TALLULAH - VET REPORT (UPDATED)

[lilacgeorge]

yeah sorry Linda, as I say just grasping at straws..... really hard to explain the xray - there were 3 white 'patches' but between me (an inexperienced owner) & the vet (an inexperienced tort specialist) we don't know what they are.....

[linda]

this article may help

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/microclimates.htm

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/hospital.htm

[rachel30b]

dawn my small tort passed a calcium stone at xmas , i did a big search on the net for calcium stones and it showed ops where they had operated on large torts with them in, they cut away at the shell and fitted it back on
tort
lets hope your tort passes his stones/pebbles naturally

when i posted at the time there was only dan who had experience of one his torts passing a stone

lets hope mr chitty can help

[lilacgeorge]

Originally Posted by linda

this article may help

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/microclimates.htm

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/hospital.htm

Hmmmm, not sure what I'm ment to be looking at? I couldn't see any reference in these articles to whats wrong with Tally... maybe I'm being blind.... it refers to torts having stones due to being on a hard surface/in a viv type environment - neither of which Tally has been.. she was doing this 'behaviour' that I originally took her to the vets for since I got her - previous to that she was in a large heated greenhouse 24/7, in there they had areas where they could 'hide/burrow, plus they had access to the outside and were free to go in & out when they wanted. Granted up to a couple of years ago her diet was the usual - greens, weeds, fruit etc (hence the lumpy shell) but once the breeder realised this was an incorrect diet she changed to weeds only.

I wouldn't say it was 'post hibernation anorexia' - as she had these 'symptoms' pre hibernation, also when she initially woke up she did eat. Also the xray of the tort in the article doesn't look anything like Tallys - god I wish I could show you....make it so much easier I have emailed the breeder - see what she has to say.....

Anyhew, I suppose I'll just have to wait till I hear back from the vets (hopefully tomorrow)... till then just have to keep my fingers crossed

[Madhouse]

Hi Dawn - am thinking of you sweetheart and i got me fingers all crossed for you both

[rachel30b]

i can see where linda is coming from with the articles

not saying your tort has calcium stone, but my tort passed one as big as malteser and she is only 6/5cm long, she had lived in a tort table, with weeds, water, outside access and being bathed 2/3 times a week and still managed to get a stone and had lived like for the 15 months previous to gettnig the stone
i had her x rayed about two weeks after passing the stone and the vet said there was still calcium deposits in there which came out naturally

when is your vet getting back to you

[lilacgeorge]

Hopefully tomorrow - he's waiting to hear back from the tort specialist vet. I see what your saying about the stones - but looking at xrays of torts with stones on the internet - thats not what Tallys xray looked like....

Don't suppose you've any details of the articles you looked at have you? Maybe what she has is the start of stone?

I shall update you all as soon as I hear tomorrow.... thanks to all of you for your kind words and support

[Belinda]

I hope you get some useful information from Mr.Chitty tomorrow, I know of him, only via my mother. She had some contact with him with her torts some years ago, he is meant to be very good. There is another Chelonian expert near Alton as well which is nearer to you than Andover, I'm trying to remember his name ...he is connected to the Cedar Veterinary Practice anyway.

[egyptiandan64]

Here's one Dawn



Danny

[lilacgeorge]

Hi Danny,
Hope you don't mind... I've added bits onto the xray you posted so that I can try and show what I'm talking about cos I'll be blowed if I can explain it properly!!!



On Tallulahs xray, her inside body area wes clear except for area 1 which like your xray was white/cloudy. The other xray the vet showed me of a gravid tort was also cloudy all over like your xray? The vet showed concern that Tally's was clear - he thought she may have low bone density?

The 'calcium deposits on Tally where in areas 2 & 3 - they were more bobbly looking then your xray, more grainy???

I've just had an email back from the breeder she apparently only gives Calcium once a month??? Maybe this could be the problem?? She also mentioned something that I had forgotton about... prior to hibernation Tally did a poo that wasn't 'normal' - same size & shape as their poo but white-ish colour....... now I forgot asbout this - could this be linked?????

So many questions....... my vet has just rung back with mobile number for Mr Chitty so I'm gonna try and give him a ring - apparently he's 'quite excited about seeing tally' (my vets words not mine!) - and will even see over Easter! MMMMMMM, I bet he will as well (££££££££££££££££)

NOW FOR SOME REALLY EXCITING NEWS!!!!!! (Well it is to me!!)

I just bathed Tally in Reptiboost then tried syringing Critical care to no avail BUT I then put her back in the cage and held a dandy in front of her and SHE ATE IT!!!!!!! I offered her more which she promptly ate...

NOW my question is (I know, another one!!!) where do I go from here????? Do I get her seen by a vet 80 odd miles away, or do I sit and wait to see if she continues to eat if she'll pass whatever it is in her tummy????

Dilemas, Dilemas.......

(I'll let you know what Mr Chitty says when I get through to him...)[/i]