- Joined
- Jul 26, 2012
- Messages
- 350
I had noticed the puncture wounds too. That must have been a big dog, right? I had assumed the risk of puncture was really only if the dog could get his mouth around the shell.Because of the punctures, I'm going with large dog. The dog scraped off the top layer of keratin, and made a couple punctures with his canine teeth.
But, you're right, a burned shell looks like that too.
Thanks for the clarification. That makes sense.The punctures may have been done at different times. I think they're a bit far apart to fit a dog's mouth. Like maybe the dog had the tortoise in the side of his mouth and trying to chew with his back teeth and got the puncture too.
Yeah I am no expert but it seems very strange that she claims this is from damp conditions when the plastron was not effected. Also there are two very clear puncture wounds
Maybe she means dampness, not humidity?I am in agreement with you and everyone else that commented here.
There is one question that people like this lady, who make such blatantly false claims in order to push an agenda, cannot seem to answer: If humidity did that sort of damage, then why are none of the hundreds of tortoises of several species that I have raised with very high, constant humidity, showing similar symptoms? Why don't we ever see this with any of the hundreds or thousands of tortoises here on this forum that have been raised in high humidity? Why, in fact, do we see nothing but the exact opposite of what this lady is showing?
Well… that was three questions, but they are all related. Closely related.
Its sad that something awful happened to that tortoise, but blaming it on the wrong thing won't help anyone, and it won't help other tortoises avoid the same fate. I would not be surprised if someone backroom-textbook-reading-vet told the lady this was from humidity. Did she elaborate on where this tortoise was raised and how it was exposed to humidity at its size? Did she elaborate on how this tortoise was heated?
All she really said is that the tortoise lived in a shed, and lived outside when it was warm. She said it was kept in damp conditions for years, without the proper temperatures(whatever that means). I asked her if the plastron had damage as well. She said no only the carapace. I mentioned to her that seems odd that the plastron(that would have been in contact with the wetness) had no damage at all. Her response was that every shell rot she's ever seen was on the carapace.
It could be that the people who she rescued it from failed to mention that it was burned or attacked by a dog. Maybe she really thinks it's shell rot, I dunno.
She also said it was much worse when she first got it. She said the scutes where falling off and flies where inside.