Lost sole.

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Posted by EJ on February 08, 2001 at 10:13:07:

In Reply to: :( posted by Maria on February 06, 2001 at 09:20:24:

Maria, it can take sometimes a take a year or more for a tortoise to actually die. Sometimes the liver or kidney has deteriated to the point to where the animal is kept alive but just barely (metabolicly speaking) That is the animal is acting normal but is slowly dieing. No one here can afford to have a total workup done to detect this as a precaution.
Then there is always the 'failure to thrive' which is an animal that just does not acclimate to captivity.
Once again I will stress that hibernation is not a necessity. If it was 'wanting' to hibernate something was missing that was needed to keep going. I believe two important cues are light and temperature. If you have the animal set up in an enclosure with only a heat source and no thermostat the temperature will change with the seasons. So, in the winter you would need to add heat to maintain the temperature grade you had in the warmer months.
The crushed walnut shell is no worse than sand, gravel, dirt, pinebark mulch. If the animal is acting normally and eating normally impaction should not be a concern.
Finally, the necropsy. I've mentioned this before. I lost an Egyptian tortoise that was dear to me. (I had him 9 years)(and he was an old WC animal) He did exactly what you described and I saw it coming. I did not want to loose this guy. I did. I wanted to find out why. I was taking him to the vet(one who actually keeps tortoises) for 3 weeks prior. The day he died I took him to the vet for Necropsy, nothing. Tissue samples sent out, nothing. Total tab $450.00. Results, nothing (old age).
So, a necropsy is a gamble as far as reptiles go. A gross necroplsy is about $35.00 and that needs to be done in the first day or two and the animal cannot be frozen. I would have that done to rule out the obvious (impaction, diet deficiencies etc.) Beyond that I you have to weigh just how important it is to know.
Chalk it up to experience and look to see that you did the best you could. (at least that's what I do)
Ed
(Don't give up on these guys. They make dynamite pets.)

: My Russian died this morning. She kept slowing down, and I thought she was just trying to hibernate. Appearantly that was not the case. Is there anything I could have done, or should do in case I ever get another one?
: Maria

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: Maria, it can take sometimes a take a year or more for a tortoise to actually die. Sometimes the liver or kidney has deteriated to the point to where the animal is kept alive but just barely (metabolicly speaking) That is the animal is acting normal but is slowly dieing. No one here can afford to have a total workup done to detect this as a precaution. : Then there is always the 'failure to thrive' which is an animal that just does not acclimate to captivity. : Once again I will stress that hibernation is not a necessity. If it was 'wanting' to hibernate something was missing that was needed to keep going. I believe two important cues are light and temperature. If you have the animal set up in an enclosure with only a heat source and no thermostat the temperature will change with the seasons. So, in the winter you would need to add heat to maintain the temperature grade you had in the warmer months. : The crushed walnut shell is no worse than sand, gravel, dirt, pinebark mulch. If the animal is acting normally and eating normally impaction should not be a concern. : Finally, the necropsy. I've mentioned this before. I lost an Egyptian tortoise that was dear to me. (I had him 9 years)(and he was an old WC animal) He did exactly what you described and I saw it coming. I did not want to loose this guy. I did. I wanted to find out why. I was taking him to the vet(one who actually keeps tortoises) for 3 weeks prior. The day he died I took him to the vet for Necropsy, nothing. Tissue samples sent out, nothing. Total tab $450.00. Results, nothing (old age). : So, a necropsy is a gamble as far as reptiles go. A gross necroplsy is about $35.00 and that needs to be done in the first day or two and the animal cannot be frozen. I would have that done to rule out the obvious (impaction, diet deficiencies etc.) Beyond that I you have to weigh just how important it is to know. : Chalk it up to experience and look to see that you did the best you could. (at least that's what I do) : Ed : (Don't give up on these guys. They make dynamite pets.) : : : My Russian died this morning. She kept slowing down, and I thought she was just trying to hibernate. Appearantly that was not the case. Is there anything I could have done, or should do in case I ever get another one? : : Maria

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