Comeback Kid!

My blood test results show no more anemia, yay! Dr. Johnson was delighted when he called, saying, "The great thing about Grandma is she always responds positively to treatment." Yep, that's me!!

The tests show that I do need daily feedings of Mazuri to prevent anemia. Most tortoises don't need that much protein, but I do, so now we know I've been malnourished without it. And that leads to dehydration and anemia and scale loss (hence my unsightly "turtle neck"). And that means one sick and skinny tortoise.

I also need monthly steroid injections to manage the muscle wasting disease Myocitis. Steroids manage this autoimmune disease by reducing immune response, so that means I need to stay very warm to keep mine as revved up as possible to prevent infections. A drop in temperature means a drop in immune function. Hibernation means no immune function at all. Yikes!

I also got lots of help from Dr. Reed, veterinary opthamologist at Eye Care for Animals. She prescribes the eye drops to reduce inflammation in my eyes and prevent infections. She even suggested Omega-3s for my autoimmune disease so I just started on Booster twice a week. It's a gooey orange supplement that I consider a real treat. Mmmm, it tastes THAT good! But I can't take too much of it as it's very rich and oily, like fish oil for people. But Booster is made from red palm oil, who knew? Find it here.

Well now we know what I need to feel better. We are all so grateful that when I get the right treatment, I always make a comeback. I'm feeling better already!

Hot Tub

I got to see Dr. Johnson today. He was glad to see I'm recovering from the respiratory infection, but he's very concerned about my scale loss and says it's a symptom of low protein. So I had another blood test and we'll find out soon if my anemia and protein levels are improving. If not, well, it will be very bad news. Very bad. Especially at hibernation time. Dr. Johnson said if the protein level is not improving after all the tube assist feeding for extra nutrition and vitamins, it would be a sign of intestinal malabsorption, or even worse, liver dysfunction. So we're all hoping the blood tests show improvement.

In the meantime, Dr. Johnson says to keep feeding me and keeping me warm indoors for as long as possible to let my body get stronger before hibernation. Unless I'm a lot healthier, well, let's just say hibernation would be way too hard on me to survive. Gulp. We don't want that. So we're hoping for good news from the lab test results this week. (Cross your fingers and toes, please!)

I've been waking up hungry and alert and really enjoy a nice Mazuri and shredded kale breakfast in my blue pan every morning. Then I get cleaned up and munch on a romaine leaf in the bathtub until I finally get tired and tuck in my little box again. The best part about staying in the bathtub is that's so warm that it boosts my metabolism and immune system. A reptile UV light hangs at one end of the tub keeping it at about 95 degrees, and my little box is at the other end so I can cool down to about 85 degrees. I adjust my body temperature just by moving from one end of the tub to the other. This is working well for now as it keeps me alert and hungry. Poor Tortellini is slowing waaaay down as it has cooled down so much at night and the days are shorter. She comes out to bask for a few minutes almost every day, but she's not very active or hungry anymore. Her metabolism is slowing down right on schedule for hibernation.  

But I'm staying in my hot tub, at least for a few more weeks. I know I'm lucky to get such good care, and get the guest bathroom all to myself (no magazine reading, ahem, with a tortoise for company!).

I'm glad I finally finished all the antibiotic injections - 7 of them over 14 days and hope I don't get another respiratory infection as this was my first in my whole life, and it was really hard to breathe plus I was so sick. I just want to feel better so I can go outside and live the tortoise lifestyle again. I'm sure grateful to Dr. Johnson and all my friends at Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital for not only helping me, but being genuinely kind and affectionate to me too. Thanks too to my Tortoise Mom and Dad and all my friends who are pulling for me. I hope to give you good news about the lab tests. Meanwhile, I'll just keep enjoying my hot tub.

Urgent Care!

Over the past few days, my right eye has been swollen with the third eyelid mostly closed. But this morning it was worse plus there was goop in my eye, and I just wasn't feeling well at all. My Tortoise Mom has been putting anti-inflammatory eye drops in that eye for a few days, like usual when there's a problem, but it hasn't helped this time. I've also been sleeping near the fence during the day, which my Tortoise Mom thought was basking, but noted that it's new behavior when she talked to Dr. Johnson's office.

