used a fraction of the words I used and said essentially the same darn thing! Well done. You set a good example for me to learn from.

I'm not particularly efficient.
I'm simply lazy.
This forum NEEDS your well articulated answers.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Isn't there a fairly easily obtained eye drop that works well for inflamed torts,?
Maybe:
@Yvonne G

 

[Tom]

Isn't there a fairly easily obtained eye drop that works well for inflamed torts,?
Maybe:
@Yvonne G

This might help the symptoms, but I'd really like to know the cause.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

This might help the symptoms, but I'd really like to know the cause.

Yes.
Its usually a spiral/coil light or an MVB.
That hasn't been eliminated?

 

[Mrs.Jennifer]

Man... You just used a fraction of the words I used and said essentially the same darn thing! Well done. You set a good example for me to learn from.

“Brevity is the soul of wit.”

-William Shakespeare
?

 

[Tom]

Yes.
Its usually a spiral/coil light or an MVB.
That hasn't been eliminated?

Not either of those.

 

[Crystallynda]

Science... What are we basing our recommendations on? Whimsical untested fantasies and fairly tails? What a condescending and insulting thing to say. You should really invite that vet here to learn some things about tortoises form people who actually know something about them. She'd be a better vet if she could put her pride aside for a little while.

How does an animal (tortoise) that eats a diet high in vitamin A daily, become vitamin A deficient? They don't. Vitamin A deficiency can be a problem with some aquatic turtles or box turtles that are not fed properly. When a vet thinks this is happening to a tortoise, and then proclaims "SCIENCE", they are only losing what little credibility they might have had and really making themselves look ignorant.

No one knows how to mimic the natural habitat, and human attempts to do so lead to failure and tortoise death. Fewer than 1 in 300, some estimates say 1 in 1000, babies survive to adulthood in the wild. Which elements of the wild are we supposed to mimic? Predation? Drought and dehydration? Seasonal starvation? Parasite and pathogen attacks? Conspecific aggression and territoriality? This sentiment is uttered and parroted constantly and has been for decades, but in practice it makes no sense and cannot work. Rather than foist our human suppositions of what we think the "wild" is all about upon our tortoises, how about we use the methods of "science" and examine what works and what doesn't work in the living examples we have right in front of our faces every single day? My suggestion is to NOT mimic the natural habitat with all its hazards and deadly consequences and instead mimic what other successful tortoise keepers have done and are doing. The wlld is a cruel and unforgiving place. Our enclosures shouldn't be.

To answer your question, I think it is a great idea to have both an indoor and an outdoor enclosure. Give the tortoise some outside time and access to sunshine and natural grazing when weather permits. I like to limit this amount of time in smaller tortoises because my scientifically conducted side-by-side experiments and demonstrated multiple times and unanimously that babies do better in every measurable way by being kept indoors in correctly set up stable environments vs. being left outside all day to dry out and dehydration while dealing with temperature extremes. My general rule that has served me well is one hour of sunning time per inch of tortoise. I like to do this 2-4 times per week for babies, and more as they age and gain size.

I do not know what is causing the eye issue on your tortoise, but as I said before, I suspect it is that unusual bulb, or dust from the dry substrate. I would eliminate those possibilities first and then look elsewhere is those are not the problem. I'd love to pull blood from your tortoise and see where the vitamin A levels are. I'll bet money the levels are normal and not deficient.

@Tom believe me I wanted to punch her ??

She acted like a fool and said a punch of crap that made no sense and said we’ll have coco right out...no bye or anything!!
However, I am glad I walked out without no injection!! ???
I been wetting his substrate every day! I’ll be purchasing the original light here pretty soon! ??
Even if it’s the 12, I’ll probably need them anyhow for my house!
Should I get him UVB, even if I only plug in every now and again?
Or just wait for summer?

 

[Crystallynda]

@Tom if she was educated enough...right??
I swear Vets think they know it all just because they went through all those “science school years” lol

 

[Tom]

@Tom if she was educated enough...right??
I swear Vets think they know it all just because they went through all those “science school years” lol

Ask her how many semesters she completed on tortoise care and husbandry.

