Home

>

Reptile

>

My spur-thighed tortoise is 501g and I know they should be 700g before hibernation. She has never been hibernated so would it be better to hibernate her now at 500g or to not hibernate her and wait until next year? She has slowed down with her eating due to the cold so I don't think her weight will go up without heat, which in turn will cause her not to hibernate. What do I do?

My spur-thighed tortoise is 501g and I know they should be 700g before hibernation. She has never been hibernated so would it be better to hibernate her now at 500g or to not hibernate her and wait until next year? She has slowed down with her eating due to the cold so I don't think her weight will go up without heat, which in turn will cause her not to hibernate. What do I do?

Updated On October 28th, 2017

Pet's info:

Image profile

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

Do not hibernate her this year. Keep her enclosure temperature between 20 C and 27 C. Provide a basking area of about 32 C with UVB lighting. Provide food and vitamin/mineral supplementation as well as several baths weekly.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

See More Answers

Related Questions

left image

My barrel racing horse is refusing to eat. She stands with her butt against the stall wall and rests her hocks. She usually stops this when I exercise her. What is going on?

If she's not eating, she's eating painful, colicky, or both. Take a heart rate if you know how to do this--normal is 20-40 beats/minute. If it's higher than this, she's painful and needs to see a veterinarian. If she is rolling, looking at her sides, or not passing manure, she needs to see a vet as these are signs of colic. If you really think she's resting her hocks, then they are sore, and she needs xrays to see what kind of arthritis is going on and what steps you need to take to make her more comfortable. Hope that helps!

Read More

My 8yo Golden had a falsepregnancy w milk. Cabergoline has resolved it now. I hear conflicting opinions about spaying. She has never mated. Some say not spaying would cause pseudopregnancy recurrence+dangerous conditions like Mammary T. But UCDavis studies say spaying increases other aggressive cancer risks among GoldenRs. Also, vet thinks that her anemia that keeps coming back after prednisolone trtmnts *might* be due to Ovary cysts, suggests spaying. What's the right approach for her health?

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Lav. I've heard many owners quote the UC Davis study, and there are a number of things wrong with the study. Check out this article on it: https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/deconstructing-spayneuter-debate Not spaying her can cause a pseudopregnancy reoccurrence, but it doesn't increase her risk of mammary tumors. That's already going to be 25% because she's had more than two heats. Keep in mind, 50% of mammary tumors in dogs are malignant. She is eight years old, so she is already at a higher risk of developing cancer simply because she is an older dog. She is also at risk of a pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. The treatment for a pyometra is spaying the dog, which is an emergency during a pyometra and can cost many thousands of dollars. In all honesty, it's best to spay her. It will keep her from developing a pyometra as well as a pseudopregnancy, and it will keep her from getting pregnant if she accidentally mates. Dogs over the age of six should never have puppies. In my opinion, it's best for her to health to get spayed asap. I hope this helps!

Read More

My cat is having trouble passing a turd... He keeps producing small amounts of this brown mucous on the pee pad I have in front of the litter box, but hasn't been able to completely eliminate the actual piece. He's eating normally & drinking plenty of water, & he's at a healthy weight. I realize that I'm going to have to take him to the vet if this doesn't clear up, but in the meantime, is there anything I can do to help him?

Seeing your vet ASAP is definitely a good idea to make sure there isn't an impaction causing the severe constipation that may need an enema or stool softeners to resolve. In the meantime, you can try offering a little bland yogurt to try and help the soften the stool, as well as make sure he's drinking plenty of water by mixing some into his food, but if Booboo is in severe distress, hasn't passed any stool at all, or is having other symptoms such as abdominal pain or stops eating, you should seek out veterinary care from your vet or a local ER clinic immediately.

Read More

My cat was prescribed antibiotics for diarrhea and today was his second day of taking them. He’s required to take 0.5 mL of the antibiotic and another one after 12 hours (twice a day). Today, he lost his appetite (only ate a few treats) and threw up clear liquid twice and clear yellow liquid 3 times. He is also lethargic.

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. I'm sorry to hear that Leo is having this problem. Many antibiotics cause gastrointestinal issues in cats so you will need to call your vet and let them know what is going on. Most likely they will have you stop one or both of the antibiotics and prescribe something different. I would also suggest that you put him on a pre/probiotic while he is taking antibiotics and then continue for at least one week after the antibiotics have been stopped. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Read More

My amazon parrot just swallowed a metal snap. All emergency vets are unable to respond, no avian vet on call. I read metal snaps can cause metal poisoning, can they?

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. I'm sorry that Mango is having this issue. Yes, many different metals can cause toxicity in birds if ingested but the main ones of concern are lead and zinc. You will need to take Mango to an avian vet when they are open. The metal snap will need to be removed even if it is made of a non harmless metal like stainless steel. I suggest you go to a speciality center as they are more likely to have an endoscope which will be better than doing an open surgery for removal. Sometimes, depending on where the metal piece is located in the GI tract and the size of the snap, they can try removal via bulking agents fed orally instead of doing any invasive procedures. ( https://www.buffalobirdnerd.com ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Read More

Belly ate her own simperica trio pill (for dogs 22-44lb) and accidentally ALSO ate my other dog's simperica trio pill (for dogs 11-22lb). How bad is this for Belly? Something we need to go to the emergency vet for??

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Belly. She should be ok. According to studies done by Zoetis who make Simparica, "In the overdose groups, transient and self-limiting neurological signs were observed in some animals: mild tremors at 3 times the maximum exposure dose and convulsions at 5 times the maximum exposure dose. All dogs recovered without treatment." You don't need to do anything. I hope this helps!

Read More

right image
image

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored