Very sad time!

Yesturday lunch time I got a call from a Derbshire vets to see if I could help with a sick tortoise they had been treating for a while as they didn't have the facilities or the expertise to care for one. They told me it didn't look good for the little fellow. I replied sure I will be there for around 3pm to collect. The was dumb founded at my comment but appreciated it all the same. So we got in the car to make the long journey to Derbyshire.

We arrived and got the history of this ver poorly tortoise. Apparently this little guy had woke from hibernation back in January due to the warmer weather we was having and the tortoise, Porky was his name, wouldn't eat. His owner, an elderly lady, took him to the vets in February and the vets began to treat him for mouth rot and prescribed Baytril. So off and on since then Porky was bein given Baytril with no effect. And then began to lose weight so they then was tube feeding him fruit baby food. Porky was a Hermanns by the way. Also he was kept that warm as they only had a kennels with a lamp in as they didn't have anything else for him to go into to provide the correct temps. On inspection Porky had sunken eyes, it almost looked like he had no eyes. His lids was closed shut also. His nose was crusted up with dried mucus and he mouth was gaping. It didn't look good and I wasn't sure if Porky would survive the long journey home, so I could get him to our own vets.

The journey home seemed to take forever as the roads was busy with holiday traffic, trying to get away for the Bank Holiday weekend. We had been on the road since 12.30pm and by the time we got home it was 7.15pm. We was shattered and we had missed our vets as they closed at 6.30pm. So figuered he would take Porky first thing in the morning if he would make it through the night. We gave him a warm bath, cleared his nose, gave him some Critical Care Formula and kept him warm. That was all we could do for the time being. Anyway we woke up this morning to find that Porky had passed away.

I feel it's such a waste. If only the vets had gotten him to someone who was qualified to deal with reptiles then maybe Porky's life could of been saved.

such a shame but do agree theres not a lot of vets that deal with reps think closes to me ive been told is in manchester
steve

What a shame about the poor tort. Im lucky as the reptile vet isnt too far from me. Only been once to have my gfs tort checked over.

anakusak wrote:

such a shame but do agree theres not a lot of vets that deal with reps think closes to me ive been told is in manchester
steve

Steve Pennine Vets have a centre in Harwood.

cool i will keep that in mind and in the phone book hope i never need it tho
steve

Poor little thing

thats such a shame......

Geez.