# Help! Blood from nose



## dizzydjc (Jul 12, 2018)

hey guys

Ok so I know the advice I will get is going to be take to a vet, i am literally going to do that tomorrow.

I am currently at work and will be overnight and I feel like the worst parent for leaving him but I’ve had to leave my tortoise at home whilst watching him on webcam.

So basically, yesterday my little tortoise Morty had a bit of blood from his nose, I could tell he was struggling so I picked him up and noticed it. He still seemed ok in himself though and was eating and pooping as per normal. I said to myself I would keep a close eye on how he gets on.

I am on nights at the moment but I woke them up to give them their food before I went to bed this morning and he seemed fine again, eating food as per normal. I thought to myself maybe all is well.

The problem came this evening, before I went to work I put my tortoises in for a bathe and then when I put them back they normally go scurrying away to find somewhere to sleep. Tonight, Morty didn’t do this. He has remained motionless apart from moving about very slowly on his feeding slate, he has now been there for a couple of hours as I can see him on webcam still.

I feel like the worst parent for leaving him but working in the emergency services I can’t just take leave as and when I like, so it’s frustrating for me as I can’t just go back to him. I plan to take him to vet tomorrow but i wondered if you had any advice for me? Or maybe even a cause? Do tortoises do this now and again?

I haven’t got any pics of him up close at the moment but I have got a pic of him not moving in the enclosure off my webcam. 

Morty is a Greek tortoise, spur-thighed breed and is just over a year old now. I have had zero problems up until now.


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## Bambam1989 (Jul 12, 2018)

Does your tort go outside?
What are your temps at?


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## dizzydjc (Jul 12, 2018)

Bambam1989 said:


> Does your tort go outside?
> What are your temps at?


Yeah, occasionally let them go outside. I have a big cage area for them to roam around in outside in the grass etc. The other day when I picked Morty up he reacted rather weirdly then too, like proper freaked out by something. Do we think this may be the reason? Possibly swallowed something he shouldn't? Oh I feel bad.

Temps are maintained so like during the day right now indoor its about 25 degrees Celsius and then night heat lamp comes on at night to keep it at about 20.


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## Bambam1989 (Jul 12, 2018)

What have the temps been outside?
Do they have adequate shade?
Bleeding from the nose makes me think possible heat stroke, or poison.


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## dizzydjc (Jul 12, 2018)

Bambam1989 said:


> What have the temps been outside?
> Do they have adequate shade?
> Bleeding from the nose makes me think possible heat stroke, or poison.


Oh no no no, I hope they haven't been poisoned.

The temps the day I let them out was very hot for round here, like 30 degrees Celsius. I did purposefully put half of the area in the shade and half in the sunlight so they could choose where to roam as they please. Like I say though, he did freak out when I picked him up that day. I do wonder if that was the cause, about a week or so ago that was.


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## Bambam1989 (Jul 12, 2018)

dizzydjc said:


> Oh no no no, I hope they haven't been poisoned.
> 
> The temps the day I let them out was very hot for round here, like 30 degrees Celsius. I did purposefully put half of the area in the shade and half in the sunlight so they could choose where to roam as they please. Like I say though, he did freak out when I picked him up that day. I do wonder if that was the cause, about a week or so ago that was.


A trip to the vet will probably give the answer. 
A few more questions. What foods have you been feeding? If you gather your own weeds, where do you get them? Do you keep your torts together?


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## dizzydjc (Jul 12, 2018)

I keep them both together yeah but they behave well with each other, both exactly the same age and from same parents. I have just this week given them only shop bought kale, which they love, I know I should vary it up and I do normally but this week has been a busy one and haven't managed to go dandelion fishing.

I will try and take to the vet tomorrow anyway, very worried about him. He's still hardly moving, just like occasionally turning on the spot on his food slate. I really hope we can figure out what's wrong,


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## Bambam1989 (Jul 12, 2018)

At this point I am leaning towards possible heat stroke.
You may have already heard this but it's not recommended by most on the forum to keep torts in pairs. They are solitary animals. The signs are usually missed by us humans. I can go into more details if you want. 
I'm going to assume that the subordinate tort was trying to avoid the dominant and ended up being exposed to more direct sun or didn't get enough water. Heat stroke takes a long time to recover from. If this is the case I'm surprised you haven't seen more side effects sooner.
I would recommend hearing others opinions on the cause of the nose bleeding and odd behavior. I have only shared my opinion.


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## dizzydjc (Jul 12, 2018)

Bambam1989 said:


> At this point I am leaning towards possible heat stroke.
> You may have already heard this but it's not recommended by most on the forum to keep torts in pairs. They are solitary animals. The signs are usually missed by us humans. I can go into more details if you want.
> I'm going to assume that the subordinate tort was trying to avoid the dominant and ended up being exposed to more direct sun or didn't get enough water. Heat stroke takes a long time to recover from. If this is the case I'm surprised you haven't seen more side effects sooner.
> I would recommend hearing others opinions on the cause of the nose bleeding and odd behavior. I have only shared my opinion.



