Reptile & Amphibian Forums

kennel girl at my work has three sulcatas-large, medium (seven pounds) and hatchling. Seems the medium is housed with the hatchling-and keeps "picking on it". (go ahead, everyone say- "Duhhhhh" )

If Im interested, I can have it- everyone there feels badly that mine died.

The hitch?
Upon inspection:

housed on bark chunks as big as he is-every step is like climbing a mountain-but very active(i'd be active too, if a monster was always chasing me). Temps there are within range, though I don't know if the big one has allowed the little one to bask.

He seems to have upper respiratory infection. Slight pumping with his legs when breathing, reluctant to open his eyes, but does, eventually. No bubbling at the nostrils, doesnt appear dehydrated. Still has an egg tooth.

Weird plastron-only slightly soft, but with an indent in it-the only way I can describe it is if you have ever seen a chicken egg that has a crease from the hay it was laid on, before it hardened-

Been fed a diet of iceberg, apples, kale, strawberries and various other fruits. (scream)

I may take it, with no high hopes, and knowing that it may not make it. I have the baytril I can use, and the liquid calcium, if necessary.

(Also plan on getting a healthy one once the cold weather here breaks-one I WILL have high hopes for.Right now its 6 below zero).
So- think it is savable? Your thoughts?
the plan:
With strategic placement of a space heater outside my table, plus towels over the top-I can raise the temps inside the table to 95-110 constant. I can raise the humidity significantly by "watering" the substrate. I think I would also increase soaking to twice daily instead of just once-to try and prevent rapid dehydration.
It DOES eat, so feeding would just be a matter of healthy food-herbivore critical care diet, mazuri, optunia cactus, pumpkin-because it is used to the bright fruits, I can add the cactus fruities that are bright pink to intice the eating of critical care food.

(just think, after all this critical care, a healthy baby will seem like cake to care for).

It's a good test tortoise to take in without high hopes but if it should make it and if it does have any bugs you then run the risk of introducing those bugs to the tortoise you plan on getting.

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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

I say, take it. At least, with you, it will have a fighting chance to survive.

Keep in mind though, most tortoises pump their legs when breathing, so if there is no mucas in the nose or mouth, I would not treat for an URI unless I was real sure. Pumping it full of medication for no real reason would actually down his immune system causing him to be more prone to infections.

Also, do not keep him in a humid enclosure. To keep him hydrated, soak him at least everyother day in warm water for about 20 mins. and you should not have a problem.

And if nothing else, should you take him in, and he survives, but you still want to find him a new home. I am sure there are alot of caring people out there that would help.

I hope this helps a bit.
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Kelly Wood

1.1 Cherry Head Redfoots
1.0 Brazillian Redfoots
0.0.2 Leopard tortoises
1.1 Sandfire Bearded Dragons
1.0 Maliuromastyx
0.2 Dogs
2.2 Parakeets
1.3.1 Eastern box turtles
2.6.1 three-toed box turtles
0.2 white, black tail japenese bantams

I think 110 degrees is too hot to keep him at constantly, especially if he is not used to that kind of heat. If he truly does have a respiratory problem, then keeping it around 90 or 95 in the hot end and 78 or so in the cooler end should be fine for him. After he gets better, cool down the cool end to about 74 or so or to ambient temperature at night. Keeping tortoises too hot is one of the major reasons they keep getting dehydrated even though you soak them every day. The sunken eyes and wrinkly legs are indications of dehydration and fat loss. Many people don't realize that about the overheating. The soaking can't keep up with the evaporation from the body no matter how much you soak them if they are kept too hot.

The greatest tonic for sick tortoises that works almost every time is sow thistle, but I guess you won't be able to find any if the temperature there is that cold. This plant is very easy to find growing wild almost anywhere in the US after the weather gets warm enough. I've seen sow thistle bring tortoises back from the brink of death. The vegie juices will do it also if their health has fallen to the point where they refuse all food. A lot of times a tortoise that won't eat also won't drink, and soaking will have VERY little effect on advanced dehydration. You must force-feed the juices. I'm not saying the one you have now is in that state. He seems easily salvagable.

If the same thing happens to this one that happened to the other one, you need to take faster action with the force-feeding of the juices and of course to learn how to do it. The time to start it is within 3 or 4 days of them refusing to eat any more. Any longer and atrophy of the stomach can begin to set in and they don't absorb many nutrients from their food.