Kunoichi73
Well-Known Member
Sending lots of healing vibes your way.
Vet trip for Tia
- Thread starter scats
- Start date
FinnishLapphund
There's no cow on the ice
{{{{{{Vibes}}}}}} to Tia.
The vet sounds sensible, wanting to try to make sure she's in an as good as possible condition to be able to handle the surgery, before actually doing the surgery. I assume plans could change, and the surgery be done earlier if she doesn't respond as intended.
The vet sounds sensible, wanting to try to make sure she's in an as good as possible condition to be able to handle the surgery, before actually doing the surgery. I assume plans could change, and the surgery be done earlier if she doesn't respond as intended.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
All the vibes I can produce are winging Tia's way.
scats
Well-Known Member
Update this morning- Tia had her syringe feed last night and had done the biggest poo the vet nurse has ever seen 
She’s gone stubborn today though and won’t let them open her mouth so they were going to try again in a short while.
She is insanely strong for such a little thing!
She’s gone stubborn today though and won’t let them open her mouth so they were going to try again in a short while.
She is insanely strong for such a little thing!
Bearsmum
Well-Known Member
Healing vibes winging your way for Tia, and yay for a big poo, that might help her feel a little better. Dougal had a feeding tube fitted a few years back as he got mouth rot and wouldn't eat, but hopefully the vets will be able to get her mouth open to syringe some more food in - their jaws are incredibly strong so I know how difficult it is to open their mouth
oldandgold
Well-Known Member
Many many good vibes on their way for Tia
SilverLinings
Well-Known Member
Best wishes for Tia, I hope that she starts eating soon and stops causing you so much worry. Fingers crossed that she is more cooperative with the vets later today.
scats
Well-Known Member
Update on Tia- she’s still making no attempt to eat though they have managed to get some syringe food down her.
She was rescanned this morning and the follicles are exactly the same which does point to them being static.
I’m collecting her later for the weekend as they are not manned over the weekend, and then she is going back in next week for surgery to have a spay.
We can’t be 100% sure it’s this problem causing her lack of appetite, but the bloods point to it (and certainly rules lots of other things out) and the scans are suspicious, so it’s sort of a not many options left situation.
Rough estimate of surgery cost is 1.5-2k which I was pleasantly surprised at as I’d convinced myself it would be nearer 5k.
Can’t wait to bring her home later. I ordered brand new heat lamps for her aswell as mine were a few months old and I want to make sure everything is absolutely perfect for her and her recovery if she survives surgery.
She was rescanned this morning and the follicles are exactly the same which does point to them being static.
I’m collecting her later for the weekend as they are not manned over the weekend, and then she is going back in next week for surgery to have a spay.
We can’t be 100% sure it’s this problem causing her lack of appetite, but the bloods point to it (and certainly rules lots of other things out) and the scans are suspicious, so it’s sort of a not many options left situation.
Rough estimate of surgery cost is 1.5-2k which I was pleasantly surprised at as I’d convinced myself it would be nearer 5k.
Can’t wait to bring her home later. I ordered brand new heat lamps for her aswell as mine were a few months old and I want to make sure everything is absolutely perfect for her and her recovery if she survives surgery.
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FinnishLapphund
There's no cow on the ice
More {{{{{{Vibes}}}}}} to Tia. That's still a lot of money for the spaying, but very glad to hear it's not going to be the figure you had expected.
oldandgold
Well-Known Member
Good wishes on their way, hope everything goes well for Tia next week,
scats
Well-Known Member
I collected Tia this afternoon and she’s home for the weekend.
She goes back in at 9am on Monday morning for rescan and surgery.
She goes back in at 9am on Monday morning for rescan and surgery.
Kunoichi73
Well-Known Member
Sending more positive vibes for Tia's recovery! 
scats
Well-Known Member
Tia ate a little bit of romain lettuce yesterday (the only thing she will remotely entertain), but then buried herself away for the day.
I will see what she does today. It’s such a rollercoaster. I don’t want to put her through surgery if I don’t have to, and when she eats I get little glimpses of hope, but it’s very short lived.
It’s now been around 7 weeks of her not eating and just burying herself away.
I will see what she does today. It’s such a rollercoaster. I don’t want to put her through surgery if I don’t have to, and when she eats I get little glimpses of hope, but it’s very short lived.
It’s now been around 7 weeks of her not eating and just burying herself away.
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
I’ve just read all this through! I had no idea spaying a tortoise was a thing! Amazing.
You probably already have bug have you tried flowers? Mine is obsessed with flowers, I wonder if they are like sweets to a tortoise?!
You probably already have bug have you tried flowers? Mine is obsessed with flowers, I wonder if they are like sweets to a tortoise?!
scats
Well-Known Member
Well today she has eaten quite a bit! I went upstairs this morning to find my Dad hand feeding her romaine lettuce and the Dandelions I had put in for her. She munched away happily for about 15 minutes!
She then took herself off to bed but this afternoon I popped her out in the garden and we put some more dandelion in front of her and she ate it!
She has ignored dandelion (previously her favourite) for ages so this is a great sign.
She then took herself off to bed but this afternoon I popped her out in the garden and we put some more dandelion in front of her and she ate it!
She has ignored dandelion (previously her favourite) for ages so this is a great sign.
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
That’s good news!!
scats
Well-Known Member
I’ve had a big think today and I’m going to postpone her vet appointment for a few days. She was due in tomorrow for a rescan and surgery, but I think I’m going to give her a couple more days and see how she gets on with her eating. I will hand feed her again if need be.
