Vets

[Ben02]

hello, when taking my tortoises to the vet, what medication could they try and offer that will either make the tortoise unwell or could actually harm them as I've heard lots of terrifying stories of a tortoise getting a vitamin jab. Thank you in advance

Ben

 

[Tom]

This question is too broad Ben. There are a million different medicines with different applications.

Generally speaking, if a vet offers a "vitamin injection", they don't know tortoises very well, or they are trying to sponge more money from you. If a tortoise needed an injectable antibiotic after proper diagnosis of a problem from a qualified reptile vet, then Baytril should be avoided. It was very common to use Baytril in years past, but we now know that it is caustic and causes major damage at the injection site, as well as tremendous pain. Further some tortoises and some species, like leopards, tend to react badly to it. There are other drugs in the same family that have fewer side effect and less chance of doing damage.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

.....And a lot of less experienced vets have a knee jerk reaction to parasites it seems.
A small number of parasites aren't necessarily cause for treatment. Which is a poison.

 

[Ben02]

Thank you very much

 

[mark1]

why are you taking your tortoise to the vet ? I read one time that something like 20% of random captive tortoises test positive for mycoplasma infections , there is a reason baytril was so commonly used and is still used today by even the most competent of reptile vets . it's effectiveness is as well established as any side effects , it is i'm sure the most understood antibiotic used on reptiles …been study tested on Russian tortoises , indian stars , and desert tortoises that I know of , it's where they got their dosages and regimens from for tortoises ….. it is a quinolone , they are all potent antibiotics , with potential side effects , none of them are completely safe ……as with any drug prescribed , they are deemed safer than what they are being prescribed for ………. as far as major damage at the injection site , I've never personally seen it ,it is a known side effect , I believe it has been designated as rare ? as for knowing what is wrong with a sick tortoise without guessing , I think not many folks are willing to invest that kind of money , vets know this ……...



Nadine Lamberski, DVM, Dipl ACZM

Dr. Lamberski is the Associate Director of Veterinary Services at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and is an adjunct professor at the University of California-Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. She is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, a Diplomat of the American College of Zoological Medicine, and a Past President of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians. She has over twenty years experience working with a very broad-range of captive wildlife species in a zoo setting. During her zoo career, she developed an affinity for giraffe anesthesia. She is also very interested in the impacts and management of disease on small or fragmented populations. Her field projects includes a long-term study of black-footed cats and small carnivores in southern Africa and the health assessment and disease monitoring of thick-billed parrots in northern Mexico. For the past several years, she has been the primary veterinarian for the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center in Las Vegas and is an advisor to the USFWS Desert Tortoise Recovery Office. She resides in a small town along the southern California coast and is an avid tennis player. ([email protected])



Disease Management in Wild Animal Populations
Nadine Lamberski, DVM, Dipl. ACZM Corporate Director of Animal Health San Diego Zoo Global
2016
https://www.fws.gov/nevada/desert_tortoise/documents/mog/tortoise_disease-mgmt_mog_2016_Lamberski.pdf

Treatment Trial
 Enrofloxacin reduced the number of MyAg organisms in all treated tortoises and reduced MyAg to undetectable in 23-33% of tortoises 1 week post treatment.  Enrofloxacin reduced the number of days tortoises had nasal discharge 1 week post treatment.  No weight loss  Tulathromycin was not effective



Cutaneous lesions due to Trichosporon jirovecii in a tortoise (Testudo hermanni)

Received 16 June 2017, Revised 12 July 2017, Accepted 24 July 2017, Available online 25 July 2017.


After a surgical intervention povidone iodine and Iruxol® ointment were daily administered through the drainage for 2 weeks, along with enrofloxacin 5 mg diluted in saline 0.5 ml via the intracelomatic route. After treatment the ulcer healed with residual scars. No relapse was registered after 12 months.

 

[Ben02]

No sorry I wasn't clear, just in case they have to in the future

 

[Pastel Tortie]

No sorry I wasn't clear, just in case they have to in the future

It's a good question to ask, BEFORE you need the answer. Especially because, as you have seen (and will continue to see), the answers may not be clear, and they are certainly not one size fits all. Learn all you can, and eventually you will start getting a feel for what kinds of questions to ask, as well as what types of situation-specific details make a specific instance an exception and not a rule.