My baby sulcata has a weird bump on his cheek!

Silverbuhrts

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I noticed it about two days ago and I’m not sure what it is. He’s still active and has been eating. When I touch it, it’s hard and he closes his eye so I think it hurts him.

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wellington

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@Yvonne G
Could possibly be an abscess. Yvonne might be able to tell you what too do.
If it gets any worse I would get him too a vet.
 

Yvonne G

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Looks like it may just be a little deformity. I would clip off that sharp point right in front of the 'bulge' and just let it be. Be sure to feed calcium-rich foods and sprinkle a tiny pinch of calcium powder two or three times a week over his food. Also, you need to have a good UVB light because the calcium doesn't work without it.
 

Silverbuhrts

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Looks like it may just be a little deformity. I would clip off that sharp point right in front of the 'bulge' and just let it be. Be sure to feed calcium-rich foods and sprinkle a tiny pinch of calcium powder two or three times a week over his food. Also, you need to have a good UVB light because the calcium doesn't work without it.
But it just showed up like three days ago. I have a good set up and all the stuff he needs. He’s still eating and I soak him. I also gave him a treat (broccoli because he loves it a lot but I know it isn’t good for him to have a lot) so he’d open his mouth and everything is still pink inside and looks great.
 

TechnoCheese

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But it just showed up like three days ago. I have a good set up and all the stuff he needs. He’s still eating and I soak him. I also gave him a treat (broccoli because he loves it a lot but I know it isn’t good for him to have a lot) so he’d open his mouth and everything is still pink inside and looks great.

Could we see a picture of your enclosure?
 

Silverbuhrts

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Could we see a picture of your enclosure?
During the day I hang the uvb lamp inside until I screw another light fixture in the top. I don’t do screen tops because my house gets a little cold and wig a hard top that I built it keep the heat and humidity right at 82-87 and the cool side around 75 give or take. And I also don’t like having a soak bowl in there because the first night I had him he flipped on his back trying to get out. So I take him out every morning and soak him while I get his food ready and then he runs around my room and eats and bask. He acts normal it just showed up and there’s nothing he can hurt himself on so I’m worried.
 

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TechnoCheese

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During the day I hang the uvb lamp inside until I screw another light fixture in the top. I don’t do screen tops because my house gets a little cold and wig a hard top that I built it keep the heat and humidity right at 82-87 and the cool side around 75 give or take. And I also don’t like having a soak bowl in there because the first night I had him he flipped on his back trying to get out. So I take him out every morning and soak him while I get his food ready and then he runs around my room and eats and bask. He acts normal it just showed up and there’s nothing he can hurt himself on so I’m worried.

Your enclosure is far from perfect.
You need more hides, a closed top enclosure, and absolutely a large, shallow water bowl(use a terra cotta saucer). Your cool side needs to be no less than 80 at all times, with a 100 degree basking spot.
Are you sure that that’s your humidity? What are you using to measure it?
What type of lighting are you using? Can I see a picture.
Give these links a read, and come back with questions.
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/
For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/
Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
 

Silverbuhrts

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Your enclosure is far from perfect.
You need more hides, a closed top enclosure, and absolutely a large, shallow water bowl(use a terra cotta saucer). Your cool side needs to be no less than 80 at all times, with a 100 degree basking spot.
Are you sure that that’s your humidity? What are you using to measure it?
What type of lighting are you using? Can I see a picture.
Give these links a read, and come back with questions.
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/How-To-Raise-A-Healthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/
For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/
Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
I have a closed top it just up in the picture and I don’t like putting the saucer in there because he flipped so I soak him twice a day for 20 mins. I have a little sticky strip on the side of the cage as close to the bedding and under the heat light as I could and it usually is around 87 but drops to around 85 at night. But I also have a temp reader that you can stick in the cage and it’s usually the same as the sticky one. He also has a heating pad on the side of the tank. but His temps are all as the breeder had them and the rest of the babies and older torts so I didn’t wanna throw him off with changing temps to fast I’ve only had him two weeks. And on the other side of the cage I had a hide and he prefers to burrow down in the bedding rather than use it so I took it out. I just wanna make sure his jaw/beak issue isn’t harmful. I educated myself the past four years as much as I could before finally getting one and I wanna make sure he’s ok.
 

TechnoCheese

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I have a closed top it just up in the picture and I don’t like putting the saucer in there because he flipped so I soak him twice a day for 20 mins. I have a little sticky strip on the side of the cage as close to the bedding and under the heat light as I could and it usually is around 87 but drops to around 85 at night. But I also have a temp reader that you can stick in the cage and it’s usually the same as the sticky one. He also has a heating pad on the side of the tank. but His temps are all as the breeder had them and the rest of the babies and older torts so I didn’t wanna throw him off with changing temps to fast I’ve only had him two weeks. And on the other side of the cage I had a hide and he prefers to burrow down in the bedding rather than use it so I took it out. I just wanna make sure his jaw/beak issue isn’t harmful. I educated myself the past four years as much as I could before finally getting one and I wanna make sure he’s ok.

The closed top sounds great. However, how did he flip on the water bowl? How large was the saucer, and did you sink it into the substrate? You definitely need a water bowl, because they need to be able to take a sip of water, or self soak when they want to. Mine certainly did.
I would still get a basking spot. Your tortoise needs a heat gradient, where he can get hotter(100 degrees) and cooler(80 degrees) when he wants to. It shouldn’t hurt him to change the temps from what the breeder had, especially after two weeks.
Sadly, most of the info online is completely false. I personally had to throw away two years of research after joining the forum. Please give those links a read.
Have you noticed the bump getting any bigger? Did it just appear three days ago, or did it grow over a few days?
 

Silverbuhrts

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I'm a plant collector so I just used a clay 6 inch and I'm not sure I came home and he was upside down in it and it scared me. So he has a baby food jar cap I fill up two times a day because he gets it dirty. I'l up the heat lamp then he seems pretty happy so I didn't wanna hurt him with adjusting it to something higher. It hasn' changed in size and there's no discharge or anything. I feel like I'll just have to wait and see what happens next and it kills me because my friend who' a vet just told me to make sure it stays clean and watch it.
 

TechnoCheese

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I'm a plant collector so I just used a clay 6 inch and I'm not sure I came home and he was upside down in it and it scared me. So he has a baby food jar cap I fill up two times a day because he gets it dirty. I'l up the heat lamp then he seems pretty happy so I didn't wanna hurt him with adjusting it to something higher. It hasn' changed in size and there's no discharge or anything. I feel like I'll just have to wait and see what happens next and it kills me because my friend who' a vet just told me to make sure it stays clean and watch it.

Could I see your lighting?
Are you housing two tortoises together?
 
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