I have two desert tortoises and my sister has one desert tortoise with abscesses in their nose, just like yours. Ours have not come out the skin on the head, though. Ours come out the nostril. I have been working with my two for over 3 years to get the abscesses to clear up.
The first time I noticed it on one of the tortoises I took her to the vet and he put her under and did surgery. He showed me the video and there was a whole lot of 'stuff' that came out. I mean a WHOLE LOT!!!!! I don't know how that much pus could have been contained in that poor tortoise's head. He cleaned it all out and sent her home with antibiotics. After the surgery spot healed the area started to swell again. I waited until I felt the abscess was ripe, and I expressed it myself. I am sure I got all the pus out. But, sure enough, several weeks later here it comes again.
I express out all the pus.
I flush with sterile saline.
I flush with saline mixed with Baytril.
I express every time I see a buildup starting.
I go through 10 days of Barytril injections.
Believe me, I've been trying to get rid of these abscesses for over 3 years and I feel I've given it more than the old college try.
I don't know why tortoises get abscesses in their nose, and neither did the vet. But it is a fairly common occurrence.
My two girls have not been allowed to hibernate for 3 winters now. The abscesses don't seem to bother them. They eat, and wander, and sleep and sun. They act like normal tortoises. Except they have mis-shapen heads with swelling and an ugly nostril.
You'd think they'd take off running in the opposite direction when they see me coming, but no...they're both very tame and sit quietly while I try to clean up their heads.
The first time I noticed it on one of the tortoises I took her to the vet and he put her under and did surgery. He showed me the video and there was a whole lot of 'stuff' that came out. I mean a WHOLE LOT!!!!! I don't know how that much pus could have been contained in that poor tortoise's head. He cleaned it all out and sent her home with antibiotics. After the surgery spot healed the area started to swell again. I waited until I felt the abscess was ripe, and I expressed it myself. I am sure I got all the pus out. But, sure enough, several weeks later here it comes again.
I express out all the pus.
I flush with sterile saline.
I flush with saline mixed with Baytril.
I express every time I see a buildup starting.
I go through 10 days of Barytril injections.
Believe me, I've been trying to get rid of these abscesses for over 3 years and I feel I've given it more than the old college try.
I don't know why tortoises get abscesses in their nose, and neither did the vet. But it is a fairly common occurrence.
My two girls have not been allowed to hibernate for 3 winters now. The abscesses don't seem to bother them. They eat, and wander, and sleep and sun. They act like normal tortoises. Except they have mis-shapen heads with swelling and an ugly nostril.
You'd think they'd take off running in the opposite direction when they see me coming, but no...they're both very tame and sit quietly while I try to clean up their heads.
