# Is this normal? (swollen cloaca)



## jonckt (Mar 25, 2014)

I noticed the tail had swollen, but it does not have red Colour shows it's infection or something , is that normal? 

Jonathan Chung


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## Yvonne G (Mar 25, 2014)

*RE: Is this normal?*

Hi Jonathan:

Has your tortoise had a bowel movement lately? Sometimes when they get the feces really packed up inside it presses on the nerves and causes the swelling like what you see around the cloaca.

It might help if you were to put the tortoise into a large tub, like your bathtub, with warm water. Hopefully he'll scramble around and do a lot of walking/climbing trying to get out, and this helps to move everything along and out.


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## jonckt (Mar 26, 2014)

Sorry, what is bowel movement, Im using coco husk as substrate. 

This morning I soaked him in warm water and this is what came out.

I will try to soak him again when I go home after work , should I feed him this few days or just wait for home to pass everything out first?

Jonathan chung


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## dmmj (Mar 26, 2014)

bowel movement means going number 2


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## RussianTortxo (Mar 26, 2014)

Looks like he went potty, just make sure he continues to go to the bathroom everyday and keep an eye on the tail.


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## Yvonne G (Mar 26, 2014)

When I said "large tub" I meant something really big. I mean as big as the bath tub you use to take a bath. You want a lot of room to encourage the tortoise to move around, walk around, try to climb out, do a lot of moving. All this moving in the water helps the poop to come out. It looks like your tortoise is eating the substrate. He needs hydration.

bowel movement = poop


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## jonckt (Mar 26, 2014)

He's pooping every day, but seems like the opening still swollen. [FACE WITH COLD SWEAT]


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## Dorrie Siu (Mar 26, 2014)

Yvonne, just curious. What makes you feel he is eating the substrate? His poo looks okay, doesn't it?


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## jonckt (Mar 28, 2014)

I have friends ask me to get a capsule of antibiotics to mix it in water for him to soak, and mix in a little bit in his food, what do u guys think?


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## Yvonne G (Mar 28, 2014)

I would not use antibiotics unless I knew for sure the tortoise had something that required the use of antibiotics. And I definitely would not use un-prescribed antibiotics.

(Dorrie: the poop just looked to me as if it contained substrate)


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## Dorrie Siu (Mar 28, 2014)

Yvonne G said:


> (Dorrie: the poop just looked to me as if it contained substrate)



Ahhh okay. Thank you.


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## Laura (Mar 28, 2014)

what is the diet like? is he kept too dry?


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## jonckt (Mar 28, 2014)

Temperature here is 29-31 degree c, humidity 75-85, I have a water tray 24/7 in the enclosure, soak him every single day, eat mazuri or sudo tortoise pallets daily mixed with chopped dry hay,


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## jonckt (Mar 29, 2014)

Is this pic shows he is getting better or getting worse? 

His bowel movement normal for everyday, he even pass urate today. I had been applying thin layer of the antibiotic cream and it shows sign of drying on the previous swollen part.


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## jonckt (Mar 31, 2014)




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## Dorrie Siu (Mar 31, 2014)

Dorrie does not look like that. She's a little fat around the hole but that peeling skin... that looks painful.


Did her vet prescribe Fucicort? Isn't that for humans?

"Fucicort is a type of topical cream that is used to treat fungus. It uses fusidic acid and betamethasone in order to reduce inflammation and fight infections. Fucicort can be used for psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, and lupus. Although it is effective in treating skin conditions, long term usage of the cream should be avoided. This is especially true for children and infants since they are particularly prone to systemic absorption, which can cause adrenal suppression." 

http://www.ask.com/question/fucicort-cream

It's a cortisteroid!! That's strong stuff!!

"Hypersensitivity has rarely been encountered. As
with other topical corticosteroids, prolonged and
intensive treatment* may cause local atrophic changes
of the skin, such as striae, thinning and dilatation
of the superficial blood vessels, particularly when
occlusive dressing is used or when skin folds are
involved.* Systemic absorption, sufficient to produce
hypercorticism/adrenal suppression, can occur with
prolonged or extensive use, especially when used
under occlusion/napkin.
*Infants and children are particularly at risk.*"

http://fasermionida.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Fucicort.pdf


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## jonckt (Apr 1, 2014)




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## jonckt (Apr 1, 2014)

Stopped using, only applied 3 times


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## joseppa96 (Apr 2, 2014)

How is she today? Does it look as if it is healing and or shrinking slightly?


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## jonckt (Apr 3, 2014)

Getting better now, will change back the substrate to coco husk after her arse recover [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND COLD SWEAT]


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## jonckt (Apr 4, 2014)

Omg, the tail had torn,.......



Anyone, please help [FACE WITH COLD SWEAT]


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## AmRoKo (Apr 4, 2014)

I'm not sure whats wrong with it but you should try using antibiotic ointment to help keep the area from drying out so it will be less painful, I would also take them to a reptile vet.


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## Dorrie Siu (Apr 4, 2014)

I think it's time to take her into a vet. Please be sure to tell them you were using fucicort.


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## jonckt (Apr 4, 2014)

I really wish to when the first day I started this post. I'm from Sabah, Malaysia , in which sadly to say there is no vet here knows how to meditate a tort.


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## Dorrie Siu (Apr 4, 2014)

Oh dear. So does that means the medicine you gave her was NOT prescribed to her? I'm only guessing that it was because I showed you the warnings about it and you continued to use it.


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## Yvonne G (Apr 4, 2014)

I think the tortoise is straining to pass something, whether it be rocks or hard poop. 

Buy some mineral oil (liquid parafin, liquid petrolium) and a squeeze dropper. If the tortoise is still eating, you can put several drops of mineral oil on the food and mix it up. Also, draw up a full dropper of the oil and place the dropper gently inside the cloaca facing towards the body cavity. Put it up as far as it will go, gently, without forcing it and squeeze the oil up inside the tortoise.

I would add a dropper-ful of mineral oil to the food every day until you start to see it coming out the other end. Don't put plain mineral oil down the throat unless its on food because the tortoise might breathe it into the lungs.

Until you get out whatever is pressing on the nerves inside, the swelling isn't going to go down, but you can relieve any discomfort there might be by applying some hemorrhoid cream to the cloaca.


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## RussianTortxo (Apr 7, 2014)

I really hope things start getting better really soon <3


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## jonckt (Apr 8, 2014)

He lost the end part of the tail, I picked it up inside the enclosure. I'm dripping the azoo liquid on the tail every day, he is eating and pooping fine every day, just tat he sleeps more hour than before.


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