Hi I posted some months back with the problem that my latest rescue tort(Spur thigh) has not eaten on her own for nearly 2 years now, tried everything anyone suggested, no luck, found a specialist Vet in Cambridge and she is 99% sure its her liver, damaged from a bad hibernation. I am giving  her food and a warm bath every day plus now she is having a drop of Milk Thistle extract as per Vets instruction, I know it will take time to rectify and the Vet is convinced she will eat on her own again even after all this time but can anyone come up with anything else that might help, she is weed fed(difficult this time of year) or salad with dried weeds sprinkled on, plus Nutrabol, is there anything else I can do, she sits under her lamp in the tort table and hardly moves, she is awake some times with head up staring about but does not walk about,when I get her out to feed her she walks all over the kitchen table and she stops if I put an obstacle in her way so I know she has eyesight of some sort, any help would be so appreciated.

Usually, once hand feeding is started, it does not cease on it's own. Are you using pretty warm water to bathe her, this is a stimulant of sorts. Has your vet done regular liver function tests to see if there is any improvement in liver function at all? Have you tried feeding the dreaded pellets at all. It's not a permanent solution, but sometimes the strong smell is enough to get the appetite going, which if so, is usually enough to start voluntary feeding - correct food can then be added gradually if it works.

Good luck

Sue

www.tortsmad.com

I have treid the pellets several times over the last 2 years with no luck, the vet said to try the milk thistle for a while and that was end of november and we are to go back in Feb ,no tests yet waiting to see in Feb, thanks for reply

It seems to be a long time wwaiting for tests. I'm wondering just how intensive the treatment is or is it just a 'lets see how things go' scenario. If it was my tortoise, I would be wanting to see a fair bit more input than just trying milk thistle. Did your tortoise go through a period of tube feeding , faecal tests etc? Maybe get a second opinion! You say your vet is a specialist, but I would say they seem either disinterested or there have been results which would show things are not so bad as you feel they are! What area are you in? Are there other reputable vets in the area who could possibly help?

Sue

www.tortsmad.com

she was very abrupt especially when I stated I had just retired and did not have endless supply of money,(she wanted to keep her in and monitor her, I explained I monitor her every move so there was no need, there was nothing Amelia does/dosent that I could not tell her about) she has never needed tube feeding as I put it in her mouth and she chews and swallow fine,she just wont pick it up like my other ones do.vet did no tests but she wants me to take in a faecal test soon, trouble is it is miles away. I live in Suffolk and the vets is the other side of cambridge. I have tried 2 vets but they just want to give her vitamin injections and I dont see the need as I make sure she has every vitamin going, I vary her weed based food and she did have vitamin injections to start but they had no affect. this was the only vet I could find and that was on the recommendation of my dogs new vet. I have starved her for 2 weeks, I bath her every 2 days, I have tried sweetcorn, rose petals, pellets and she just turns away, there is no food I have not tempted her with, I have to take her on holiday with me and I love her to bits but I am getting a bit frustrated now.

also if you look at 6.8.12 on the posts under amelias mum and BMD? you can see her and also all the help I was given last time to no avail.

thanks again

Any vet who gives vitamin injections should be avoided. As you have found they are no use at all and some can be downright lethal, causing skin sloughing and worse. If this was my tortoise, I would be treating her myself if this is the best your vet can do. Do you mean your tortoise has MBD? Will go and look for your posts ;)

I don't think you should have given any oil supplements to be honest. What makes you think she has MBD? I can't find pics. Does she walk talk or drag herself along? Is her shell nicely domed or flattened? Sorry for questions, just trying to get a picture of what is going on considering the vet seems to think there is a liver problem.  

I wasnt sure about MBD, I was asking for help as most of her symptoms fitted she does walk a bit but very little, she sits all day in her tort table under her lamps, she can walk a bit when I take her out to feed her she has a wander round the table but compared to my others she is very inactive, her shell is domed but bumpy, I have upladed the photos, please dont worry about how many questions there are I just want her to have a quality of life. She is so much better than she was 2 years ago but still not right.

also I read bean shoots are good and also watercress so have added those to her diet this week Thanks again for help