Hi -my young Horsefield (nearly 2) has come out of hibernation but isn't eating or drinking, very lethargic and tends to move round in circles, if at all. I read that this might be eye damage during hibernation. How do I get him to eat/drink. Should I take him to a vet asap? Thanks.

When did your tortoise come out of hibernation?

He shouldn't be walking round in circles so I would advise you to make an urgent appointment at you exotics vet specialist (not your domestic vet).  If you don't know which one to use please click on 'vets in the UK' link on the left hand side of this page to locate the nearest one to you.

Meanwhile make sure he is warmed him up under a basking lamp and soak him in warm water for about 20 mins.  Bathe him two or three times a day until you see your vet.

Let us know if you have any problems locating a specialist vet and we will see if we can help you find one.

Keep us informed of how you get on.

Helen

Hi Helen

Thanks for the advice. Just back from the specialist vet who has kept him in for 3 days to rehydrate and hopefully save him. Looks like I was given some bad advice by the breeder - the vet said not to hibernate before the age of 4 and the only for a max of 14 weeks. This isn't what I was told by the breeder. Fingers crossed for Harry - hopefully the vet will be able to get him to pull through.

Vicky

Hi Vicky, Hibernating species can hibernate from year 1, but young ones would only have a short hibernation. What did the breeder tell you to do as regards hibernation.

Laraine

Hi Vicky
Fingers & toes crossed that  good news comes soon
Jane

I'm pleased that your vet is looking after your tortoise for you as I was really concerned to hear that he was walking round in circles, but like Laraine, I'm not certain why your vet suggested you shouldn't have hibernated him.  May I ask how long he was in hibernation for and where did you keep him during his hibernation period?

Fingers crossed your tortoise gets through this.

Keep us informed please

Helen

Hi everyone - the vet said that hibernating that young is too much of a strain on their bodies. Harry was hibernating for about 20 weeks in a box packed with straw, wrapped in blankets and in a stable. I read on another tortoise website that walking in circles indicates eye damage due to freezing during hibernation - so I guess I didn't protect him from the elements enough. On top of the vet saying I shouldn't have hibernated him at all - and definitely not for that long - I feel really guilty.

The vet also said that he shouldn't be outside at all, yet when I bought him he was outside and spent the summer last year outside and was in good health. He really seemed to like being outdoors. He wants Harry to go back into a vivarium indoors. I've had very conflicting advice.

Fingers crossed - I've been told to ring the vet tomorrow to see how he is.

Thanks for all your advice and concern. I'll let you know how it goes with Harry.

Vicky

Hi Vicky

Everyone has to start somewhere learning how to care for their tortoise and you are very right - there is such a lot of conflicting information out there that it is sometimes hard to understand what it is that you should be doing.

Please don't beat yourself up over this, just lets hope your tortoise makes a good recovery and we'll help advise you to give your tortoise the best type of care that you are able to for his future.

I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed that he is a bit better tomorrow.

Helen

P.S.  I have mailed you privately

Hi Vicky

After our private emails yesterday I'm now much more confident that the vet you are using will provide Harry with expert veterinary care and if he can do, he will help Harry pull through this; so my fingers are crosssed for Harry. 

However, I am still very concerned about the husbandry advice that has been suggested to you by this vet and the TPG will be looking further in to it as we do NOT recommend vivariums as tortoise housing long term.  Once Harry is fit and well we can discuss his future care in detail with you.  I am sure the advice given to you by your breeder was sound advice.

Have you heard how Harry is doing today? 

Helen 

Hi everyone and Helen thanks for your advice yesterday.

The great news is Harry is eating today, which is fantastic. The vet is very pleased that he has responded so quickly and it looks like he'll be able to come home on Saturday. Hooray!!

His blood test showed very low protein so the vet wants to make sure this improves before Harry comes home. He has been on fluids and antibiotics and has responded well.

So thanks everyone for your support and kind words. I'll let you know the updates as I get them.

Helen, I agree, I don't want Harry in a vivarium long term and hope that he'll be fit enough soon to return to his tortoise house and pen in the garden. Perhaps we can talk about husbandry more when he's home?

Thanks again,

Vicky

Hi Vicky
So glad Harry is starting to feel better
Jane

Hello Vicky,  Just wanted to say how pleased I am to read that Harry is on the mend.    Phew !! That sounded scarey..    None of us is perfect and I'm sure now we have read about little Harry we we all learn that little bit more..  This is what TPG is all about. Thank you for sharing your experience..  love from Marilyn.  xx

Thanks Marilyn. It looks like Harry will be home tomorrow. I phoned the vet this afternoon and he's still doing fine, so fingers crossed he'll make a full recovery. Thanks for your support and what a great site this is.

Vicky x

Well - is he home yet?

Helen 

Hi Helen

Yes Harry's now back home safe and sound. I picked him up this afternoon - he was munching on some dandylion leaves and much perkier. I've just given him a bath and he was drinking, so all good signs. He's in his vivarium and I've seen him eating and moving around a bit. It's all looking good, so fingers crossed.

Apparently his blood protein had dropped to 7 (Mark said anything below 10 is a huge worry as normal levels should be around 22)!! So, not entirely out of the woods yet, but well on the road to recovery I think.

Vicky

Hi Vicky,

That is such good news! I don't know anything about blood protein levels -- did Mark say what might have caused them to drop low, and how you get them back up again?

Nina

Hi Nina

He said it was due to not eating during hibernation and the fact that the blood still needs to circulate and produce proteins even whilst asleep. It was one of the reasons he said not to hibernate such a young tortoise. He went on to say that in the wild their conditions are perfect so they would hibernate but only for a short period. With such a young tortoise he said conditions in the UK are not ideal and hibernation is far too long, which then means the protein levels drop dangerously low, as they did with Harry.

I hope that makes sense? I don't really understand the science of it, but what he was saying seemed to make sense.

Vicky

If it's the blood total protein level then it is on the low side.  I guess you can soon feed him up on the correct proteins.  Is Harry eating properly for you?

Helen

I have to agree that twenty weeks is too long for a young tortoise to be honest.  Most vets say no longer than 12 weeks and that's for adults.

My 2 and 3 year olds had 10 weeks this time around and they were weighed weekly to ensure they lost no more than 1/10th of their body weight during their hibernation.  In fact they lost virtually nothing - so I was well pleased with them.

Helen