# HELP! My tortoise had a big fall



## doctorwhoaddict (Feb 13, 2013)

I own a pet tortoise, leopard I believe, and earlier this evening he fell about 12-15 feet. He's a little two inch thing that can fit in your palm, and I'm freaking out. I don't have the money for a vet, his stomach feels WAY too soft, and I want to cry. 

Suggestions? Tips? Cheap please I can take him? Do I need to have him put down because he's probably in a ridiculous amount of pain?

P.S: Right now he's alive, he ate, he can move, and he's sleeping. Also, I live in Oxnard, California


----------



## Yvonne G (Feb 14, 2013)

The soft shell has no bearing on the fall. I doubt that fall has hurt the baby at all.

Baby tortoises are a bit soft for their first year. Are you giving him calcium and UVB either from the sun or from an expensive UV light?

It worries me a bit that you "think" you have a leopard tortoise. Different species of tortoise require different care, and if you don't know what type tortoise you are caring for, it may be detrimental to your tortoise. Please read the "important threads" at the top of the sulcata and leopard sections and make tweaks to your habitat and care accordingly.


----------



## CtTortoiseMom (Feb 14, 2013)

Hi & welcome. How did this fall happen? If you post pics of your tortoise we can help identify it and give you suggestions for housing and feeding it. How is he doing now?


----------



## doctorwhoaddict (Feb 14, 2013)

I don't know exactly what kind of tortoise he is because he wasn't mine originally, he belonged to an old family friend whose number I don't have =/ He's not a baby though, he is a few years old I believe, something that Mark payed a few hundred bucks for to make sure he stayed real small.


Right now he's okay, I just checked on him and he seems with it. Is he in a baffling amount of pain right now? I just ... I don't know what to do.

He fell because every few days I like to let him walk around the floor, stretch his feet, and do a bit of exploring. Normally I'm with him the entire time, but I had a big exam to study for and I was paying more attention to that than him. When I went to check on him, he was on the lower level (about a 12 foot drop because it opens up at the floor and dummy be didn't think Charlie would ever fall from there.


----------



## Yvonne G (Feb 14, 2013)

Then I doubt he's a leopard tortoise. It's probably a Russian. And because he's not a baby, the soft plastron is very serious. Like I asked before: Does this tortoise get calcium and UVB/vitamin d3 either from the sun or from an expensive UV light? This is what contributes to hard shell.


(Just FYI: you don't have to keep re-posting the same thing over and over. New members' first 5 posts have to be moderated, so they don't show up until a moderator sees and approves it)


----------



## doctorwhoaddict (Feb 14, 2013)

He's got a UV light and there is a lot of sunlight where he is. That's why I'm really worried, what's going on inside. He doesn't seem in any visible pain (would he show if he was?), and there's no shell cracking or chipping or anything of that sort. But it seems softer than it was before, not that I would really know though; I don't exactly pet his underside often, it's the top I like to touch when I'm feeding him or whatnot.


----------



## Yvonne G (Feb 14, 2013)

If the sunlight comes in through a window, then he's not getting any UVB, as the glass makes the rays bounce off. 

If he's eating and acting normal, he's probably ok.

I hope you will post pictures when you can because leopard tortoises require different care from russian tortoises, etc.


----------



## mctlong (Feb 14, 2013)

With a fall like that, I recommend taking him to a reptile vet and having him checked out. My concern would be internal injury.

Do you notice any obvious injury or bruising on the shell?


----------



## kathyth (Feb 14, 2013)

Where do you live?


----------



## Laura (Feb 14, 2013)

She is in Southern calif. Oxnard. 
Please post a pic so we can tell you what kind of tort you have. and PLEASE don't allow him to wander around.. it needs a safe enclosure, indoor or outdoor. If you can't afford a vet when accidents happen,, its even MORE important that you Prevent them.
What are you feeding? what kind of set up do you have?


----------



## doctorwhoaddict (Feb 14, 2013)

I'm going to take him to the vet on my day off, which is tomorrow. I'll just write a check or make some sort of payment ... he HAS to be seen. 

Stupid question but if there was internal damage, would there be noticeable signs 12+ hours later? Like death, noticeable pain, etc etc etc. Because he's still active, eating food, and whathaveyou.


----------



## Zabbi0 (Feb 14, 2013)

Glad you are getting him to the vet tomorrow. But a few members here have asked you some very important questions. What kind of setup/enclosure are you keeping him in? What kind of UV do you have? What's his current diet. & please post a picture soon. We are trying to help. To answer your question, torts don't always exhibit behavior that would indicate they are hurt. They are nature to the wild and have to prove themselves strong. The vet is a good idea


Native ** sorry that bothered me too much.