I’ll give the vet a ring in the morning and update them.
I’ll give the vet a ring in the morning and update them.
scats
Well-Known Member
Hand fed this morning and she ate some romaine lettuce and a dandelion stem and flower and half a leaf. Then she waddled back to bed.
I cancelled todays vet appointment but told them I will book her in towards the end of the week or beginning of next for another scan to check the status of the follicles. Her inactivity is still very concerning, despite having a bit of success with her eating.
Here’s a little clip of her munching today
I cancelled todays vet appointment but told them I will book her in towards the end of the week or beginning of next for another scan to check the status of the follicles. Her inactivity is still very concerning, despite having a bit of success with her eating.
Here’s a little clip of her munching today
scats
Well-Known Member
So after a few good days of Tia hand feeding, she’s stopped wanting to cooperate again. She had a little bit of carrot and lettuce today and then just went back to bed and buried herself.
So I’ll ring the vet tomorrow and arrange for her to go in early next week for another scan and see how things are looking.
So I’ll ring the vet tomorrow and arrange for her to go in early next week for another scan and see how things are looking.
scats
Well-Known Member
Back at the vet today for another scan and also an X-ray aswell to check that she wasn’t egg bound (as if she had got to egg stage we could give her some drugs to help her pass these), but definitely no eggs.
She’s also lost 5g, which is a worry.
So she’s booked in for surgery next Wednesday. There is a chance that they might open her up and discover that the follicles are actually tumours, but if that’s the case they will ring me while she’s under and obviously decisions will be made.
Hopefully if it’s follicles, as they think it is, they’ll take them out and spay her. They will fit a feeding tube while she’s under, too, so we can control her recovery better and get meds into her.
She’s cost me £1k already and they’ve quoted around £2k for surgery and feeding tube.
She’s a very expensive little tortoise!
She’s also lost 5g, which is a worry.
So she’s booked in for surgery next Wednesday. There is a chance that they might open her up and discover that the follicles are actually tumours, but if that’s the case they will ring me while she’s under and obviously decisions will be made.
Hopefully if it’s follicles, as they think it is, they’ll take them out and spay her. They will fit a feeding tube while she’s under, too, so we can control her recovery better and get meds into her.
She’s cost me £1k already and they’ve quoted around £2k for surgery and feeding tube.
She’s a very expensive little tortoise!
FinnishLapphund
There's no cow on the ice
Sorry to hear you've had to book a new vet/surgery appointment for her.
Having pets gives so much unmeasurable joy to our lives, but the worry when they're not well, have more than once made my mum talk about that she thinks she would've been more suited to live as a nun, than to go through the worry of having a family, and own pets.
Having pets gives so much unmeasurable joy to our lives, but the worry when they're not well, have more than once made my mum talk about that she thinks she would've been more suited to live as a nun, than to go through the worry of having a family, and own pets.
Bearsmum
Well-Known Member
Hoping the surgery goes smoothly and Tia makes a full recovery, sorry your are having to go through this, if it helps - the feeding tube is really easy to use and you just mix their feed with water and syringe it slowly in, it might help her regain some weight too.
costly little blighters aren't they!
costly little blighters aren't they!
oldandgold
Well-Known Member
Crossing fingers again for Tia, hope it is "just" follicles. Good wishes on their way
Kunoichi73
Well-Known Member
Fingers crossed for Tia's issues being down to follicles.
scats
Well-Known Member
Thank you. The vets are exotic specialists and have assured me that they have done many successful surgeries of this kind, but the vet was explaining today that reptiles have a very different breathing reflex to mammals and it’s not as straight forward to get them breathing again afterwards, so recovery from the anaesthetic can take a long time.
I’ve owned Tia for a year and never in a million years thought that she’d end up needing surgery, but she is young and has the potential of another 80 years of life so I’m going to give her the chance.
I’ve owned Tia for a year and never in a million years thought that she’d end up needing surgery, but she is young and has the potential of another 80 years of life so I’m going to give her the chance.
scats
Well-Known Member
So I dropped Tia off this evening at the vets. Surgery is first thing in the morning. They said they will ring me when she is in recovery, or if they find anything sinister, they will obviously ring me while she’s still under.
They asked for my permission to photograph the surgery for their social media pages, as it’s quite rare, so if/when that is published I will post the link for anyone who wants to see it.
Felt a bit sad dropping her off as you just don’t know when you put an animal under anaesthetic whether they will get through it, but more so with a reptile. Still, trying to stay positive and hope that I get to bring her home in a few days time so recovery can begin.
She’s such a cool little tortoise.
They asked for my permission to photograph the surgery for their social media pages, as it’s quite rare, so if/when that is published I will post the link for anyone who wants to see it.
Felt a bit sad dropping her off as you just don’t know when you put an animal under anaesthetic whether they will get through it, but more so with a reptile. Still, trying to stay positive and hope that I get to bring her home in a few days time so recovery can begin.
She’s such a cool little tortoise.
Kunoichi73
Well-Known Member
Fingers crossed for Tia! Sending positive vibes.
nagblagger
Well-Known Member
Fingers crossed..another thread I will be watching throughout tomorrow for updates. Did they say how long the surgery will take?
FinnishLapphund
There's no cow on the ice
Fingers crossed, hope the surgery is uneventful and straightforward. {{{{{{Vibes}}}}}}
rabatsa
Confuddled
Fingers crossed for a straight forward surgery and quick recovery.