Vet for a tortoise in Dublin...?

Rancid

She just needs a check-up... she's over-exercising and under-eating and consequently losing weight.

Anyone recommend a vet.. anywhere in Dublin, northside preferred?

Sconnolly

You probably won't have much luck finding ANY vet who's qualified to treat tortoises.

What I'd recommend you do is call into "Reptile Haven", on Fishamble street off the quays, and ask Ben if he knows what it could be or if he could recommend a vet.

If that's no joy, then there is a Dr. O'Malley in Bray who's supposed to specialise in Exotics.

Or, Argyle and Bainbridge in Dundrum and Stillorgan are the zoo vets, so they might have a clue.

Susan

Falkorre

McMahon Vets.

513 Main Street Tallaght
01-4516577

Reptile Specialist

B

Sconnolly

Well that's me put in my place....:o

Are they any good? I've been looking for somebody to treat my guys for ages.

Rancid

Thanks guys

Think I'll give the guy in Tallaght a call and see about an appt.

And I've talked to Ben in RH before about her...and he suggested a couple different foods .... but she wouldn't eat them, either!

Sconnolly

What're you feeding her at the minute? and what kind of a tortoise is she?

Rancid

She's a Hermanns... 40something and I've had her for 7 years... previous owners couldn't look after her any longer.
(She's always been hand-fed)

I've been feeding her dandelion leaves, plantain, clover, lettuce... and a bit of banana every now and again.
She's so reluctant to eat now, although when she came out of hibernation she was ravenous.

She walks for hours in the garden, all around the edges.... and if you try to interrrup her to feed her... she just walks away or right through the food if it's on the ground in front of her.

She has regular baths, bowels and bladder working normally and she looks and seems grand.

What do you think?

Falkorre

yep, McMahons are good

Hmmm... how long ago did she come out of hibernation? From the little I know of tortoises they can somtimes eat so much when they come out of hibernation that they lose their appetite for a while after, but thats by no means certain.

At a guess, I would say if shes recently hibernated, it might just take a while for her metabolism to return to normal.

Faye might be able to offer more suggestions on what to tempt her with, Dunno if she has any tortoises in her menagerie tho

My best suggestion, phone vet, ask to speak to the vet and ask him, prolly a pretty common question.

Just another guess, as i say i know little bout tortoises, specifically, but could it (as with snakes and lizards and turtles etc), have somthing to do with temp? I would imagine if she is still too cold after hibernation it might take longer for her metabolism to kick back into a normal pattern.

Hope that helps.



B

Rancid

I took her out of hibernation at the beg of March and she was eating within 3 days. Drank lots the first 2 days...then started eating.
I had a new heat lamp and a uv lamp this year for her..... so she seemed to be doing soooo well.
I know she's getting hot enough to eat but she seems to be using up all her energy in this persistent walking that she's doing.
Could she be searching for a way to "escape" from the garden?

This is the first year I introduced the dandelions and weeds.... and this is the first year that she's ever refused cucumber!
I'm also wondering if the changes I've made this year are somehow .. upsetting her pattern and routine enough to cause all this?

Anyway... I'll call that vet tomorrow and have a chat!

GuanYin

Veteriary Hospital
UCD
Belfield
D4
ph +353 7166000 (I think)

They run an exotics clinic and have a couple of specialists.

Rancid

Thanks lots!
Just to bring you up to date:

I phoned McMahon's and it seems he's away and they didn't seem sure when he's due back.
I spoke to his assistant and she figured my tort is lacking Vitamin A.

I also phoned the Veterinary Hospital and got Barbara O'Malley's number.

In the meantime, I'm gonna get Vitasaur or Nutrabol because.... perverse tortoise that she is..... she actually ate a little yesterday and twice today!!:rolleyes:

FAYESY

Hi Rancid,

I kept tortoises when I was a wee ickle gal! (well my mum kept em!) I was asking my mum today what we used to feed our esio trot's! they had a wide variety of green salad leaves, cucumber tomatoes & Ceasur dog food - which they loved!

Another thought that I had was maybe she needs to be mated??? She may have the urge to produce eggs, she could just have hit her sexual peak! happens to most critters!

As for a vet I would go to Bainbridge, I went to Mcmahon before & he was ok but Bainbridge was brilliant I will always go to him with any of my exotic babies. As for Barbara O'Malley she refused to see my sick monitor lizard as I had already seen McMahon - even though I was nearly crying on the phone as I thought Monty was gonna die!! so I an not impressed! Bainbridge is a top man!

Hope this helps

Fayeww)

Rancid

I got an appointment with Barbara O'Malley for 6 today...

I'll see what she says... I just know I need to get her checked out.... she's already 3.5 oz less than when she came out of hibernation and I can't let it go any longer....

Other years my tort used to love cucumber and slugs!:rolleyes:

I'll let you know what happens.... I just hope it's not bad...

Falkorre

Jeez faye, that SUX! I know what vet ILL be steerin clear of in future! :mad:

Just a thought,.... is it possible that shes eating so much slugs an stuff on her rambles round the garden thats shes just *full* when u come to feed her? lol
Just a thought as this is PRIME slug an snail season, just ask my roses and turtles lol

B

Rancid

Dawntreader... I guess it's possible... but I think not.
I've even checked the outside of her beak for the gunge that builds up after a good slug-feast..... and found none!


Anyway... vet checked her out and her beak and mouth are healthy.
No sign of egg-related disorders... and no nostril problems.
She took some blood to send away for tests to see if anything shows up and then she gave my tort a liquid feed via a tube.
Results back in 7 or 8 days... so I wait and see!

lolorosso

Hiw is your tortoise now?

Bairbre O'Malley is actually THE exotics expert in Ireland - I'm glad you went to her and not Tallaght. She used to work in specialist practice in the UK (you may have seen her on Animal Hospital with Rolf), and when she came home worked for a while in BrayVet but left. She now has her own practice in Bray. She also lectuers in the vet school on exotic's medicine (as opposed to exotic medicine!).

Anybody in the Dublin area with anything other than a dog cat or rabbit should go to her. Most vets know very little about exotics - just not enough of them here to allow enough experience to be built up.

Rancid

My tort has gained 3.5 lbs since her visit to the vet.

I can't honestly say that her appetite has improved....but I *am* succeeding in getting some food into her... mostly by tricking her into opening her beak and then taking advantage of it by stuffing in some food...

Not ideal, I know....

In 3 weeks, she has shown real/actual interest in food... maybe 6 times.

She seems to now *hate* anything dark green (dandelions, plantain, calendula etc.), iceberg lettuce is just about acceptable... and shows least resistance to banana.

This is far from ideal.... I know...

So next week I report back to Bairbre O'Malley and she'll take it from there...

Still.... in every other way she seems healthy!