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!

Mazuri Madness

I'm a little nervous this morning. I've been faithfully eating my Mazuri Tortoise Diet mixed with vegetables, but that's all. No yard grazing. I sniff the grass sometimes but I just have no bite strength for it. Anyway I'm a bit worried because my weight is down from this time last year. I only weigh 3160 grams this morning, despite all our efforts. But I have been pooping almost every morning and even left some urates in the little blue pan yesterday morning, so maybe that just means I'm cleaning out my system for hibernation?

Well it's a good thing I'm seeing my two vets this morning to get the whole scoop on how I'm doing. The truth is, I've been feeling a lot perkier and generally happier. Now let's see what the doctors say....

Turning a blind eye

Sorry I've been gone so long. I've been doing my best, honest!! But it's taking a lot of energy to deal with extreme heat this year and some worsening health problems. I really work hard just to eat enough, with lots of help from my Tortoise Mom and Dad. He rounds me up and she hand feeds shredded food. But still....

Then my favorite Tortoise Sitter stayed with me last month and noticed my worsening/different struggles. So before my trip to see Dr. Johnson at Exotic Animal Hospital for my latest check-up, my Tortoise Dad made a video of me eating. Oh it's not pretty as I bite the air a lot. A lot. Anyway until that visit, everyone thought the problem was my weak bite from jaw muscles that have atrophied. And we thought that was from my original struggle with the bladder stone, but that's not it either. It's something else. Old age? Kidney failure?

Anyway, here's the big surprise, er, well, shock to everyone but me: I can't see out of my left eye. Dr. Johnson thinks I have glaucoma, and I definitely have a cataract. My pupil doesn't constrict and I simply can't see. So that explains why I bite at the air a lot. I line up for a bite when I can smell food, but when I go in for a mouthful, I end up with air or a twig instead. Very frustrating and exhausting.





Then just as we were reeling from that news, Dr. Johnson called with results from my blood tests that say I'm anemic. Why? That's the million dollar question. But we do know that I need to eat more protein so my Tortoise Mom ordered Mazuri Tortoise Diet for me. I haven't tried it yet, but we're hoping it's as good as they say. Zoos use it, so it must be good. Anyway that's next on my plate.

Meanwhile my Tortoise Mom is feeding me on the right side of my head, and talking to me more so I'm not startled by movements that I can't see way ahead of time. The irony is that my Tortoise Mom has the same eye problems. What are the chances?? And, did you know tortoises can get all the same diseases as people? Whoa, I thought all I had to do was keep my shell in good shape, my bladder flushed, and I'd be healthy for several more decades.

The good news - yes, there is some - is that we've had a lot of rain this week. Finally!! It's been 114-117 degrees for so long that it's just too hard to come out and eat as slowly as I do now. But the rain was so refreshing that I even slept out of the burrow one night, just hoping for another drink of fresh rainwater. Pure joy!!! Life is hard, but always worth the extra effort to keep on keeping on. Stay tuned for my report on the new Mazuri diet. If I like it, there might even be recipes!!