Yeah I get what you're saying, but despite being kept together the enclosure is large and they hardly ever spend time together apart from when being bathed, or when they were outside that time. I do wonder about heat stroke though, it has been unusually hot round here recently with the warm sunny weather. I do usually hydrate them a lot though, even when they don't want to be. I have two water bowls in their enclosure as well.

I will see what the vet says, but I am hoping that maybe this isn't such a big thing to be concerned about after all if that's the case? It was seeing the blood yesterday that really concerned me.,


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## crimson_lotus (Jul 12, 2018)

If you haven't before, might as well try and give a stool sample to the vet to check for parasites. My water turtle was more vomiting blood from his mouth and nose due to having a few different kinds in him.

I would also consider aggressiveness with your pair. They are usually fine as babies but as they mature can get violent and territorial.

Just some ideas with things I've experienced myself. Hope you find out the cause!


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## Lyn W (Jul 12, 2018)

They need a more varied diet than kale. I think that is something that should only be fed in moderation.
When you have to feed shop bought food Tesco and Sainsbury do a good mixed leaf salad and the Florette Classic Crispy has a good mix of leaves.
Also Check the tortoise table website for ideas, and you could try growing your own tort safe weeds from seeds that are available from tort websites or Amazon. 
I would separate them asap in case this is an injury from the other tort. When one tort becomes dominant the other can have a short, miserable life.


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## KarenSoCal (Jul 12, 2018)

Just a thought...have you tried looking into his nose with a flashlight? Maybe something stuck in there, like a burr?


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## dizzydjc (Jul 13, 2018)

Hey guys, umm so yeah I came home earlier after speaking to my boss, was allowed to go home at 2am to check on him. My suspicions were right unfortunately, I could see him on cam motionless and wondered if he was either asleep or dead, but it was the latter.

I am absolutely distraught and feel like the worst parent in the world, especially for leaving him when he needed me most. I should have got straight to the vet when I saw that blood, and feel so guilty about not doing so.

Out of the two I have, Morty was the most active and happy of the two. The other tort Sylvie is very timid and shy, hardly ever comes out unless it's for food, so to see Morty pass away who is the most active of the two has devastated me, he was doing so well I guess, which is why this hurts.

I am planning to bury Morty this weekend, such a happy little tortoise and even his eyes and his smile are there whilst he's dead, absolutely devastated he's gone.


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## KarenSoCal (Jul 13, 2018)

I am so very sorry about Morty. He was beautiful.


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## EllieMay (Jul 13, 2018)

So sorry for your loss.


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## daniellenc (Jul 13, 2018)

That's horrible and still no clue what caused the injury? Definitely devastating very sorry.


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## dizzydjc (Jul 13, 2018)

daniellenc said:


> That's horrible and still no clue what caused the injury? Definitely devastating very sorry.


I have no idea but I think it may have actually been something he's eaten, can't think of anything else. He did freak out that one time he was out in the garden. My other tort has had a lot of love and attention from me today though and seems OK which is promising.


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## Bambam1989 (Jul 13, 2018)

I'm sorry for your loss.


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## dizzydjc (Jul 13, 2018)

Guys, I probably shouldn’t have done this as it upset me but I took him out of the freezer (we’re keeping him there till we can bury him) and I looked at his corpse, there’s red marks on his shell. Any idea on what could have happened?

Disclaimer - don’t open the image if you don’t want to see my dead tortoise. I know it could offend but I wanted some advice.


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## Bambam1989 (Jul 13, 2018)

Is that the only area with red or is there any on the underside?


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## Pearly (Jul 13, 2018)

Red blotch in one area could be a sign of trauma, or if tort’s body was positioned in the way that this area was on the bottom, gravity causes blood pooling post mortem. If the red blotches are all over, then the baby tort may have had sepsis. I am no expert on tortoises, just general common sense medical stuff that would seem obvious to me. I am very sorry for you loss[emoji217]


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## dizzydjc (Jul 13, 2018)

Just had another look, I have noticed now there's like red all around his shell and going underneath so I am guessing it's only the decomposing of the shell or whatever rather than the cause of death. Thanks for your replies guys, still in a state of shock today about it all. Friday the 13th after all.


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## DesertGirl (Jul 18, 2018)

I’m so sorry he’s gone. No words will help I know. Please don’t beat yourself up.


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## Jay Bagley (Jul 18, 2018)

I am very sorry for your loss, I can tell you really cared about him, and this must be very difficult for you. Hopefully the good memories you have of him will help you get through this difficult time.


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## TammyJ (Jul 20, 2018)

I am very sorry he did not make it.


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