For the second time in three Tallahassee visits, we took the turtles to see Dr. Brumfield, the reptile vet at Northwood Animal Hospital, which also treated Frisco in his youth. We usually want Dr. Brumfield (pictured above with his colleagues, two of them relatively new) to give the turtles a general check-up plus to trim and shave their beaks and toenails. Both had had medical emergencies in the past year or so – ones that generated some calls but no actual visits to potential Kentuckiana reptile vets. We’d inadvertently left Speckles behind during a trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and she’d apparently fallen down the stairs and there was a little dark blood on her head, which she must have hit on her way down the basement (where we amazingly found her, looking for her, even though we didn’t know she was there). About a month ago Stephanie had cleaned out the bathtub with a bleach-based cleaner and then I – not knowing this – had filled the tub with water for Greenville for his weekly swim. About an hour later I figured out that the bubbles were residue from the bleach, and we called around and ultimately gave him a milk bath. Also, a third turtle, a water turtle named Speedy, had visited with Dr. Brumfield during our visit two and a half years ago, but Speedy subsequently died.
Dr. Brumfield weighed and examined their animals and did the nail and beak care (to the extent to which Speckles allowed him to), and he was generally positive about their condition. Later this week we’re going to bring the practice some fecal specimens to analyze. Among Dr. Brumfield’s suggestions:
Try leaving the turtles outside during the summer for a few hours. Of course, the last time he suggested this, disaster ensued as Sawyer escaped. But he gave us suggestions for keeping him, including burying the chicken wire for their outdoor play enclosure deep in the ground. Covering the enclosure with wire might ward off any airborne predators (such as hawks). Exposing them to direct sunlight is important.
Try harder to get the turtles to eat vegetables – not just fruit (if we’re lucky) and superworms (beetle larvae). Material he gave us suggested some vegetables we haven’t tried before (such as squash), and our Community-Supported Agriculture produce may provide some possibilities. He also suggested cooking – like pureeing (?) – vegetables to make them even easier to eat. Although we have vitamin and mineral powders to sprinkle on their food, we confessed we’ve never really used them, and he suggested we do so one or two days a week.
In the past Dr. Brumfield had turtles and he suggested using as the bedding of their habitat the mix he used: cypress chips and sphagnum moss. We’d tried that (instead of Sawyer’s Astroturf), but very recently had switched to something more expensive but probably similar – turtle bedding that was said to be less likely to have pesticides or bacteria in them. Instead, Dr. Brumfield this time suggested that we simply use dirt. He hinted that we also might try to keep the habitat moist, possibly by spraying water. In Minnesota, I briefly tried using a humidifier during the winter – with all of that dry heat – but found it difficult.
In winter, he suggested – consistent with other suggestions – giving the turtles a swim twice a week instead of once a week.
We’ll try to implement some of this. The materials Dr. Brumfield gave us had some daunting suggestions: including NOT using a glass case, NOT putting female and male turtles together (because sexual harassment by the guy will stress out the girl), and NOT leaving out food. In general, Dr. Brumfield said the turtles were in good health and looked well cared for, even if he had a few suggestions. Dr. Brumfield spent more than an hour with us (and that’s without the fecal test analysis), which also yielded one of the turtles’ more expensive vet bills. But, Greenville and Speckles, you’re worth every penny of it.
-- Perry
Dr. Brumfield weighed and examined their animals and did the nail and beak care (to the extent to which Speckles allowed him to), and he was generally positive about their condition. Later this week we’re going to bring the practice some fecal specimens to analyze. Among Dr. Brumfield’s suggestions:
Try leaving the turtles outside during the summer for a few hours. Of course, the last time he suggested this, disaster ensued as Sawyer escaped. But he gave us suggestions for keeping him, including burying the chicken wire for their outdoor play enclosure deep in the ground. Covering the enclosure with wire might ward off any airborne predators (such as hawks). Exposing them to direct sunlight is important.
Try harder to get the turtles to eat vegetables – not just fruit (if we’re lucky) and superworms (beetle larvae). Material he gave us suggested some vegetables we haven’t tried before (such as squash), and our Community-Supported Agriculture produce may provide some possibilities. He also suggested cooking – like pureeing (?) – vegetables to make them even easier to eat. Although we have vitamin and mineral powders to sprinkle on their food, we confessed we’ve never really used them, and he suggested we do so one or two days a week.
In the past Dr. Brumfield had turtles and he suggested using as the bedding of their habitat the mix he used: cypress chips and sphagnum moss. We’d tried that (instead of Sawyer’s Astroturf), but very recently had switched to something more expensive but probably similar – turtle bedding that was said to be less likely to have pesticides or bacteria in them. Instead, Dr. Brumfield this time suggested that we simply use dirt. He hinted that we also might try to keep the habitat moist, possibly by spraying water. In Minnesota, I briefly tried using a humidifier during the winter – with all of that dry heat – but found it difficult.
In winter, he suggested – consistent with other suggestions – giving the turtles a swim twice a week instead of once a week.
We’ll try to implement some of this. The materials Dr. Brumfield gave us had some daunting suggestions: including NOT using a glass case, NOT putting female and male turtles together (because sexual harassment by the guy will stress out the girl), and NOT leaving out food. In general, Dr. Brumfield said the turtles were in good health and looked well cared for, even if he had a few suggestions. Dr. Brumfield spent more than an hour with us (and that’s without the fecal test analysis), which also yielded one of the turtles’ more expensive vet bills. But, Greenville and Speckles, you’re worth every penny of it.
-- Perry
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