# tort swallowed string



## Camirdra (May 16, 2013)

Hey guys!it I just went out to put my torts in the shed for the night and I noticed my little 9inch female sulcata had a string hanging out of her mouth. I don't know where it came from but she has swallowed some of it and I trimmed the piece off that she hadn't swallowed yet. I am a little freaked out. It's 10pm so I can't call the vet until tomorrow. I am worried this could cause a disaster in her intestines and I have no idea what to do or how much she swallowed. Any advice???


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## ascott (May 16, 2013)

Soak soak soak and give foods that are really water rich....and keep an eye on her and her poo.....just what I would do..if the string is thick enough then perhaps an xray will disclose if there is worry or not...


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## gregcalverley0327 (May 16, 2013)

I'm not 100% sure but if some is sticking out you should be able to gently pull it out, I'm sure others with more experience will jump In but I've done that with my tort when she got lettuce stuck, apparently she forgot how to chew lol 


0.3.0 sulcata tortoise 
(Manavi, aspen, Bronx)
1.0.0 Russian tortoise 
(Ivan)
1 Great Dane
(Koko)


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## Camirdra (May 16, 2013)

It is a really thick string, I don't think it would thread through a needle. It just happened so I don't think she could poop it out yet (but I don't know how long it takes for them to pass poop) Is there anything I can feed her to encourage her to poop? I know aloe tends to give them the runs (learned that the hard way) My vet isn't open for another 11 hrs  I was afraid to pull it out, didn't want to damage her intestines, so I cut it off at the beak so she wouldn't swallow the other 2 feet of it. I have no idea how it got in the back yard in the first place. I know it is not a string I have ever used for anything, I don't have anything like it.


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## gregcalverley0327 (May 16, 2013)

Can you get ahold of the string with your hand? Or tweezers? It should just gently pull out 


0.3.0 sulcata tortoise 
(Manavi, aspen, Bronx)
1.0.0 Russian tortoise 
(Ivan)
1 Great Dane
(Koko)


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## Camirdra (May 16, 2013)

No it was really stuck, she must have swallowed alot of it. Isn't pumpkin good for making them poop? I can make a run to the store and get her some and soak her in the morning. She is on her basking spot now.


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## gregcalverley0327 (May 16, 2013)

I'm not sure, I think it is and also cactus i believe, may want to search threads and check first though. Hope all turns out well! 


0.3.0 sulcata tortoise 
(Manavi, aspen, Bronx)
1.0.0 Russian tortoise 
(Ivan)
1 Great Dane
(Koko)


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## ascott (May 16, 2013)

PLEASE DON'T PULL THE STRING.....if the tort has ingested enough of the string it certainly can cause damage being pulled out....you can feed squash, watermelon, cucumber and things like that the will hydrate your tort....if you cut off 2 feet of string there is no way to know if a few inches was ingested or substantially more....I would hydrate and then see about getting a pic of her done to see if there is need for concern...


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## Camirdra (May 16, 2013)

That's what I was thinking Angela. I know my grandmother had a cat do the same thing with yarn and you NEVER put it out so I figured it was the same with torts. The cat had to have surgery to have it removed but is there anything a vet can do besides tell me "yep, there's a string in there." it's not like they can just slip her out of her shell and open her up. I hope I am in a panic over nothing but this is not sitting well with me 


So I never give my torts fruit but I remember reading somewhere that mango works as a laxative. Do you think that a mango and pumpkin mix would work or should I just stick to the pumpkin? Any idea how long it takes a tort to pass what it eats? Mine have always pooped so I never really thought about it.


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## ascott (May 16, 2013)

Here is what I suggest...try not to imagine the worst scenario and just keep an eye on the behavior....I would however have an xray done to see all that you can...string can either ball up and pass on through or not....so just soak and offer some wet food then perhaps a vet visit is in the near future...


also....many a times I have watched the CDTs here walk around with a long ole piece of food and it not appear to bother them....so there is a chance that your tort simply did not ingest much and that you appeared in time to get the rest out of her mouth....so just try not to stress (too much) and plan to have an xray and then go from there...


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## Camirdra (May 16, 2013)

Thanks Angela. I know stressing out over it won't help any but dang these torts and their desire to eat everything they are not supposed to! also curious... if she is carrying eggs will the xray be a problem? I did not intentionally breed her but she was in the shed all winter with Lonestar and I caught them having "fun time" in the bathtub a few months ago...


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## Camirdra (May 18, 2013)

She passed it yesterday afternoon! Glad that is over! So my vet said to keep up with the soaks and give her pumpkin with a bit of petroleum jelly on it. It is nontoxic but they can't digest it so it kind of lubes everything up on the way out. Good to know incase someone else has the same problem. I didn't get a chance to try it as she had already passed it by the time I got home but hopefully it comes in handy for others. Thanks for all the support (I was really worried)


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## ascott (May 19, 2013)

YAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!


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## n3rdchik (May 19, 2013)

Yay!!!!!!! I was much worried for your little gal


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## haidao88 (May 19, 2013)

Good thing she passed it... I was keeping an eye out for this topic glad to hear


My tortoise Peach hates apples


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## Jacqui (May 19, 2013)

So how much had she actually swallowed?


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## Camirdra (May 19, 2013)

I don't know? It was in a very runny pile so I scooped it and put it in the poo bucket lol! It didn't look like something I wanted to dig around in  lol! But she passed it so I am relieved


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## Camirdra (May 24, 2013)

She is doing great! Eating, pooping and digging holes all over the backyard. I swear it looks like I have giant gophers in the backyard! She has been normal except she has been picky lately and turned her nose up at the dandelion and hibiscus blooms I give them. It's hard to believe that last year she couldn't even support her own weight. Her and Lonestar have improved 10 times over since I got them


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## ascott (May 24, 2013)

Beautiful  and still so happy to hear this outcome...


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