Vet advice

[Blanchybaby]

PLEASE REPLY QUICKLY

Hello, I need some help.
I took my Mediterranean spur thigh to a reptile vet yesterday because she hadn’t been eating very much at all and has lost a lot of weight. He forcefully opened her mouth which was expected but unpleasant to see. I can understand why he did that but during a physical exam the vet held her unsupported by the neck! He had her with one finger and thumb on either side of her neck and dangled her there for around five seconds. Surely this isn’t right is it? I was shocked and I am upset about it. She seems ok but surely he could have really hurt her? She is only a year old and smaller than your palm. What on Earth was he doing? Is this a vet technique does anyone know? I wouldn’t take her back but he wants to do an X-ray and other tests to see why she’s not eating. I don’t feel safe leaving her there as I’m worried he may hurt her by being so rough but also I feel like if I don’t take her and she dies from lack of eating that I could have done more by letting her be xrayed by him. I really need some help/advice as to what to do. Thankyou.

[Nina]

Hi and thanks for contacting us. I can certainly understand why you were alarmed at what the vet did. I don't have great experience in these things, but as far as I know, the way to open a tortoise's mouth is to sit it upright on the table or your lap, so that its behind is sitting in the table and is supported that way, and then open its mouth. Hopefully others will come in with more information. I just found this YouTube clip on how to open a tortoise's mouth
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+ ... #kpvalbx=1
and you can see that its bottom is supported by being held between the person's knees.
If you want to let us know which vet you saw -- by contacting us privately on contact@thetortoisetable.org.uk -- we will have a look and see if they are on our recommended list.

Nina

Blanchybaby wrote:
> PLEASE REPLY QUICKLY
>
> Hello, I need some help.
> I took my Mediterranean spur thigh to a reptile vet yesterday because she
> hadn’t been eating very much at all and has lost a lot of weight. He
> forcefully opened her mouth which was expected but unpleasant to see. I can
> understand why he did that but during a physical exam the vet held her
> unsupported by the neck! He had her with one finger and thumb on either
> side of her neck and dangled her there for around five seconds. Surely this
> isn’t right is it? I was shocked and I am upset about it. She seems ok but
> surely he could have really hurt her? She is only a year old and smaller
> than your palm. What on Earth was he doing? Is this a vet technique does
> anyone know? I wouldn’t take her back but he wants to do an X-ray and other
> tests to see why she’s not eating. I don’t feel safe leaving her there as
> I’m worried he may hurt her by being so rough but also I feel like if I
> don’t take her and she dies from lack of eating that I could have done more
> by letting her be xrayed by him. I really need some help/advice as to what
> to do. Thankyou.