My tortoise ate a foot sock

[B’sMama]

I have a missing foot sock and I’m suspecting my sulcata ate the missing piece. I brought him right away to the vet and the doctor took an xray of him.

Doctor is not sure if the black image on the upper left of the screen is the missing foot sock or just gas.

HELP!!!

 

[B’sMama]

Doctor prescribed VCO and some meds for his urates ( have to eliminate the urates first) so that if it is really the missing sock on the upper left, then it may pass thru his digestive tract with ease.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!
Hopefully, sock will pass through on it's own (it can take a week). You can help by providing some laxatives (like opuntia cactus pads or aloe vera), high-fiber foods, an opportunity for a long walk and long warm soaks.

Maybe @zovick can tell if there is a sock on the radiograph or anything else which can be concerning. And @Yvonne G with an advice on how to push the sock down the route.

Urates can be more worrying, though - they don't appear without a reason. Probably, your tortoise lacks hydration, exercise or is on too high-protein diet.

 

[wellington]

Are you letting him roam your house floors? This is one of the exact reasons why we say to never let them roam the floors of your home. Everyone that does it eventually has something go bad with the tortoise. Stepped on, crushed in doors,impactions from all kinds of things.
Although it seems a tortoise wouldn't eat something like that, anything is possible.
Do not let him roam your floors any more and build a proper outdoor enclosure if he's at least 10 inches long or a proper indoor enclosure if he's smaller and leave him there.
Keep him hydrated and feed cucumber, iceberg, romaine, cactus, watery foods along with his normal diet to help pass it
Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Some mineral oil will also help if your tortoise is visibly straining. You can feed it wrapped to his treat and/or wipe outside the cloaca to lubricate the digestive track and make it less painful to pass.

 

[Yvonne G]

Soak him in a tub of water daily for at least an hour. If he scrambles to get out that's even better. Scrambling helps to move everything along.