Is this considered as swollen neck?

cakberlin

New Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Messages
20
Location (City and/or State)
South Tangerang, Indonesia
Hi everyone,

This morning I noticed something strange on my baby sulcata's neck.
At first I thought that it was something from the substrate but when I tried to clean it up, it feels like it is a swollen neck (marked with red colored circle and there are two of them located side by side).
Is it a fungus? Any idea how to treat it? Is it dangerous? (she's still active and eat normally)

WhatsApp Image 2021-02-20 at 15.04.31.jpeg
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
Are they yellowish bumps? Are there any on his legs?

It looks like it could be a bacterial infection caused by the bacteria Austwickia chelonae. You need to read this sub forum.


I can't be sure of this from seeing this picture, but if the bumps are yellow, the likelihood is very high.

Your baby needs to see a reptile vet, and you need to tell the vet that this is Austwickia chelonae. He needs to get started on antibiotics. Unfortunately, almost all babies with this disease succumb to it.

If you have any other reptiles, this can infect them. You must be extremely careful to not cross contaminate your other reptiles.

I am so, so sorry to have to tell you all this.
I'm tagging 2 members that may be able to tell you more.

@Pastel Tortie
@mastershake
 

cakberlin

New Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Messages
20
Location (City and/or State)
South Tangerang, Indonesia
Are they yellowish bumps? Are there any on his legs?

It looks like it could be a bacterial infection caused by the bacteria Austwickia chelonae. You need to read this sub forum.


I can't be sure of this from seeing this picture, but if the bumps are yellow, the likelihood is very high.

Your baby needs to see a reptile vet, and you need to tell the vet that this is Austwickia chelonae. He needs to get started on antibiotics. Unfortunately, almost all babies with this disease succumb to it.

If you have any other reptiles, this can infect them. You must be extremely careful to not cross contaminate your other reptiles.

I am so, so sorry to have to tell you all this.
I'm tagging 2 members that may be able to tell you more.

@Pastel Tortie
@mastershake

Is there any chance for her to survive from this disease?
The bump is yellowish.
I found it is similar with the one in the following picture

Can anyone tell me why my Tortoise has these spots on it’s neck? I’m concerned. Thank you!
View attachment 309163
 

Pastel Tortie

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 31, 2018
Messages
4,264
Location (City and/or State)
North Florida
Is there any chance for her to survive from this disease?
The bump is yellowish.
I found it is similar with the one in the following picture
If it is Austwickia chelonae, the outlook is not good. @mastershake has seen quite a few of these cases in person, and he has been working with specialists at the University of Florida on this. I don't know if he will have any suggestions for your veterinarian in Indonesia or not.
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
After a while the bumps may go away, and you may think she's well. But that is only the skin. She will still have the bacteria inside her.

Sadly, after a few months, it almost always returns, and this time the little one loses the fight.

For right now, just keep her environment as close to perfect as you can. Feed her lots of good healthy food, and keep her well hydrated. She will need all her strength to fight this.
 

mastershake

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2018
Messages
585
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
its a bit to hard to see to be sure but im going to say those do look like the same bumps. the only way to know for sure is to have one removed and have a lab test it. but swelling of the upper body and face, limbs are def symptoms we do see with this in some cases.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,389
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
. . . it's highly contagious so don't allow contact with other tortoises.
 

Ink

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jun 10, 2016
Messages
2,455
Location (City and/or State)
Virginia
Is this your only tortoise? I am sorry he isn't feeling well.
 

cakberlin

New Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Messages
20
Location (City and/or State)
South Tangerang, Indonesia
If it is Austwickia chelonae, the outlook is not good. @mastershake has seen quite a few of these cases in person, and he has been working with specialists at the University of Florida on this. I don't know if he will have any suggestions for your veterinarian in Indonesia or not.

Last night I went to the local vet and she gave me some ointment that consist of antibiotics.
She asked me to put the oitment twice a day for a week on her neck.

I managed to take a photo of her neck while she's sleeping.

WhatsApp Image 2021-02-21 at 07.20.27.jpeg

WhatsApp Image 2021-02-21 at 07.20.28.jpeg
 

cakberlin

New Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Messages
20
Location (City and/or State)
South Tangerang, Indonesia
After a while the bumps may go away, and you may think she's well. But that is only the skin. She will still have the bacteria inside her.

Sadly, after a few months, it almost always returns, and this time the little one loses the fight.

For right now, just keep her environment as close to perfect as you can. Feed her lots of good healthy food, and keep her well hydrated. She will need all her strength to fight this.

Will do, I wish I could make her healthy again.
I just adopted her for 2 weeks. Is it possible that this disease already on her before I adopted her?


