Does Blanka, my 1yr tortoise, need HELP?

Proclaimer

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Hello! I just registered in the forum, so I already apologise for any mistake or inconvenience that my "newbieness" may cause.

Last year, at exactly this month, I was travelling and fell in love with a tortoise in Morocco. He was so tiny and I fell so bad for the way people were handling it there, I decided to save his life! From there, my life with Blanka started...n

Being a new mum, I knew I had loads to learn. And I struggled a bit at the start, I admit, but now I can't deny I'm proud of myself. Blanka is around 1 and a half year old, I always check up on his weight, size, his diet and calcium supplement that he needs to grow a strong and beautiful juvenile.

But yesterday Blanka scared me. I woke up and went to talk to him. When I picked him up, I noticed he had a bit on hair and feces tangled up his bottom. I gently pulled it and noticed something else there: a piece of tissue, pink-ish/re-dish, in a "shell" format. I instantly took him to the vet, who didn't know what to do since she had never seen it before.

She says it's not an intestinal prolapse, nor a penile one. Bur then... what is it? Should I be worried? He doesn't stick it outside more than a third of an inch, but also doesn't put it back in.

I'm panicking already.
I really need help from experienced "parents".

I'm really sorry for the massive post.
Thanks a lot anyway for taking your time to read it.
 

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Tom

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RE: Does Blanka, my 1yr sulcata, need HELP?

First: That is not a sulcata. Given where you got it, I'm going to guess it is a greek tortoise. Testudo gracea.
Second: When boy tortoises hit adolescence they tend to stick it out a lot. Especially in the spring time. Are you saying it is out like that all the time and never retracts?
 

wellington

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RE: Does Blanka, my 1yr sulcata, need HELP?

Hello and Welcome:). Don't worry about any newbie mistakes, most of us have made some. From what I can tell by the pics, HE is showing you his manhood. See what others say, but I'm pretty sure. If so, I would suggest finding another vet. He/she should have known what it is, whether I'm right or wrong.
Now, there is a problem if he doesn't retract it all the way. So, don't let it get dreys out and others will tell you better what to do for him.
 

bouaboua

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RE: Does Blanka, my 1yr sulcata, need HELP?

Hello and welcome to the forum. We are glad that you found the forum. This is a great place the the tortoise to learn and share. You will learn all the things you need to know how to take care of new pet tortoise.

Good to have you here.
 

Proclaimer

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RE: Does Blanka, my 1yr sulcata, need HELP?

Thank you all for the answers and for the friendly welcome.

Yes, it does not contract. It is like that since last Thursday night. It doesn't stick out further nor back in. When he walks it drags on the floor, so we took him out of the sand/dirt and put him in a cloth floor box until next week, when we'll take him to another vet. We were afraid of him scratching it or making it swollen.

And Tom... I analysed loads and took him to a vet to be seen also. Blanka doesn't look like a Greek tortoise, he looks loads like a Sulcata. His shell design and colour resembles a lot the Sulcata ones and it's not as "rounded" as the Greek one.
 

Yvonne G

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RE: Does Blanka, my 1yr sulcata, need HELP?

Hi Proclaimer, and welcome to the Forum!!

Tom is right. This is not a sulcata. Since you got him in Morroco, I'm positive it's either a Hermanns or a Greek. Definitely NOT a sulcata.

Gently pull that hair until it is tight, then with a very sharp and tiny scissors, clip the hair where it is wrapped around that pink thing (which is his penis, some vet, humph!). With tweezers, get all the hair from around the penis and whatever you can get out of the cloaca. Once you're sure there is no more hair around the penis, put vaseline on your pinky finger and gently push the penis back inside. You may need to stand there and hold it in for a while for it to stay inside. Your vet is correct in that it isn't a "prolapse," but rather its coming out because of the hair wrapped around it. This might possibly cut off the blood supply to the penis, so be sure you get it all off of there.
 

Proclaimer

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Hi Yvonne.
He could be a Hermann, no doubt about it. But he doesn't really look like a Greek. More like a Hermann or a Sulcata - even more like a Sulcata.

SAYING THAT, I WOULD LOVE SOME HELP TO IDENTIFY MY LITTLE ONE.

Thank you A LOT about the tips. I tried yesterday to put some Vaseline and stick it back in, as I saw the vet "trying to do" at the clinic but not succeeding. I didn't succeed also. It always comes back out... that's when it started worrying me.
 

Yvonne G

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Did you get the hair off it?


Normally what a vet will do is push the penis back inside, then take a purse-string suture and sew the cloaca partially closed. This helps keep the penis inside until the swelling goes down and it will stay inside on its own. After a day or so he takes out the suture. If you allow the penis to stay out and it dries up, it will rot and die and will require amputation.
 

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