# Found in rough shape



## Sunny07 (Feb 9, 2020)

Hi, I was just given this guy. He wondered on to my friends property I don't think his shell is in good shape. I don't know how long he has been in the desert he is at my home resting and drinking water and eating pretty good,but his shell you touch it and it litteraly falls apart. I have six others .they are all healthy with nice shells I've never seen anything like this..any ideas?


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## jsheffield (Feb 9, 2020)

Wow!

Watching this thread with interest... I would think some mix of antifungal and antibiotic goo.

Jamie


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## Sunny07 (Feb 9, 2020)

jsheffield said:


> Wow!
> 
> Watching this thread with interest... I would think some mix of antifungal and antibiotic goo.
> 
> Jamie


I was thinking the same....if I can't get him answers then I'll have to take him to the vet..


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## Yvonne G (Feb 9, 2020)

Is it a sulcata? I'd like to see a picture of the whole tortoise, please.

The injuries you see are old as evidenced by the new keratin that is showing under the dead bone. Is that on the top of the carapace? If yes, then this is what it looks like when the light/heat source is too close to the shell and it gets burned.

The bumpy-looking, yellowish with white shell towards the bottom of the injury in the picture is new keratin. You can see how it's growing UNDER that dead bone right above it in the picture.

It takes a VERY long time for new keratin to grow under the dead bone, so this tells us that the injury is at least a year old. There's nothing to be done. It has healed and is taking care of itself.


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## Yvonne G (Feb 9, 2020)

I should mention that all that old bone (the part that falls apart) will eventually pop off, once the new keratin is strong enough to support the shell on its own.


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## Sunny07 (Feb 9, 2020)

Yvonne G said:


> Is it a sulcata? I'd like to see a picture of the whole tortoise, please.
> 
> The injuries you see are old as evidenced by the new keratin that is showing under the dead bone. Is that on the top of the carapace? If yes, then this is what it looks like when the light/heat source is too close to the shell and it gets burned.
> 
> ...


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## Sunny07 (Feb 9, 2020)

It's so brittle I can barley touch it.


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## Yvonne G (Feb 9, 2020)

Sunny07 said:


> It's so brittle I can barley touch it.


That's fine. It's coming off like it is supposed to. It isn't painful, in fact because that portion is actually dead, there are no nerves or 'feelings' in it at all. It's hard to say how this happened, as it's on the side rather than the top. Just treat him as you do all your other tortoises. He's fine and not in any pain.


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## Sunny07 (Feb 9, 2020)

Yvonne G said:


> That's fine. It's coming off like it is supposed to. It isn't painful, in fact because that portion is actually dead, there are no nerves or 'feelings' in it at all. It's hard to say how this happened, as it's on the side rather than the top. Just treat him as you do all your other tortoises. He's fine and not in any pain.


Thank you...I'm still going to take a safe measure and take him to the vet..thank you so much?


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## TammyJ (Feb 10, 2020)

Watch that taking him to just any vet!!! You take him to a good, recommended, qualified, experienced reptile vet or it's best you do not take him at all. More harm than good may be done by taking him to the wrong "vet". Just a warning from personal experience, and I know this will be endorsed by many others on this site more experienced than me - like Yvonne! She is a great source of information that is tried and true.


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## wellington (Feb 10, 2020)

I have to agree with TammyJ. So many vets say they have experience with reptiles but that experience does not include tortoises. 
Yvonne has rescued tortoises for many years. So in poor condition some not. I would take her advice.
A so called reptile/tortoise vet in my city has poor outdated tortoise care info on their website. They recommend dry conditions and a 10 gallon for hatchlings.


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## Sa Ga (Feb 10, 2020)

Sunny07 said:


> I was thinking the same....if I can't get him answers then I'll have to take him to the vet..


Looks pretty serious... I'd take him in.


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## Sunny07 (Feb 10, 2020)

wellington said:


> I have to agree with TammyJ. So many vets say they have experience with reptiles but that experience does not include tortoises.
> Yvonne has rescued tortoises for many years. So in poor condition some not. I would take her advice.
> A so called reptile/tortoise vet in my city has poor outdated tortoise care info on their website. They recommend dry conditions and a 10 gallon for hatchlings.





Sa Ga said:


> Looks pretty serious... I'd take him in.


Already made an appointment thank you


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## Sa Ga (Feb 10, 2020)

Sunny07 said:


> Thank you...I'm still going to take a safe measure and take him to the vet..thank you so much❣❤❤♥?


Keep us posted please!

And thank you so much for taking really good care of him!


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## ZEROPILOT (Feb 10, 2020)

wellington said:


> I have to agree with TammyJ. So many vets say they have experience with reptiles but that experience does not include tortoises.
> Yvonne has rescued tortoises for many years. So in poor condition some not. I would take her advice.
> A so called reptile/tortoise vet in my city has poor outdated tortoise care info on their website. They recommend dry conditions and a 10 gallon for hatchlings.


So many vets practice their theories on your tortoise and learn as they go.
Very few will admit that they don't honestly have any tortoise experience.
Be careful.


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## Sa Ga (Feb 10, 2020)

ZEROPILOT said:


> So many vets practice their theories on your tortoise and learn as they go.
> Very few will admit that they don't honestly have any tortoise experience.
> Be careful.


Google and then contact your local herpetological society or tortoise rescue. They may be able to tell you firsthand which vets have truly done well. (Not you, Zero--you obviously know already, but for those who are reading this post that may not know.)


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## DesertGirl (Feb 12, 2020)

TammyJ said:


> Watch that taking him to just any vet!!! You take him to a good, recommended, qualified, experienced reptile vet or it's best you do not take him at all. More harm than good may be done by taking him to the wrong "vet". Just a warning from personal experience, and I know this will be endorsed by many others on this site more experienced than me - like Yvonne! She is a great source of information that is tried and true.


I second this. Please find a tort vet, not one that only deals with puppies (although there’s nothing wrong with being a puppy vet!) but don’t waste your time or money taking your tort there. If Yvonne says it, it’s golden. So glad to hear he’s not in pain. Looks so horrible. Best wishes to you both.


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## TammyJ (Feb 12, 2020)

Please let us know your progress with your tortoise!


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## Melissacoop (Feb 13, 2020)

I’d go with Yvonne's advice over a regular veterinarian.


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## Tom (Feb 13, 2020)

The top looks like typical damage from a heat-lamps-in-a-dog-house type of set up. The side damage looks like fighting damage from another adult male sulcata.

There is nothing a vet can do for this. Keep him warm (Without heat lamps...) and don't feed him fruit. They can't handle the sugars and it really messes up their gut flora and fauna. If you want to give it a treat, get some "Nopales" from a local Mexican grocery store. Opuntia pads are a great food source along with lots and lots of grass or orchard grass hay.


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## Maggie3fan (Feb 13, 2020)

It was 3 Vet hospitals and 2 'exotic Vets' that killed my adult in 2015. Because quote "I have never seen such a big tortoise" Be afraid, be very afraid...


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