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Old 12-05-2014, 08:50 PM   #1
Hanako
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Default My big girl is not eating :(

My big girl is not eating. The last two months her weight has gone down from 1150 grams to just under 900 grams. The last week or two she also stopped drinking. (all my tortoises always have some urate in the water when they are having their bath, drink and wee and she is not producing any urates. Not even a tiny bit. I am giving her bath currently every day but no luck).

I took her to a vet. I requested X rays. She had eggs in November and the last few months she has sometimes been restless, so I was wondering whether she may want to lay some more and it got stuck. It seems that there are no eggs. There also doesn't appear to be any other objects stuck in her digestive system (I thought she may have eaten something and it got stuck). Her lungs seem to be clear too. I will post the X rays if anyone understand what is on the picture and if anything looks out of place.

The vet thinks that everything on the Xrays looks how it should. The vet injected her some liquids (I am worried about her being dehydrated when she doesn't drink). The vet doesn't think that it warrants antibiotics yet because we don't currently know what's wrong with her. He hopes that she may start eating after getting the fluids. I have to admit that I don't believe it myself but we can try.

Does anyone have any advice?

I have tried nebulising and it doesn't seem to be helping. Apart of antibiotics or some force feeding, I can't see anything else that can be done.

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Old 12-05-2014, 08:50 PM   #2
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Old 12-05-2014, 09:09 PM   #3
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At least you know there's no blockage causing any problems, but I can understand why you are so concerned. Have you tried Reptoboost in her bath to try and kick start her appetite?
I would perhaps increase the baths to twice daily.
I assume you've tried her with some soaked pellets as well as weeds and she's been tested for worms?
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Old 12-05-2014, 09:30 PM   #4
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Reptoboost is not going to help if she is refusing to drink. I have a problem how to get it into her.

When she stopped eating, at first I didn't worry too much, because her weight has been always slightly up and down, but that was always within 50 grams difference. When she went bellow those 50 grams boarder, I have subtly tried to tempt her to eat. I have tried everything from food, including food that is considered unhealthy and not recommended. First I did the usual weeds, then I went to pellets, all various lettuces, even fruit and cucumber just to try to tempt her, but at that stage she just wouldn't have anything.

She has been tested for worms about 6 months ago and she was clear, so I didn't treat her at that time. Now I can't have her tested because we have no poops.
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Old 12-05-2014, 09:30 PM   #5
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Does anyone know what are those 2 'balls' at the bottom of the first picture? I have got the book Medicine and Surgery of Tortoise and Turtle open in front of me, and there are some X ray pictures, and none of them has got that. It is on both sides, so it looks that it probably should be there, but it is the only thing on that picture that strongly stands out. Not even bones stand out as strongly.
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Old 12-05-2014, 09:33 PM   #6
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This might be a stupid answer, I have no idea with torts anatomy, could they be eggs?
It's so worrying isn't it, I was worried about my little one and reptoboost really did the trick. It might be worth a try! xx
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Old 12-05-2014, 09:39 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanako View Post
Reptoboost is not going to help if she is refusing to drink. I have a problem how to get it into her.

When she stopped eating, at first I didn't worry too much, because her weight has been always slightly up and down, but that was always within 50 grams difference. When she went bellow those 50 grams boarder, I have subtly tried to tempt her to eat. I have tried everything from food, including food that is considered unhealthy and not recommended. First I did the usual weeds, then I went to pellets, all various lettuces, even fruit and cucumber just to try to tempt her, but at that stage she just wouldn't have anything.

She has been tested for worms about 6 months ago and she was clear, so I didn't treat her at that time. Now I can't have her tested because we have no poops.
There was a discussion on here a little while back, where some people thought it possible that torts can rehydrate from their baths even when not drinking. It is possible that they can absorb water through the cloaca, though I'm not sure this has been proven. This was why I suggested increasing the baths and adding reptoboost. It has to be worth a try before you get to a situtation where she may need to be tube-fed.
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Old 12-05-2014, 09:48 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by emma_mcraf View Post
There was a discussion on here a little while back, where some people thought it possible that torts can rehydrate from their baths even when not drinking. It is possible that they can absorb water through the cloaca, though I'm not sure this has been proven. This was why I suggested increasing the baths and adding reptoboost. It has to be worth a try before you get to a situtation where she may need to be tube-fed.
Thank you. I will try then. (Getting to the stage when I am willing to try anything).
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Old 12-05-2014, 09:51 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by becciwales View Post
This might be a stupid answer, I have no idea with torts anatomy, could they be eggs?
It's so worrying isn't it, I was worried about my little one and reptoboost really did the trick. It might be worth a try! xx
They don't look as eggs. I don't know tortoise anatomy myself, I am comparing it with the pictures in the book, but the eggs on Xray in the book look much paler, just a shape whereas this looks somehow more solid. And the eggs in the books are much higher.

I was wondering whether it is some reproductive organs (not sure which ones). Or maybe kidneys. But why they are so 'solid' on the picture? Like more solid then bones?

Last edited by Hanako; 12-05-2014 at 10:11 PM.
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Old 12-05-2014, 10:03 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by Hanako View Post
Thank you. I will try then. (Getting to the stage when I am willing to try anything).
Well worth a try Hanako I've used it with two of mine early this year when they were off their food. They didn't seem to drink at all so far as I could see, but it certainly did the trick Needs to be well rinsed off after
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