Anyway, this afternoon when my Tortoise Dad took me in for my assist tube feeding, I had such respiratory distress so they had to stop. Then the vet on duty, Dr. Corcoran, said I was very congested and might even have pneumonia. So they did a choanal flush, much like a netipot, with a steroid, antibiotic and saline solution to help me breathe better. The choana (ko-A-na) is a slit in the roof of my mouth that can get clogged. After they flushed it, they massaged under my jaw to help the medicine work better. They also gave me an antibiotic injection which I'll continue having every 48 hours.

Now I'm staying warm and calm overnight in my little box in the bathtub. My Tortoise Mom and Dad made sure there are no drafts coming in my box and I get to sleep in tomorrow to reduce stress from going inside to outdoors with a big temperature change. If I'm feeling worse tomorrow they'll take me back for X-rays of my lungs. I've never ever had a respiratory infection so this is all new to me. Frankly, it's a little scary for all of us.

I'm all tucked indoors for the night in my cozy box in the bathtub to stay warm and undisturbed. I sure hope rest and all this medicine help me feel better soon. Everyone does.

BReaking BAthtub

Summer's over, the nights have finally cooled down and we found out I have anemia. Again. Another October surprise. So I'm back sleeping indoors in the guest bathtub to delay hibernation while I get special assist tube feeding twice a week from Dr. Johnson's incredible nurses. I don't like sticking my neck out while they insert a plunger full of special food and vitamins (45 ml and 3 ml), but as always, I am ladylike and cooperative. I know they are really saving my life as I can't survive hibernation with such abnormal bloodwork.

Last year I had anemia too, only it wasn't as bad and my protein level wasn't so low that the scales were falling off my legs. So that's when they started me on the Mazuri diet. And it was a little later when they started putting me in the bathtub to stay warmer overnight to delay hibernation. I started a post, "Motel 6," but I was just too sleepy to finish it. This year I'm awake and actually basking during the day and even grazing on cordia flowers again. Must be the special feedings twice a week, and the 80 degree box in the bathtub. I sleep just fine in there, then every morning I sit in my blue pan to get a drink and eat some Mazuri diet. When I'm tired of that, I'm strong enough to climb out and go wherever I want in the yard. Lately I've been hanging out near the fence. I'm not going into the burrows because it's too cool and I get too sleepy. Did you know we can't digest food unless it's 80 degrees? So I'm doing my part to stay warm and keep my metabolism going during the day too.

We were surprised that my blood work showed anemia as I've been perking up ever since the monsoons came in July. And I'm developing some muscles in my jaws from the steroid injections. And I've just been more alert and perky. So, like I said, it was a big surprise, but thank goodness Dr. Johnson planned to see me early for my pre-hibernation check-up just in case I needed 4-6 weeks of treatment to get me strong enough to endure hibernation. It's a dangerous thing for a less than healthy tortoise, so always get those pre-hibernation check-ups.

Well, I'm sleepy again. This plain little box in the bathtub is pretty cozy and I'm grateful to be staying warm overnight. In fact, I'm grateful for all the good care I'm getting from Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital, and from my Tortoise Mom and Dad. I sure am a well-traveled tortoise, with trips to the vet's office twice a week and sometimes there's no time to take me home so I sit in waiting rooms as my Tortoise Mom has her medical appointments. Dr. Lu actually took a break from giving acupuncture treatments to come see me. She greeted me and said, "Nice to meet you." Of course, I was ladylike and polite. I only pee in my box if they hit my overflow button during assist tube feeding. Hey, that's not my fault. You try getting all your food in one plunger and see what happens! But it's already helping and I'm feeling a lot better.

FB Pic 'o the Day!!

Wow, I'm so honored to be featured in a public service announcement, plus picture of the day, on Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital's FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/azeahospital

I am all about education and public service, so this is a real treat! Plus they are helping so much so I can hibernate this year (more on that later), so I'm just really grateful for all the good care I get there. And I have a real soft spot for Stacey who knows just how I think (wink)!

Tortoise Laureate

Cordia flowers fall like snow

Making a carpet of breakfast. 

Grazing morning and evening,

we escape the heat. 

Sudden storms bring hints of rain, 

Monsoon

Monsoon.

--Grandma the Desert Tortoise, 2013

(inspired by Arizona's new poet laureate Alberto Rios)

Assisted Living

This is what happens at least weekly. I get my weight checked and a steroid injection if it's due (down to monthly injections now). I also get eye drops once a week or so to control inflammation so I can see better.

