Is this shell rot or mouth rot? Help/:

[joseppa96]

My tortoise was really dirty and I was wiping her bedding off her (she had it stuck all over because she climbed in her water bowl) and there was this lump/ cut looking thing near her mouth, I thought it was dirt at first but it's not, what is this? And what should I do?

 

[Alan RF]

It looks like a cut maybe from the substrate? I'm not sure but I'll bump your thread so others can help

 

[ascott]

Is it filled with ick? or is it just a flap of cut skin? Does it start at the crease of where the top/bottom beak meet up?

 

[joseppa96]

It feels like a bump and it starts where her top and bottom beak meet, it's not really a flap but almost feels hard

 

[Abe]

poor guy...hope s/he get better soon

 

[joseppa96]

So do I, I'm so worried. And I don't have money for a vet visit/:

 

[Alan RF]

How is she?

 

[joseppa96]

I thought maybe it was a cut, or dryness because when she would open her mouth real wide, it would bleed a little. And I've been waiting to see if it heals on it's own, it doesn't look moist and it doesn't bleed anymore, but it looks bigger and sea deadish almost..

 

[tortadise]

Do you have any peroxide and triple antiobiotic ointment in the house? I would scrub it with a gauze pad and peroxide and rinse it with warm water. Then dab it dry with another clean gauze pad, then add some ointment. Cut it on something. Don't want it to get infected.

 

[joseppa96]

I just cleaned it with peroxide, and it fizzed a lot, so I suppose it was infected or some type of bacteria? I will look for ointment

 

[tortadise]

Yeah. Your going to want to clean this a few times a day and make sure it is clean of debris as best you can to further it becoming a major costly Vet visit. I know you said you don't have any money for that. But do your best to try and get him there for a medicated cream. Hope it gets better for yah.

 

[joseppa96]

I'll go out and see if I can buy ointment tomorrow, I got a job since I first posted this thread, so if it doesn't look better in a week or so, I'm sure I can manage a vet visit, thank you so much

 

[tortadise]

No problem. Just make sure the wound area is dry when applying it. Use small dabs of it and don't glob it on too thick. The reason being is to clean it more than ounce a day. So you wont wast it by wiping it off each time you scrub it and clean the area.

 

[joseppa96]

I have one more question, since the wound is so close to her mouth, would she be able to swallow any of the ointment by accident when I put it on her? And would it hurt her?

 

[tortadise]

Thats another reason to put it on lightly. I would try to keep it away from her mouth yes. Perhaps finely chop the greens, grass or food so she doesn't have to rip and tear food into the ointment. I honestly don't know if their is negative effects of ingestion. It is a petroleum based product and I am sure I wouldn't want to eat it. Just be careful on the application part. You could put the ointment on and leave it for 20-30 minutes then wipe it off lightly to still allow some to be on it but not enough to be rubbed off and possibly ingested.

 

[joseppa96]

Alright, thank you!