Dark red tongue - is this ok?

[ukphd]

Hi
I've just gone to check on my male and noticed the top side of his tongue is dark dark red. It looks almost stained. The underside is normal looking. I've never noticed this before. When I checked his mouth after hibernation his tongue was just pinkish coloured.

Could this be from food? He's eaten the following today:
dandelion flowers and leaves
white nettle flowers (a few) and leaves
Red nettle flowers and leaves
Forget-me-not flowers and leaves
a tiny bit of watercress
a small slice of cucumber (which I used to entice him to open his mouth wide!)

The food had limestone flour and nutrobal sprinkled lightly on it.
He's eating fine (still!) and is active and seems his usual self.

I did a bit of a search on the internet and did notice people mentioning a red tongue diring courtship - could this be it? I didn't notice it last year, but then again he's much more, erm, keen to mate (!) than he was last year!

I tried to take a photo of it but can't get him to keep his mouth open long enough.

I've already called the vet just in case but she can't see him til tomorrow and I'm panicing a little in case it isn't either of the two explanations above.

Can anyone advise me at all?
thanks
Nancy (panicing slightly!)

 

[egyptiandan]

Hi Nancy,
A red tongue is what you want to see. It could be a little stained from the food.
He was probably a little anemic after hibernation and thats why his tongue was pink.

Danny

 

[ukphd]

Hi Nancy,
A red tongue is what you want to see. It could be a little stained from the food.
He was probably a little anemic after hibernation and thats why his tongue was pink.

Danny

Thanks!
I'm actually just back from the vet and all was well!
The vet did say he had some dirt there (I think he had been rooting around a bit in the soil!) but it's clear of all infection. He is a bit jaundice - probably from hibernation so to be sure the vet gave him a vitamin A injection and he also wormed him, and gave him some drops for his eye (as it was slightly swollen and because he only has one eye he wanted to be careful!)

Actually I'd appreciate your thoughts on some other things the vet said. He was one recommended by the UK tortoise places and he certainly knew about tortoises but said a few things I wasn't sure about

1. He recommended using something called Arkvits for the male every day, but using nutrobal for the female every day. Does that sound right?

2. He suggested adding more hay to the diet. At the moment I don't feed them any hay at all - should I be doing that? I'd read that they didn't really eat hay. If so what sort of hay?

3. He seemed to think the male was a marginated tortoise because of the way the shell flares out at the back. He certainly wasn't sure and told me to go and research it to find out (!). I'm confidant with your ID of him as iberia but was just curious to know how you would tell the difference between a marginated and an iberian?

I took the female along too (just in case!) and he gave her a calcium injection and wormed her too.

I have to be honest - I'd never realised they needed worming so that was a surprise!

Anyway I'm glad they're ok - I was in a bit of a panic earlier but feel much better now!

Thanks for your help once again
Nancy

 

[egyptiandan]

Hi Nancy,
I shouldn't vent, but not fond of vets.
Vitamin A shots for tortoises aren't usually needed and are easily overdosed. Watch out for skin peeling and being red underneath the peeling skin. This would mean he got an overdose. Try not to panic, but keep an eye on him and no more vitamin A shots.
You can use nutrabol for the male, just only use it once or twice a week.
No hay Fresh grass is fine, but most Testudos aren't set-up to digest hay or grass. At least grass though has some water in it.
The best way to tell the difference is the plastron Nancy.
Here's the plastron of a Marginated tortoise
http://www.chelonia.org/TmarginataBP3.jpg

Danny

 

[ukphd]

Hi Nancy,
I shouldn't vent, but not fond of vets.
Vitamin A shots for tortoises aren't usually needed and are easily overdosed. Watch out for skin peeling and being red underneath the peeling skin. This would mean he got an overdose. Try not to panic, but keep an eye on him and no more vitamin A shots.
You can use nutrabol for the male, just only use it once or twice a week.
No hay Fresh grass is fine, but most Testudos aren't set-up to digest hay or grass. At least grass though has some water in it.
The best way to tell the difference is the plastron Nancy.
Here's the plastron of a Marginated tortoise
http://www.chelonia.org/TmarginataBP3.jpg

Danny

Thank you!
Vets are rather keen to give vitamin injections aren't they!
Will certainly not do that again! I was in such a panic about him that I just agreed to what he suggested in terms of treatment. If it was an OD is there anything I can do? I know how toxic vitamin A can be so I just hope he hasn't had too much.

Well mine have never shown any interest in any sort of grass so I'm not surprised by what you say I figured if they were meant to eat grass then they would eat it when they're out in the garden but they never touch it. I did think it was a bit odd when he mentioned it but wanted to check with you - thanks

Should the female have the nutrobal every day as he suggested?

The arkvits he suggested seems to be nutrobal + vitamins A, C and E so I will be getting rid of that! he's had enough vitamin A!!

Aha - ok, mine is certainly not a marginated! and I'm glad as I was so thrilled to have a pair of Iberian that I think I would be rather gutted to discover they weren't the same species after all (although of course a marginated would be equally interesting)

Nancy

 

[egyptiandan]

If it does turn out to be an overdose, than you need to keep him inside on a towel, paper towel or newspaper to keep the skin from getting infected. Use betaine every day on the area where the skin has sloughed off.
Hopefully this won't happen.
No throwing out the arkvits (didn't know exactly what it was )
You can give this to the female 2 to 3 times a week and just give the male the nutrabol. Shots you can over do the vitamins, but almost impossible to do with oral supplements.
I hope I'm not that bad at IDing

Danny

 

[ukphd]

If it does turn out to be an overdose, than you need to keep him inside on a towel, paper towel or newspaper to keep the skin from getting infected. Use betaine every day on the area where the skin has sloughed off.
Hopefully this won't happen.
No throwing out the arkvits (didn't know exactly what it was )
You can give this to the female 2 to 3 times a week and just give the male the nutrabol. Shots you can over do the vitamins, but almost impossible to do with oral supplements.
I hope I'm not that bad at IDing

Danny

He he he
Excellent - will keep the arkvits then!

Thanks