----------



## R114 (Feb 14, 2013)

I've never dealt with this type of situation before, but I believe it would be best to have him put down. He could have internal bleeding or brain damage/broken bones. It only costs around $40 to have a dog put down, not sure about a small tortoise. If you cannot afford to take him to the vet this may be the best option for you because the tort could also have lifelong health problems from this.


----------



## wellington (Feb 14, 2013)

R114 said:


> I've never dealt with this type of situation before, but I believe it would be best to have him put down. He could have internal bleeding or brain damage/broken bones. It only costs around $40 to have a dog put down, not sure about a small tortoise. If you cannot afford to take him to the vet this may be the best option for you because the tort could also have lifelong health problems from this.



Not sure why you would suggest something like this at this point. The tort is acting normal for now anyway. It most likely would not be eating and walking around if it was in that bad of shape. They don't even know what kind of tort it is. The animal at least deserves to be seen by a vet before it is just put down. Don't think this is the kind of advice that should be given at this point in the game. A vet visit is the best advice if you can't give any other help.


----------



## Terry Allan Hall (Feb 14, 2013)

What you feeding it? Cactus pads have a lot of calcium in them, are are excellent as a part of a tortoise's diet, and will help it grow strong bones/shell...but it needs unfiltered sunlight on any warm day you can take it outside...artificial UV lights are a so-so substitute, but direct unfiltered sun is VERY important, at least a bit every day that's 70 or warmer.

OTOH, make sure it has a way to get out of the sun when it get's too hot, as well.

The fall may or may not have caused any internal damage...if the shell isn't cracked open, it may be fine, but having your vet check it over is a good idea.

But, first, you need to find out for sure what type or tortoise you have ASAP...does your cellphone have a camera? Or do you have access to a digital camera? If so, we need a good, clear pic of the top of the shell and the bottom of the shell. 

If you don't know how, just download between these html commands:


----------



## mctlong (Feb 15, 2013)

R114 said:


> I've never dealt with this type of situation before, but I believe it would be best to have him put down. He could have internal bleeding or brain damage/broken bones. It only costs around $40 to have a dog put down, not sure about a small tortoise. If you cannot afford to take him to the vet this may be the best option for you because the tort could also have lifelong health problems from this.



What!? OMG! This tort has not even been seen by a vet yet. We don't even know if he's injured. There's a good chance he's perfectly okay. WTF?! Waaaaaaay to premature for this. Give the little guy a chance. At least find out if he's in any misery before putting him out of his misery... geeez.


----------



## Nay (Feb 15, 2013)

Think we're going to get any more info? Now I am dying to know......
We all care and really want to help you do what's best for your little guy.
Don't leave us all hanging.
Nay


----------



## Nixxy (Feb 15, 2013)

It's definitely worth having him checked out.

If he's acting fine, still. He's probably managed to get away fine from it all. 

My advice would be the following:

1. Take him to a vet who knows reptiles, preferably a specialist. 
2. Either have them identify the type of tortoise, or post pictures and one of us can, quite easily most likely.
3. Never let him get into another situation like that. Make sure he has a properly contained environment with no risk of falls.

Now, going forward care wise completely depends on what type of tortoise he is. His diet, humidity, temperature, and habitat needs could be completely different depending on what type of tortoise he/she is. Once you establish what type of tortoise he or she is, I'd highly recommend asking for questions and reading up on his/her type on the appropriate part of the forum. (IE, if it's a Russian, on the section of the forum dedicated to discussing Russians,etc.)


----------



## doctorwhoaddict (Feb 15, 2013)

I'm so new to all of this =/ I only got him a few weeks ago. Anyways I'm going to take him to the vet in a few hours and then I'll let you guys know what happened! I'll post more details when we come back. He still seems fine though, and this happened Thursday night. Eating, walking, going to the bathroom, and whathaveyou.


----------



## Eloise's mommy (Feb 15, 2013)

I really hope all works out for you and your little one. Some lessons are learned the hard way this sounds like one of them but I hope you get good news at the vet.


----------



## Nixxy (Feb 15, 2013)

I'd say he's probably in the clear, but it's definitely worth it to get it checked out.

I one time had a Red Eared Slider take a similar fall. I was only about 11, and I let him walk around on our porch, took my eye off him for one minuet, he went off. He landed on some soft stuff, and ended up fine, and needless to say I never let him out of my site again.


----------