. . . it's highly contagious so don't allow contact with other tortoises.

Will do. Is there any possibility that this disease transmitted through air?
Her enclosure is located not quite far from my another healthy tortoise enclosure.
Separating is enough or do I have to make some distant from the another healthy tortoise enclosure?

Good luck I hope you can get him back to good health

Thank you for your prayers.

Is this your only tortoise? I am sorry he isn't feeling well.

I have 2 tortoises. Hopefully the other one will not be infected with this.
Thank you.
 

Jan A

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2021
Messages
1,808
Location (City and/or State)
Boulder, CO
Will do, I wish I could make her healthy again.
I just adopted her for 2 weeks. Is it possible that this disease already on her before I adopted her?




Will do. Is there any possibility that this disease transmitted through air?
Her enclosure is located not quite far from my another healthy tortoise enclosure.
Separating is enough or do I have to make some distant from the another healthy tortoise enclosure?



Thank you for your prayers.



I have 2 tortoises. Hopefully the other one will not be infected with this.
Thank you.
Make sure you wash your hands in between handling each tort. Don't use the same containers to feed, water or bathe each tort. It can't hurt. Are they both the same kind of torts? I'm hoping for the best for both your torts!!
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
Will do, I wish I could make her healthy again.
I just adopted her for 2 weeks. Is it possible that this disease already on her before I adopted her?

Will do. Is there any possibility that this disease transmitted through air?

She probably got infected at the breeder's facility, or at the pet shop or store where you got her. She did not get infected after you brought her home.
Where did you get her?

I've never heard anything about transmission through air. As far as I know, it is only by contact with an infected animal, or by contact with hands or utensils used on an infected animal. It can also be transmitted through infected water or dirt.

You should always care for your healthy tort first. Do not use anything that has been near the sick baby on anything else. Practice good handwashing every time you go into or out of an enclosure. Don't allow water or dirt to go from the sick baby to the well one.

And if she doesn't pull through, throw away all equipment that was used on her, especially food and water dishes, decorations, hides...anything she had physical contact with.

I am sorry that you have to deal with this! As a group, we had so many of these babies last year, and each one breaks my heart. So be assured that you are not alone...we are hurting right along with you.
 

Yossarian

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Messages
813
Location (City and/or State)
Wales
If one of your torts has this, and if it is in fact Austwickia C. then there is a good chance that both your torts have this already, they will have been exposed before you recieved them. It is highly contagious, get in the habbit of sanitizing yourself completely when moving from one animal and enclosure to the other. Dont cross contaminate the two enclosures in any way if you can help it.
 

zovick

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
3,388
Last night I went to the local vet and she gave me some ointment that consist of antibiotics.
She asked me to put the oitment twice a day for a week on her neck.

I managed to take a photo of her neck while she's sleeping.

View attachment 318842

View attachment 318843
Those ARE the yellow bumps which many other tortoises discussed on this forum have had. There are only a couple tortoises that have survived this problem, and they are stunted and don't grow any more.

This tortoise will suffer a great deal in the next couple of months. If I were you, I would strongly consider having it euthanized, then get rid of everything which was used for its care, and hope that your other one doesn't get the same disease.
 

mastershake

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2018
Messages
585
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
this IS the same thing. i hate to say that. but seeing the new pic im very confident saying that. the ointment they gave you will not work i also hate to say that. it may make the bumps dry up and come off but this is a systemic bacteria and its deeper inside. it can infect ALL tissues and cause necrosis of them. muscle, bone, cartilage nothing is out of the question when it comes to austwickia. i have done MUCH research and we have many necropsies now done i have seen in my own hands more then 30 now who have had this. there is very little that can be done for this. if you do have specific questions that you do not want to ask here in the thread pm me im happy to answer them. now that i see the new pic i can say that is austwickia.
 

mastershake

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2018
Messages
585
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
also im going to add just washing your hands may not be enough. i recc ONLY handling with gloves IF YOU have ANY other reptiles at all of any species. this is highly contagious to not only torts but ALL reptiles. sadly if you had them together for any time period at all it may be to late to have not spread it. this spread very very easily. also know this is a bacteria. use strong ammonia or straight ammonia to clean with and let soak for a total of around 30 min. so spray then spray again and continue till you have approx 30 min "wet time" there are almost no antibiotics that work well for this. a few maybe help some but not long term. at this point as said the only way to know for sure is to take off a deeper plug of skin and test for it specifically but austwickia is hard to test for and not all labs will or be able to. i dont know if you have other reptiles or torts etc but please at this point be crazy careful and hope it has not been spread already, also know this is NOT your fault i know it doesnt make it better or easier but this is nothing you did
 

New Posts

Top