Advice on a tricky dilema

[Denise aka Martini]

My daughter who is 18 goes to an agricultural college, she wants to work with animals, well at her college there are all sorts of animals incl tortoises, she has noticed the last couple of months that the big sulcata they have there some of the scutes are starting to lift and it has a runny nose, apparently the women looking after the animals hasnt done anything about it. The college keeps other breeds of tortoise together too. As a tortoise keeper myself i know the dos and donts of animal husbandry as does my daughter. My daughters dilema is should she say something "and perhaps be accused of being a no it all" or just stay quiet. Advice plz........

[Frase]

no point in being a know it all if you dont use it to help the animals your caring for

Tell her to just go for it. Tell her not to be cocky with it or in the keepers face, but to explain she knows a lot of tortoises, you being a member here, having torts yourself. Not much more you can do than try, iff shes accused of a know it all than so be it, they cannot do anything untowards to her or lwoer marks in courseworks etc. because of it as she can appeal any mark with exam board and then its investigated trust me i KNOOOOOW this from experience -.-

[AnythingWithAShell]

Maybe she could suggest vet attention based purely on the runny nose? This is a very common symptom that anyone in charge of torts should know, so she shouldn't be accused of anything.

[blazingtortoise]

Originally Posted by Denise_russ@hotmail.co.uk

My daughter who is 18 goes to an agricultural college, she wants to work with animals, well at her college there are all sorts of animals incl tortoises, she has noticed the last couple of months that the big sulcata they have there some of the scutes are starting to lift and it has a runny nose, apparently the women looking after the animals hasnt done anything about it. The college keeps other breeds of tortoise together too. As a tortoise keeper myself i know the dos and donts of animal husbandry as does my daughter. My daughters dilema is should she say something "and perhaps be accused of being a no it all" or just stay quiet. Advice plz........

Runny nose should definatly be seen by a vet (specialist). Does the college have connections with one? I'd say something its up to her how to approach it. She could say she was browsing forums and found out about RNS symptoms or just say she's concerned. You'd both feel bad if anything bad happened to the torts now you have raised concernes between youselves.

[annsimpson1]

she could always simply ask why it has a runny nose? if the answer isn't what she expects then consider taking things further, maybe the keeper hadn't noticed or doesn't know it could mean something more sinister, she could then take in something printed about RNS, its far easier to get onside with someone then talk about things, to play ignorant sometimes gets better results than trying to tell someone their job which only gets their back up.

[AnythingWithAShell]

Very good point Ann.

I think that's the best way for your daughter to tackle it. That way she won't be accused of anything at all!

[Frase]

only issue there is, if the teacher says nowt wrong, and she goes and comes back with info, it seems like shes totally ignored this woman right? Although yeah, if you tell her to go anns way, perhaps your daughter can then go and say shes going to research it and then when she takes caresheets etc she can take an apple too, then she get A+ Let us know how it all goes.

[EVIEMAY]

I dont think there is a dilema where any animal's welfare is at stake. I just thing you have to be tactful in how you handle it.

I think the fact that her Mum( Denise) has kept tortoises's for 9 years and that she would always be worried with any sign of a runny nose is reason enough to speak out.

I hope the outcome is a good one.

[Denise aka Martini]

Thanks to all for the advice, i think the problem at her college is they seem to have quite a few different exotic animals, but the people looking after them "teachers/helpers" only have the basic knowledge, apparently a few weeks ago one of their chameleons died "only a youngster". There is a vet handy, will have a chat with my daughter, will keep everyone posted