Injured Horsefield tortoise - Tuck

[Carlostortoisekeeper]

Hello Keepers, I’m Carl from Dover.
We have a 4 year old Horsefield who has always been fit, well and a good eater.
We have noticed today that Tuck has a nasty gash under his hood behind the cranium where it meets the neck. No obvious cause. we are wondering on the possible cause and best course of action, any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Cheryl Hills]

Looks like he ether got his head caught somewhere or something attacked him. With a gash like that, my opinion, would be to get him to a vet for antibiotics. That looks like a deep gash. It has to be kept clean at all times. Just my opinion.
@Yvonne G

 

[Yvonne G]

Ouch! That does look nasty. My first thought was he was gnawed on by a rat or something. Another culprit to an injury on the back of the neck is when they stand on their back legs trying to climb out, slip down accidentally and are too slow at pulling in their head, causing the shell to cut them. But that usually looks more like a cut. Your tortoise's injury looks like something gouged out a section. I see you have caps along the top of the fence, so the climbing injury probably doesn't apply to your little guy.

Do you leave him outside at night? Chances are good some night marauder has decided to make a meal out of him. I would take him in every night from now on.

Clean the wound well one time with Povidone-iodine, then on subsequent days, clean it with Chlorhexidine wound cleaner. Allow the solution to sit a while, then pat it dry and apply a first aid cream. While the tortoise has an open wound like that you'll have to keep him in the house so flies don't lay eggs there.

Of course, Cheryl's advice is spot on. The tortoise will need a round of antibiotic injections.