Then twice a week I get a mixture of Mazuri Tortoise Diet (extra protein to help build muscles) plus shredded grass, flowers and organic kale. Mmmm, Tortoise Salad, courtesy of my own personal backyard chef!

My compliments to the chef!

Tomorrow I'll get an early pre-hibernation check-up with Dr. Johnson to make sure I don't need any further treatments to prepare for a long winter snug in my burrow. Road trip! Actually I'm pretty happy riding in the car in my box. I snuggle down in the newspapers until it's time for another weigh-in. Everyone sure is concerned about my weight, but it's a good sign of how much I'm eating and drinking. My weight is down since early summer even though I'm eating every day now, but it's because I flush my bladder every time there's a drop of rain from monsoon storms that suddenly blow in. I feel disappointed when I flush but don't get to refill my bladder when it's so hot that the rain dries before it hits the ground. Hence the weight loss, but losing urate weight is a good thing -- no more bladder stones! Whenever there is enough rain, I drink like there's no tomorrow and actually smack my beak. Mmmm, rainwater is so refreshing!

Grazing and blogging again

Wow, I am one lucky tortoise. I've had such good care all summer, complete with shredded food and medical care to address my neurological/autoimmune disorder that causes muscle wasting. I even had three tortoise sitters checking the back yard at various times of day during the hottest part of the summer (119 degrees -- yikes) when my Tortoise Mom and Dad went on vacation. (Thanks, Terry, Meghan and Brenda!!)

The steroid injections are down to monthly now, instead of weekly, and the anti-inflammatory eye drops are only once or twice a week now, but they have really helped. I can see and I'm downright perky (for me). And hungry! A very good sign for a tortoise who needs to tank up on vital nutrition for hibernation.

This is how Tortoise Dad gives injections. He's fast, I'm patient--a winning combo!

I didn't fare well during boarding at Dr. Johnson's office back in April. I dehydrated so badly that it was downright dangerous. The techs called in Dr. Johnson to help but then he realized that despite their best efforts, you just can't put a 48 year old tortoise in an indoor environment to eat and drink in an all new way. I was so stressed and dehydrated that I lost nearly 15% of my body weight in 10 days. And it took nearly two months of my Tortoise Mom's extra care to help me recover. So no more boarding for me.

So for their next trip, my Tortoise Mom and Dad called on three really nice friends of mine to check on us and the yard to make sure there were no "catastrophic events", as Dr. Johnson called it. That means checking morning and evening to make sure no one accidentally flipped over or got caught out in the heat. We were good and stayed underground most of the time to avoid the extreme heat. I don't remember it being this hot during 99% of summers. It hit 122 back in 1990, but I was in my 20s then and also living in a different back yard. No problemo. This summer has been hard, and even the burrows heat up too much. But it's been cooler for a few days, so I came out to catch you up on the news.

I haven't been blogging because I have been underground so much this summer, and also pretty weak after getting so dehydrated back in April, and then really getting a lot of daily medical care from my Tortoise Mom. But it has all paid off, and I'm feeling a lot better now. I'm even coming out to graze on cordia flowers morning and evening, just like old times! I also get Mazuri diet plus organic kale (mmmm). The best is a Mazuri salad with Bermuda grass clippings mixed right in. Yum! I'm supposed to get 50% of my diet from grass, with Mazuri diet to provide extra protein for my muscles. With more muscle, I start doing laps around the yard. Actually my shell thumps on the patio are I lurch along, so I might need some padding. 

Arizona EXOTIC Animal Hospital, er, Spa

Thanks for taking such good care of me!!! Part of healing is feeling cared about too. I know I'm in the very best hands. Thanks, Dr. Johnson, and all who help me. I don't like being sick, so I'm pretending I'm visiting the tortoise spa instead. Thanks for all the pampering and very caring attention. I'm a pretty lucky gal!

New Treatment Plan!!

Dr. Johnson really put me through my paces yesterday, examining me from stem to stern, and even swabbing my throat-yikes!! But I'm a very good patient because I know I'm in very good hands. Dr. Johnson always goes the extra mile to try to help me and everyone is so nice to me. I don't even fuss when I'm being handled, except for that throat swabbing thing.

