Our Yearly Tortoise Checkup

Spring means "Tortoise Checkups" and so I made an appointment to take all 5 in today. And then Junior went along to get his second Calcitonin shot. It took two laundry baskets to transport them all. Thankfully, my daughter went along with me to carry one of the baskets. 

Here's a line of torts-- Sissy (box turtle but honorary tortoise) at the top, then Leo the Russian, Curly Q the desert tortoise, and Otis the cherry head (red foot) tortoise at the end. 

All of them got weighed and checked. Otis & Leo & Sissy got beak trims.

Leo took some persuasion to come out of his shell so we could trim his beak. He was not thrilled. See?

Otis wanted to mount all the other tortoises and we had to keep pulling him off of them.

Curly Q peed all over the counter & floor & Dr Folland's tie. I told him he should keep a backup tie in his office on days I come. The last visit with Norman started with Norman projectile pooping onto his tie too. ;)

Sissy got a few dead spots of shell scraped off and we checked her nails. She's missing most of her toe nails on her front feet. And she obviously got bit by a dog at some point in her life too. She's a very sweet box turtle. I don't normally like box turtles, but I really like her. She fits in the zoo well.

Georgie has tripled her weight since last year. She's my leopard tortoise who stayed in the laundry basket for most of the visit. She is not social and doesn't like to interact with anyone. I didn't even get a picture of her.

Junior got his second Calcitonin injection which will help pull calcium back into his bones. I watched him poop out urate pieces this morning but no fecal matter. He still has a lump in his belly, but it is actually smaller and on the opposite side of his belly than it was before. So strange! He's a lot more alert and aware than he was before. But his bones are still rubber. He'll have a long road to recovery.

The vet's staff blocked out a whole hour for me so we could get everyone checked in, examined, and treated. We stayed right on time. It was great!

While it was expensive to have them all checked (just over $500 for all 5 & the shot), it's important to me to keep my regulars updated in the vet's system. They become established clients and we can track weights and such.

Sweet Hermy

Today I say goodbye to my oldest and most wonderful pet-- my desert tortoise Hermy.

We got Hermy in May 2008 and she has been a delightful addition to our family. We suspect she's between 50 and 80 years old.

Poor Hermy has been very sick with a nasty respiratory infection that hasn't responded to 4 courses of antibiotics. Plus she has a massive urate (bladder) stone and an undefinable mass in her belly. She had a near death experience a couple summers ago where she got herself flipped over on her back in the middle of a hot summer day on our concrete pad out back and she's never been the same since. 

It's time to let my sweet girl go.

Rest in peace, Sweet Hermy. I'll love you forever. 

Hermy

I walked in to the kitchen to find Hermy had gotten herself up. It's always a momentous occasion each Spring when Hermy stops actively hibernating on her own. 

I've drug her out of her corner in the laundry room a few times in the last month, but this was the farthest she's gone on her own. 

Otis had to check her out immediately. She was not amused. 

Then she discovered the heat lights and kicked Tuga out of his favorite spot. She's sleeping there tonight instead of putting herself to bed. 

That's what's cool about Hermy. She gets herself up from her corner and walks to the back door when she wants to go out. At our old house, she walked to the fridge first to eat breakfast and then walked to the back door. 

When we bring her in at night, she walks to her new food area, eats, and then walks to her corner in the laundry room to sleep. She totally trained herself too. Smart old girl! 

Hermy is a desert tortoise that I have a special permit to have. She is between 50 and 80 years old. I've had her 7 years next month--the longest pet I've ever owned as an adult. And, to be honest, she's totally my favorite. :) 

Here's a couple more pics-- 

HER corner!