Help! Bleeding from carapace

LoutheRussian

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A few days ago I noticed a small red spot on the characters of my male Russian tortoise.. I was it was keeping an eye on it and then last night I looked at him and I noticed that there was blood coming from that area. The carapace was slightly softer on that spot and when I press on it blood would come out from between some of the scutes. He is eating more now than he has been and has become more active recently which I attribute to season change. He has a large indoor enclosure 3'x8' and now that it's getting warmer spends his days in a 4'x16' outdoor enclosure. He gets fed a mixture of varying lettuces as well as a spring mix minus most of the spinach. He is a rescue I've had for nearly three years. I've kept tortoises for several years now but this is the first time I've had an issue like this. I have attached he'd pictures from after I rinsed the area and the blood was wiped away.
 

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zovick

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A few days ago I noticed a small red spot on the characters of my male Russian tortoise.. I was it was keeping an eye on it and then last night I looked at him and I noticed that there was blood coming from that area. The carapace was slightly softer on that spot and when I press on it blood would come out from between some of the scutes. He is eating more now than he has been and has become more active recently which I attribute to season change. He has a large indoor enclosure 3'x8' and now that it's getting warmer spends his days in a 4'x16' outdoor enclosure. He gets fed a mixture of varying lettuces as well as a spring mix minus most of the spinach. He is a rescue I've had for nearly three years. I've kept tortoises for several years now but this is the first time I've had an issue like this. I have attached he'd pictures from after I rinsed the area and the blood was wiped away.
It appears that there is some kind of infection going on beneath the scutes which is causing a lot of inflammation, hence the bleeding. The tortoise probably needs injectable antibiotics to treat this problem.

If you have a good reptile vet near you, I would recommend having him/her evaluate the situation and take appropriate measure to treat and cure it.
 

Maro2Bear

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Just curious what kind of substrate your tort is on? Is it scooching into a hide or tight spot? I’m sure some soaking & some topical neosporin type antibiotic might help (before you get to a vet or not).

Good luck. 🙏
 

LoutheRussian

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It appears that there is some kind of infection going on beneath the scutes which is causing a lot of inflammation, hence the bleeding. The tortoise probably needs injectable antibiotics to treat this problem.

If you have a good reptile vet near you, I would recommend having him/her evaluate the situation and take appropriate measure to treat and cure it.
That's part of the problem I'm not sure there is a good reptile vet near me. I have called around and haven't had any of them inspire a lot of confidence. I will look on the forums page for someone
 

LoutheRussian

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Just curious what kind of substrate your tort is on? Is it scooching into a hide or tight spot? I’m sure some soaking & some topical neosporin type antibiotic might help (before you get to a vet or not).

Good luck. 🙏
He is on screened topsoil I brought home and then personally screened a second and third time to remove anything undesirable. His substrate is primo topsoil with some cococoir but that's mostly mixed into the doil now. His hides aren't anywhere that would be real tight and his outdoor hide is a small cave type hide I build
 

LoutheRussian

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Would some antibiotic ointment then put a sterile pad on and wrap in vet wrap be a good temporary solution until I can find a vet? Clean the are first then dress the wounded area?
 

zovick

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Would some antibiotic ointment then put a sterile pad on and wrap in vet wrap be a good temporary solution until I can find a vet? Clean the are first then dress the wounded area?
This is probably a good measure, but may or may not cure the problem. I would recommend changing the pad and applying new ointment daily or every other day at a minimum.

@maggie3fan Do you know of any experienced/good reptile vets near this person's location (Cornelius, OR)?
 

Maro2Bear

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I would definitely daily soak, clean, dry & add an antibiotic. Not sure adding a pad does anything that a good dollop of cream won’t keep clean. Some fresh air/sunshine on a wound might be good too. (Clean area).
 

Maggie3fan

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This is probably a good measure, but may or may not cure the problem. I would recommend changing the pad and applying new ointment daily or every other day at a minimum.

@maggie3fan Do you know of any experienced/good reptile vets near this person's location (Cornelius, OR)?
Cornelius is close to Portland
That's part of the problem I'm not sure there is a good reptile vet near me. I have called around and haven't had any of them inspire a lot of confidence. I will look on the forums page for someone
The only GOOD vet I know is Julianne Vickstrom here in Corvallis 541-758-4509 or Dr letcher in Albany...541-926-8817
let me know if you bring him down here...you could take a break here if needed...
 

Maggie3fan

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Cornelius is close to Portland

The only GOOD vet I know is Julianne Vickstrom here in Corvallis 541-758-4509 or Dr letcher in Albany...541-926-8817
let me know if you bring him down here...you could take a break here if needed...
Dr Fletcher in Albany...
 

MichaelL

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One of my female tortoises had a similar problem. It was over a year ago, and her underside had become pink and would ooze liquid upon pressure- it was not blood though. She lost the ability to move her back legs, and lost her appetite quickly. I was going to find a vet as soon as possible, but before then one day I checked on her and she had died because she could not move out of the sun- her inability to move had gotten that bad. I personally think it was a bacterial infection in the blood, septicemia or something similar, because she did have a couple bite marks from the male, and I think they must have gotten infected.

I don't want to scare you with that story, it is just my experience. Yours looks a little different, maybe yours was an abrasion or something to the shell. It's great that yours still has an appetite. I would do the temporary antibiotic treatment and soak often. Hope yours recovers quickly!
 
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