 

[Crystallynda]

Ask her how many semesters she completed on tortoise care and husbandry.

I will next time!

Cause she even said that and I quote “been injecting tortoises for years” for vitamin A!

I think she read historic books lol

 

[Crystallynda]

I will next time!

Cause she even said that and I quote “been injecting tortoises for years” for vitamin A!

I think she read historic books lol

Cause she even recommended to feed him fruit and have them in a glass cage better...

She has two of her own...” those poor babies” she gave me information on a different tortoise thinking it would help me!!

Uh I think I’m good! Lol

I swear!! So much wrong here!!

 

[Tom]

@Tom believe me I wanted to punch her ??

She acted like a fool and said a punch of crap that made no sense and said we’ll have coco right out...no bye or anything!!
However, I am glad I walked out without no injection!! ???
I been wetting his substrate every day! I’ll be purchasing the original light here pretty soon! ??
Even if it’s the 12, I’ll probably need them anyhow for my house!
Should I get him UVB, even if I only plug in every now and again?
Or just wait for summer?

Yes, your tortoise needs UV, either from the sun or from indoor lighting. You ought to have both an indoor and an outdoor enclosure. Use the outdoor enclosure during warmer weather for some sunning time several times per week. Use a calcium supplement with D3 and feed some Mazuri to help get some D3 into your tortoise when sunning isn't an option. If you want to get indoor UV lighting, got to lightyourreptiles.com and order up and Arcadia 12%HO tube with a fixture that has a reflector. Run this on a timer that for 2-3 hours mid day only. Mount it around 18 inches over your tortoise.

 

[Crystallynda]

Yes, your tortoise needs UV, either from the sun or from indoor lighting. You ought to have both an indoor and an outdoor enclosure. Use the outdoor enclosure during warmer weather for some sunning time several times per week. Use a calcium supplement with D3 and feed some Mazuri to help get some D3 into your tortoise when sunning isn't an option. If you want to get indoor UV lighting, got to lightyourreptiles.com and order up and Arcadia 12%HO tube with a fixture that has a reflector. Run this on a timer that for 2-3 hours mid day only. Mount it around 18 inches over your tortoise.

Ok I’ll look into it!

I’ll probably have to get him a outside enclosure then to have him him out for a little bit during summer each day! “Unfortunately i currently live in a townhouse” so all I have is a front yard but if I have him in something where he’s not in harms way...or I can take him out for some sun during summer as planned! Either one is fine with me!! What you consider? An enclosure where I can put something on top so no animals can come and get him? Or just take him out and watch him?
I’m starting to work again so I’ll be able to hopefully adored something in the 200 range or so! I currently only have one bulb fixture..?? if I have to get a another stand...lord help me lol

 

[Crystallynda]

Ok I’ll look into it!

I’ll probably have to get him a outside enclosure then to have him him out for a little bit during summer each day! “Unfortunately i currently live in a townhouse” so all I have is a front yard but if I have him in something where he’s not in harms way...or I can take him out for some sun during summer as planned! Either one is fine with me!! What you consider? An enclosure where I can put something on top so no animals can come and get him? Or just take him out and watch him?
I’m starting to work again so I’ll be able to hopefully adored something in the 200 range or so! I currently only have one bulb fixture..?? if I have to get a another stand...lord help me lol

I have some stuff coming in from the website, I have calcium with D3 and some vitamins on hand!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

No need to spend $200
LLL REPTILES and BIG AL'S PETS sell this hood and uvb tube in different lengths.
I use the 24 inchers and they're under $65 complete

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I have some stuff coming in from the website, I have calcium with D3 and some vitamins on hand!

Only use the calcium with D3 once a week or so.
Use calcium without D3 the rest of the time because with a UVB light he can process his own Calcium.
D3 is needed with less sunlight or less/no UVB