I even got three injections, including two given by Tortoise Dad so he could learn how to give them in the muscle under my arm, parallel to my shell. I didn't even flinch. What can I say, he's a natural!

Dr. Johnson consulted with another top veterinarian in Tucson and they believe I have a version of myositis not usually found in tortoises. Dogs get it localized in their head and jaw muscles, but tortoises usually don't. It's an autoimmune disorder called masticatory muscle myositis, which is a long way of saying muscles that affect chewing are chronically inflamed. Since chronic inflammation causes muscle wasting (hence the dip on the top of my head from loss of bite muscles), it's a very big deal. Anyway we're trying a course of steroid injections to see if that relieves any symptoms.  There's no real way to diagnose except by seeing how I respond to treatment so we're going for it. No guts, no glory!

Now I could get a CT Scan to see if I have a tumor causing neurologic effects on muscles or nerves, but there's no treatment available so we all agree there's no point in putting me through that kind of test.

I'm also getting antibiotic injections every other day because my mouth is red and I'm not feeling well so could have an infection too. And then once we have results from that throat swab, we'll know if I have mycoplasma. That's a respiratory infection common in tortoises, especially coming out of hibernation.

And for good measure, because it perked me up last time, I got a Vitamin E shot. The reason for all these injections is I'm not so good at opening my mouth to take oral medications. And at least we know I'm getting the full dose with the injections. Besides they don't hurt, or maybe I just don't mind.

Dr. Johnson said to soak me three times a week and offer Mazuri Tortoise Diet twice a week. Yum. If I could lick my chops, I would! I fairly lunge at the dish my Tortoise Mom brings for me, garnished with globemallow, grass, spurge, wildflowers, etc. The perfect salad.

This morning my right eye opened right up but it didn't blink at all even with my eye drops. Then I  soaked and drank water but just sat looking around wondering what to do as I didn't feel like walking AT ALL. So my Tortoise Dad put me at the entrance of the new/winter burrow so I wouldn't overheat. I basked a little and then tucked inside for the day. I had such a big day yesterday with lots of new medications so I just needed to rest today. Tomorrow is a whole new day and I'm looking forward to it. Thanks, Dr. Johnson, and my Tortoise Dad and Mom, for all you're doing to help me feel better. I really am so lucky to keep getting second chances at life!!

Eyes Wide Shut (Third Eyelid Blind)

Sorry I haven't been able to blog in so long. A whole team of veterinarians - the very best ever! - are trying to help me right now. They're even consulting other vets to help diagnose what's ailing me. Right now I'm battling eye inflammation and infection that keeps me from opening my third eyelids like usual. But a daily round of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops are starting to help me open my peepers better. Believe me, I'm grateful for any help I can get. I'll see Dr. Johnson again this Saturday and, hopefully, he'll know what to do to perk me up again. Two weeks ago he gave me a Vitamin E/Selenium injection and I was a happy camper for two days although my eye problem had flared up again, and I can't see out of my right eye. But I had that last fall until anti-inflammatory medication made me "visual" again, so we're all hoping that happens again.


Meanwhile I'm also getting shredded grass and wildflowers mixed in Mazuri Tortoise Diet to try to jump start my immune system during early post-hibernation. I am liking that! It's really hard for me to bite and tear my food with so much loss of my bite muscles. The dip in the top of my head is worse than pre-hibernation. Not good. So Dr. Johnson will consult with a guru vet in Tucson to see if I need a steroid for a muscle wasting disease called myocitis or a possible autoimmune disorder. Oh and he'll check for a virus called mycoplasma too.

All I can say is it's a good thing I'm a good traveler in my little box as I go back and forth to see Dr. Johnson and also to visit a veterinary opthomologist. Dr. Reed is taking over my eye care since Dr. Church moved away. I am very good for my vision checks. No eye charts, but my Tortoise Mom tests my vision using food anyway. All agree I can't see out of my right eye, which is a hazard as I wander around the yard, plus I can't see my food.

So I'm sticking close to my burrow and sleeping a lot after basking a bit each morning. But I enjoyed the great weather on Easter (see photo above). The first time I came out of my winter burrow was for a giant drink of rainwater during a storm on March 8. Glug, glug, then back to sleep again. I know I'm in good hands so I sleep very well!