6 y/o Sulcata w/ bacterial infection on shell. Seeking advice.

[hexnotic]

Hello everyone! I'm dealing with an unexpected situation with my 6-year-old, 28 lb lady tortoise. Today I discovered an infected wound with rot and maggots on her shell. My partner and I spent the day cleaning the wound, flushing out maggots, and treating it with Betadine and silver sulfadiazine cream. I also administered Doxycycline orally from leftover medications. Currently she is being kept in our large screened porch, that’s clean, warm and pest free.

Our dog's vet is on vacation, and the local emergency vets can't help tortoises. I consulted with a vet familiar with her, but they're across the country since we moved a year ago.

We live in southern Maryland, and our tortoise, along with her sister, has a large fenced yard, a heated shed, and access to sunlight, proper temperatures, and a variety of greens. The shed is kept at 80 degrees at night and is well-ventilated. We clean waste regularly and ensure the area is pest-free.

I'm trying to figure out how this happened. The shed doesn't smell bad and is well-maintained. The tortoises are separated from our dogs but we have local wildlife like birds of prey, squirrels, gophers, and foxes. The tortoises get along well, and their previous vet said separation isn't necessary.

I'm seeking advice on how to prevent this from happening again. Thank you.

 

[hexnotic]

I wanted to clarify that the photo provided was taken on June 11th. At the time, I didn't notice any issue with her shell. Today, I looked through my camera roll and saw evidence of the infection starting in this photo. This morning, there was noticeable necrosis around the wound, which we cleaned.

In the morning, I'll provide a clear photo of the wound and flush it out again to remove the remaining maggots. The wound isn’t red or bloody, but there's a tan color and yellow liquid oozing from it with an unpleasant odor.

She isn’t thrilled about the treatment, but she’s handling it well. I'm being very gentle, and she usually stays still without thrashing or hissing.

This is the craziest case I've seen in helping sick animals. Though I know there are worse situations, I feel horrible about this. I'll monitor her around the clock at home during her healing, and I'm confident the meds will help her immensely. I wasn't expecting something like this to happen.

 

[Yvonne G]

Injuries to that section of the shell are quite often the result of a heat/light lamp being too close to the shell. The new growth gets burned. Flies are not attracted to plain old shells, but the ARE attracted to raw flesh. So maybe a rat decided to try to eat the new growth in that section, or a light was too close and it got burned, we may never know. But YOU have to be the detective and try to figure it out. Check your light/heat placement. Is it too close? Set some rat traps. The only thing to do for the tortoise is what you are doing, and keep it indoors and away from flies until that wound heals. Once you have it all cleaned out you can gob on some Neo Sporin or Vaseline to keep flies out of it.

Let us know what you find when you do your detecting. We all learn from each other.

 

[hexnotic]

 

[hexnotic]

Injuries to that section of the shell are quite often the result of a heat/light lamp being too close to the shell. The new growth gets burned. Flies are not attracted to plain old shells, but the ARE attracted to raw flesh. So maybe a rat decided to try to eat the new growth in that section, or a light was too close and it got burned, we may never know. But YOU have to be the detective and try to figure it out. Check your light/heat placement. Is it too close? Set some rat traps. The only thing to do for the tortoise is what you are doing, and keep it indoors and away from flies until that wound heals. Once you have it all cleaned out you can gob on some Neo Sporin or Vaseline to keep flies out of it.

Let us know what you find when you do your detecting. We all learn from each other.

Thank you for your detailed response! I was thinking that a rodent could be the issue here, or a fox/raccoon. The heat bulb placement is a foot away from their basking spot, but maybe it got too hot. I will secure the bulb further away as well.

 

[Tom]

1. How are you heating the shed they are in?
2. Flies will often lay their eggs on the new growth seams. I had that happen last year. There were five tortoises in that pen and it only happened to one of them. I don't know why, and this has never happened before. I've had tortoises in that pen for over a decade.
3. Your vet is wrong. Vets are often wrong about tortoise are. They should never be housed as pairs. It IS a problem and the chronic stress can weaken their immune systems. They need to be separated ASAP.

 

[Tom]

Thank you for your detailed response! I was thinking that a rodent could be the issue here, or a fox/raccoon. The heat bulb placement is a foot away from their basking spot, but maybe it got too hot. I will secure the bulb further away as well.

You can't use heat lamps or CHEs on larger tortoises. It is not effective, and it often causes this problem. Time for a ew heating strategy. Here are two safe and effective methods:

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[SinLA]

If a racoon or rat has access to the tortoise, seems odd (but lucky) they chewed on the shell and not the flesh. Sounds like she might not be in the safest of places at night. Can you follow the directions here for a secure night box?

 

[hexnotic]

1. How are you heating the shed they are in?
2. Flies will often lay their eggs on the new growth seams. I had that happen last year. There were five tortoises in that pen and it only happened to one of them. I don't know why, and this has never happened before. I've had tortoises in that pen for over a decade.
3. Your vet is wrong. Vets are often wrong about tortoise are. They should never be housed as pairs. It IS a problem and the chronic stress can weaken their immune systems. They need to be separated ASAP.

Upon further inspection, I believe the heat lamp was too close to the basking spot. I've moved it up and will ensure this doesn't happen again.

The shed is heated with a chicken coop lamp, a space heater set to 80 degrees, and two industrial heating pads. It’s a large, insulated space (at least 20x20 feet) with meat curtains at the door.

I agree about the separation and have repeatedly explained the cons of cohabitating reptiles to my partner. These Sulcatas were already here before I arrived, and despite my efforts to educate their keepers, they resist separating them, citing their long-term cohabitation. They have ample space and resources, and after extensive observation, I believe their tolerance of each other is high. If issues arise, I will advocate for rehoming, but the stubborn belief in their sibling bond by the owners (my partner & his little brother) complicates things.

I keep four leopard geckos inside, each in their own 40-gallon tank with a dozen hides. Oddly enough I have stress dreams over the idea of cohabitating them. If the tortoises weren't used to each other or were not both female, separation would be mandatory. I’ll explore the possibility of separating their fencing, especially if their immune systems are affected. I hope the owners will consider this.

 

[hexnotic]

You can't use heat lamps or CHEs on larger tortoises. It is not effective, and it often causes this problem. Time for a ew heating strategy. Here are two safe and effective methods:

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you so much for your detailed responses! I’m working on this issue now, I appreciate your help.

 

[hexnotic]

If a racoon or rat has access to the tortoise, seems odd (but lucky) they chewed on the shell and not the flesh. Sounds like she might not be in the safest of places at night. Can you follow the directions here for a secure night box?

Yes, I absolutely can. We moved into our new home a year ago, and have been building a lot of fencing and facilities for these torts and our other animals. Unfortunately it’s been a bit of trial and error, but I hate it when my animals are in discomfort so will be working diligently to ensure this issue is addressed. Thank you.