Re: Russian tortoise rescue

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Posted by obakefan on January 01, 2002 at 22:53:46:

In Reply to: Russian tortoise rescue posted by AMY on January 01, 2002 at 14:28:14:

I haven't had much experience with sick torties (yet, knock wood!) as my Greeks are only 3 months old. But I've dealt with several sick Ornate Boxies (and have one now I'm dealing with.) The two biggest things I can share, which I believe will be similar for you and the Russian are as follows:

Don't try to get too much food in him too quickly. If his digestive system has been messed up by being sick and by not being properly fed, pushing food can make it worse.

And the other thing I can share is that you can't ever go wrong soaking them in tepid water. Dehydration, even in less humid-loving species than an Ornate Boxie, can be one of the worst things that a turtle or tortie can deal with. If they get too dehydrated, blood pressure will drop. Just like in people. And dropping BP in a sick critter is just as bad for them as it is for us. Turtles and torties can go way longer without food than they can without water.

Oh, sorry, I thought of a third thing that you might can use. With regard to the swollen eyes, here's what I've had a great deal of luck with in my guys. I try to keep teramycin eye ointment in the house at all times. but when I've run out, this seems to have worked at least as well. I use one drop of Cod Liver Oil and one drop of Vitamin E on each eye. Both of them moisten the swollen eye lids and help to keep them from gluing back together. But they don't do any harm. And my vet seems to think that if a little bit gets absorbed into the skin that way, all the better. But don't use a lot. Just enough to coat the eye. That's why I only use one drop of each on each eye.

I'm very glad that this tortie found someone who's willing do to what needs to be done for him. People will never cease to disgust me in their total disregard for the needs of critters. It's like this totally obnoxious clerk at Petsmart told me this past weekend. I told her I was very displeased that they had started to sell reptiles, as most of the general public have no idea what they're supposed to do to properly house these animals and their staff have no idea, either. (every time I go in there, I spend almost an hour talking to someone about some reptile or other critter that the staff can't discuss intelligently with them!)And the clerk told me "It's not my problem what happens to the animals after they leave the store!" Which was exactly the point I was trying to make to her in the first place! I'm so glad you're not like that :)Sounds like the previous owners fell into that same trap with this russian.

Good luck!
Jenny :)

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: I haven't had much experience with sick torties (yet, knock wood!) as my Greeks are only 3 months old. But I've dealt with several sick Ornate Boxies (and have one now I'm dealing with.) The two biggest things I can share, which I believe will be similar for you and the Russian are as follows: : Don't try to get too much food in him too quickly. If his digestive system has been messed up by being sick and by not being properly fed, pushing food can make it worse. : And the other thing I can share is that you can't ever go wrong soaking them in tepid water. Dehydration, even in less humid-loving species than an Ornate Boxie, can be one of the worst things that a turtle or tortie can deal with. If they get too dehydrated, blood pressure will drop. Just like in people. And dropping BP in a sick critter is just as bad for them as it is for us. Turtles and torties can go way longer without food than they can without water. : : Oh, sorry, I thought of a third thing that you might can use. With regard to the swollen eyes, here's what I've had a great deal of luck with in my guys. I try to keep teramycin eye ointment in the house at all times. but when I've run out, this seems to have worked at least as well. I use one drop of Cod Liver Oil and one drop of Vitamin E on each eye. Both of them moisten the swollen eye lids and help to keep them from gluing back together. But they don't do any harm. And my vet seems to think that if a little bit gets absorbed into the skin that way, all the better. But don't use a lot. Just enough to coat the eye. That's why I only use one drop of each on each eye. : I'm very glad that this tortie found someone who's willing do to what needs to be done for him. People will never cease to disgust me in their total disregard for the needs of critters. It's like this totally obnoxious clerk at Petsmart told me this past weekend. I told her I was very displeased that they had started to sell reptiles, as most of the general public have no idea what they're supposed to do to properly house these animals and their staff have no idea, either. (every time I go in there, I spend almost an hour talking to someone about some reptile or other critter that the staff can't discuss intelligently with them!)And the clerk told me "It's not my problem what happens to the animals after they leave the store!" Which was exactly the point I was trying to make to her in the first place! I'm so glad you're not like that :)Sounds like the previous owners fell into that same trap with this russian. : Good luck! : Jenny :)

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