turtleneck_boy

New Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2021
Messages
1
Location (City and/or State)
Illinois
Hello! Im new to the forum, I have an adult female Russian tortoise that’s about 12-14 years old, we’ve had her 2 years. We live in the Midwest and it’s starting to get really dry in our house, my tortoise’s humidity remains around 40% during the day.

Since it has been getting dryer, I’ve been soaking my tortoise everyday starting last week for about 10 minutes for her to rehydrate, and after soaking, she sits on a Kane brand Reptile heat mat (with cloth barrier between her and the mat) with a temp around 73 degrees for several hours chilling with the family in our living room. I dry her manually immediately after soaking but she also drys while sitting on the heat mat.

Today after her soak I noticed a fishy smell from her back, she had peed just before this, but the smell wasn’t just around her cloaca, but her entire backside. No smell was coming from her front. She’s had an issue in the past with an infection around her backside skin that had a similar smell (her shell is deformed in the back and scoops up, we take extra care to ensure it remains clean where her skin would otherwise be covered by shell), but when inspecting her carefully I found no redness, inflammation, or open wounds.

My mom thinks my tortoise may be ‘too damp’ and developing a yeast infection, but haven’t found any information on this being possible for Russians? I was going to wait another day or two to see if the smell goes away, since it just started about 1-2 hours ago today. My tortoise remains active.

Is my tortoise’s humidity adequate and she doesn’t need soaks as often or do you think this smell could be related to something else? More than anything can she develop a yeast infection from being ‘damp’? Please let me know any tips or suggestions!
 

Krista S

Well-Known Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 4, 2019
Messages
1,364
Location (City and/or State)
Saskatchewan
Hello! Im new to the forum, I have an adult female Russian tortoise that’s about 12-14 years old, we’ve had her 2 years. We live in the Midwest and it’s starting to get really dry in our house, my tortoise’s humidity remains around 40% during the day.

Since it has been getting dryer, I’ve been soaking my tortoise everyday starting last week for about 10 minutes for her to rehydrate, and after soaking, she sits on a Kane brand Reptile heat mat (with cloth barrier between her and the mat) with a temp around 73 degrees for several hours chilling with the family in our living room. I dry her manually immediately after soaking but she also drys while sitting on the heat mat.

Today after her soak I noticed a fishy smell from her back, she had peed just before this, but the smell wasn’t just around her cloaca, but her entire backside. No smell was coming from her front. She’s had an issue in the past with an infection around her backside skin that had a similar smell (her shell is deformed in the back and scoops up, we take extra care to ensure it remains clean where her skin would otherwise be covered by shell), but when inspecting her carefully I found no redness, inflammation, or open wounds.

My mom thinks my tortoise may be ‘too damp’ and developing a yeast infection, but haven’t found any information on this being possible for Russians? I was going to wait another day or two to see if the smell goes away, since it just started about 1-2 hours ago today. My tortoise remains active.

Is my tortoise’s humidity adequate and she doesn’t need soaks as often or do you think this smell could be related to something else? More than anything can she develop a yeast infection from being ‘damp’? Please let me know any tips or suggestions!
Welcome to the forum @turtleneck_boy

With regards to the fishy smell, is it possible ate something she wasn’t supposed to while not in her enclosure? Is the smell still present? Your tortoise should always Ben housed in her enclosure. Allowing them free roam of the house or living room is actually quite dangerous for many reasons. It doesn’t sound like she’s being kept too damp. With regards to humidity, 40% is a little on the low side. She’d do better with higher humidity. The daily 10 minute soak you’re giving is not overkill. It’s a great way to ensure she stays hydrated!

Maybe post some pictures of your tortoise and her enclosure and we can help pin point a little better what the issue could be. In the mean time, if you haven’t come across it, here’s a link to an excellent care sheet that I highly recommend reading. Some is geared towards hatchlings, but there’s still a lot of great information that applies to all ages.

 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Hello! Im new to the forum, I have an adult female Russian tortoise that’s about 12-14 years old, we’ve had her 2 years. We live in the Midwest and it’s starting to get really dry in our house, my tortoise’s humidity remains around 40% during the day.

Since it has been getting dryer, I’ve been soaking my tortoise everyday starting last week for about 10 minutes for her to rehydrate, and after soaking, she sits on a Kane brand Reptile heat mat (with cloth barrier between her and the mat) with a temp around 73 degrees for several hours chilling with the family in our living room. I dry her manually immediately after soaking but she also drys while sitting on the heat mat.

Today after her soak I noticed a fishy smell from her back, she had peed just before this, but the smell wasn’t just around her cloaca, but her entire backside. No smell was coming from her front. She’s had an issue in the past with an infection around her backside skin that had a similar smell (her shell is deformed in the back and scoops up, we take extra care to ensure it remains clean where her skin would otherwise be covered by shell), but when inspecting her carefully I found no redness, inflammation, or open wounds.

My mom thinks my tortoise may be ‘too damp’ and developing a yeast infection, but haven’t found any information on this being possible for Russians? I was going to wait another day or two to see if the smell goes away, since it just started about 1-2 hours ago today. My tortoise remains active.

Is my tortoise’s humidity adequate and she doesn’t need soaks as often or do you think this smell could be related to something else? More than anything can she develop a yeast infection from being ‘damp’? Please let me know any tips or suggestions!
No need for daily soaks for a 12 year old. Once or twice a week should be plenty, but do it for 30-40 minutes, keeping the water warm throughout.

40% humidity is fine for an adult Russian. You should be using one of the correct substrates and it should be damp. Offer a humid hide, and that should suffice.

You can rinse the tortoise and put it back in its enclosure damp. It will dry off on its own and can use the basking area under the heat lamp if it wants to. No need for towels and heat mats, and 73 is much too cold for hours at a time. Put the tortoise back in its enclosure, and your enclosure should be at least 4x8 feet.
 

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