My Sulcata has a small crack or opening in his shell

Diesel Dogtoise

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"Diesel" is doing well and growing pretty steadily. He has a fissure between two scutes. It was larger previously and I kept smearing an anti-fungus ointment there as recommended by a member on here. While the length of the crack has reduced, this opening remains and isn't going away. Anyone know what it means, and if it's cause for concern?

I'm wondering if he's too dry. He doesn't really drink from a water dish and when I soak him in a large tub, he hardly drinks anything. By the way, I bought a larger tub so he couldn't see out of it and try to climb out. Already this year he's grown enough to see over the edge and wanting to climb out already!
 

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TammyJ

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You will soon get the necessary response from the knowledgeable folks here, your tortoise needs attention.
 

Yvonne G

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The new growth seams look very dry. To me, that's what the crack looks like - a very, very dry new growth seam. Hard for us to know why this happened. YOU have to be the detective. For example, do you have a light or heat source mounted on an angle that could be shining on that area of his shell and drying out (burning) the new growth? Try to figure it out and make corrections.

In the meantime, give him a more humid environment - water your plants and bushes more often. Dab some cold pressed coconut oil on ALL the growth seams with a Q-tip, allow it to soak in for a few minutes, then polish it off with a clean, cotton, absorbent cloth. Hopefully this will help.
 

Tom

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"Diesel" is doing well and growing pretty steadily. He has a fissure between two scutes. It was larger previously and I kept smearing an anti-fungus ointment there as recommended by a member on here. While the length of the crack has reduced, this opening remains and isn't going away. Anyone know what it means, and if it's cause for concern?

I'm wondering if he's too dry. He doesn't really drink from a water dish and when I soak him in a large tub, he hardly drinks anything. By the way, I bought a larger tub so he couldn't see out of it and try to climb out. Already this year he's grown enough to see over the edge and wanting to climb out already!
This is pretty normal for torts grown in SoCal. Something about our climate. Frequent soaks, humidifying the night box, and soaking the ground and bushes in the yard all help. Yvonne's suggestion of the coconut oil seems to help too.

I would not have recommend anti-fungal ointment, as this is not a fungal problem. Shell rot (fungal infection) happens on the plastron when they are kept too wet all the time. Sulcatas simply do not get shell rot. This is a problem common to red foot and yellow foot tortoises. Most other species are extremely resistant to it.
 

Tim Carlisle

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This is pretty normal for torts grown in SoCal. Something about our climate. Frequent soaks, humidifying the night box, and soaking the ground and bushes in the yard all help. Yvonne's suggestion of the coconut oil seems to help too.

I would not have recommend anti-fungal ointment, as this is not a fungal problem. Shell rot (fungal infection) happens on the plastron when they are kept too wet all the time. Sulcatas simply do not get shell rot. This is a problem common to red foot and yellow foot tortoises. Most other species are extremely resistant to it.
Are you now an advocate of the coconut oil approach? I get yelled at every time I suggest it to folks for dry, cracked keratin lines. Can't argue results though. Done wonders for my sully!
 

Diesel Dogtoise

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The new growth seams look very dry. To me, that's what the crack looks like - a very, very dry new growth seam. Hard for us to know why this happened. YOU have to be the detective. For example, do you have a light or heat source mounted on an angle that could be shining on that area of his shell and drying out (burning) the new growth? Try to figure it out and make corrections.

In the meantime, give him a more humid environment - water your plants and bushes more often. Dab some cold pressed coconut oil on ALL the growth seams with a Q-tip, allow it to soak in for a few minutes, then polish it off with a clean, cotton, absorbent cloth. Hopefully this will help.
Yvonne ~ Thank you! Yes, during the colder months here (yes, it does get chilly in Southern California) I had a heat element mounted at the roof inside of his house. That's possibly where he located himself and got too hot/dry there. My backyard, while large and with a bamboo jungle in which to explore and chill, has almost zero vegetation in the warmer months. Anything green that sprouts from the arid earth he bites off. I feed him water-soaked fresh grass (cut from a green strip in the front of my property), all sorts of greens, some veggies, etc., daily. Now we're on a 2-day-a-week watering limit in LA County, so watering Diesel's yard enough to grow a place to forage isn't feasible.

The coconut oil solution sounds like a great place to start. Does olive oil work as well? I cook with that a lot and always have it on hand.

Y'know what? I'd love to see how indigenous Sulcatas look and survive in their native habitat, without our "helicopter parenting" and anguishing over the smallest things (as I suspect I'm doing here!). I cannot recall seeing photos of our torts in their native land, in the wild, as-found. What do they look like? Sans the mani-pedis we lavish on our torts! Are they the model of poster-tortoise health?

Again, thank you for your valuable input, and to everyone on this wonderful forum.

~ Dave (Diesel's butler)
 

Tom

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Are you now an advocate of the coconut oil approach? I get yelled at every time I suggest it to folks for dry, cracked keratin lines. Can't argue results though. Done wonders for my sully!
Who is yelling at you???

I'm trying it recently for the first time. Can't say where I stand on it yet, but I'm certain it does no harm. I don't see why it wouldn't help, and that is why I'm trying it.
 

Diesel Dogtoise

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Are you now an advocate of the coconut oil approach? I get yelled at every time I suggest it to folks for dry, cracked keratin lines. Can't argue results though. Done wonders for my sully!
Tim ~ Thanks for your input. Check my reply to Yvonne. Especially my curiosity about wild Sulcatas and what they look like sans our "helicopter parenting." ~ Dave
 

Tim Carlisle

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Who is yelling at you???

I'm trying it recently for the first time. Can't say where I stand on it yet, but I'm certain it does no harm. I don't see why it wouldn't help, and that is why I'm trying it.
The usual FB crowd, etc. So many ppl are adhered to the idea that it's unsafe to use anything on the shell besides water. I provide before/after pics of actual results and they still argue. I have one arguing with me now about high humidity for babies because her vet said it was dangerous.
 

Tom

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The usual FB crowd, etc...
Ahhh... Now I see the problem.

That must be frustrating, but I'm glad someone is willing to fight to erase ignorance and help the tortoises of the world.

I stand behind you warrior for tortoises! Or maybe beside you... But certainly not behind you and beside you at the same time...
 

Tom

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...I had a heat element mounted at the roof inside of his house.
What kind of heating element? CHE? Those are not good over larger tortoises.

Is the house insulated and kept over 80?

Here is an example of one design that works well here:
 

TammyJ

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I am interested in the coconut oil parenting approach... sorry, I mean helicopter approach, although they seem to be the same? Scratches head.
 

Drao05

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May be a stupid question, but can you rub coconut oil all over the tortoises shell to help keep it moisturized? I feel like it would last longer than just applying to new growth lines.
 

Cathie G

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May be a stupid question, but can you rub coconut oil all over the tortoises shell to help keep it moisturized? I feel like it would last longer than just applying to new growth lines.
No question is dumb ever.🤗 If I do it I rub some coconut oil all over my my damp hands and then give Sapphire a message.head to toe after his soak. My hands are only slightly damp and the same with him. After awhile, I fluff him up with his clean towel 🤗
 
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