New Cherry Head rescue... Removing gorilla glue from bottom of shell?

[GingerRaph]

Before anyone asks, yes I have contacted a reptile specific vet but the soonest they can see us is early August.

Question: Is there a "safe" way to remove gorilla glue from the bottom of a tortoise shell? I don't know enough about the makeup of their shell to know what might or might not work. I don't want to just force peel it off. I don't even know if that would work. I also don't know if it's a sensitive area that seems strong, but is really sensitive? What about rubbing alcohol? Acetone?

We recently took in an 8yo cherry head named Raph that was, from what we can tell, well taken care of for the first 7 years or so. We know the prior owner and while I am sure not everything was done "by the book" she definitely loved this tortoise. Raph's rear legs don't work right, not sure why, and the prior owner had used hot glue (cooled down a bit) to attach a little wheeled platform so Raph can still move around. The issue is that she left Raph with someone else for some months and the super glue wheel fell off. The "caretaker" decided to gorilla glue the wheel to the bottom of the shell which I imagine is a really bad idea! I am going to 3D print a wheeled platform that I can strap over his shell with rubber bands so it can grow with him but I need to get this glue off him first.

Really looking forward to learning what I can on this forum and hopefully we can give Raph a good home. We have the space for him to have an outside and inside area so really looking forward to helping this little guy.

 

[mojo_1]

Before anyone asks, yes I have contacted a reptile specific vet but the soonest they can see us is early August.

Question: Is there a "safe" way to remove gorilla glue from the bottom of a tortoise shell? I don't know enough about the makeup of their shell to know what might or might not work. I don't want to just force peel it off. I don't even know if that would work. I also don't know if it's a sensitive area that seems strong, but is really sensitive? What about rubbing alcohol? Acetone?

We recently took in an 8yo cherry head named Raph that was, from what we can tell, well taken care of for the first 7 years or so. We know the prior owner and while I am sure not everything was done "by the book" she definitely loved this tortoise. Raph's rear legs don't work right, not sure why, and the prior owner had used hot glue (cooled down a bit) to attach a little wheeled platform so Raph can still move around. The issue is that she left Raph with someone else for some months and the super glue wheel fell off. The "caretaker" decided to gorilla glue the wheel to the bottom of the shell which I imagine is a really bad idea! I am going to 3D print a wheeled platform that I can strap over his shell with rubber bands so it can grow with him but I need to get this glue off him first.

Really looking forward to learning what I can on this forum and hopefully we can give Raph a good home. We have the space for him to have an outside and inside area so really looking forward to helping this little guy.

You might try contacting gorilla glue company themselves. Thanks to the lady that used their glue to hold her hair in place a year or so ago, this won't be the weirdest thing they've encountered.

 

[wellington]

What size enclosure was this tortoise living in?
A too small enclosure will cause walking problems. Doing some hydrotherapy and giving a proper sized enclosure, very large, room size and the walking ability should come back.
As for the glue, no, do not try pulling it off. I would try to let it just wear off.
Maybe @Yvonne G will know if anything is safe to use.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Could you also send a photo of the bottom of the shell? It might help us give better suggestions.

 

[zolasmum]

Giving Raph a long warm soak every day might help to loosen the glue over time, and you could also encourage him to move his legs in the water.
Angie

 

[Ray--Opo]

Welcome and thank you for bringing in a rescue with special needs. Pictures would help, if the glue is built up. If you have a steady hand. You could use a dremal tool and sand some off. Low enough where the surface of the glue is broken and then the porous surface might absorb the acetone or maybe Goof Off. If you use a little of the remover at a time and quickly. You might get the glue sticky enough to remove with your fingernails.
Just spit balling here. If anyone thinks that is not a good idea. Shut me down quickly!😁

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I'd leave the glue alone if it isn't causing any real issues.
Any solvent that might remove it is probably more dangerous than the actual glue.
You could possibly file it down smooth for now without hurting the tort or damaging the shell. But otherwise just let it eventually wear off

 

[zovick]

Before anyone asks, yes I have contacted a reptile specific vet but the soonest they can see us is early August.

Question: Is there a "safe" way to remove gorilla glue from the bottom of a tortoise shell? I don't know enough about the makeup of their shell to know what might or might not work. I don't want to just force peel it off. I don't even know if that would work. I also don't know if it's a sensitive area that seems strong, but is really sensitive? What about rubbing alcohol? Acetone?

We recently took in an 8yo cherry head named Raph that was, from what we can tell, well taken care of for the first 7 years or so. We know the prior owner and while I am sure not everything was done "by the book" she definitely loved this tortoise. Raph's rear legs don't work right, not sure why, and the prior owner had used hot glue (cooled down a bit) to attach a little wheeled platform so Raph can still move around. The issue is that she left Raph with someone else for some months and the super glue wheel fell off. The "caretaker" decided to gorilla glue the wheel to the bottom of the shell which I imagine is a really bad idea! I am going to 3D print a wheeled platform that I can strap over his shell with rubber bands so it can grow with him but I need to get this glue off him first.

Really looking forward to learning what I can on this forum and hopefully we can give Raph a good home. We have the space for him to have an outside and inside area so really looking forward to helping this little guy.

Ether gets a lot of adhesives off, but I am not sure if it would work on glue. It would be worth a try, IMHO.

 

[mojo_1]

Ether gets a lot of adhesives off, but I am not sure if it would work on glue. It would be worth a try, IMHO.

Whatever method you try. Test it on yourself first. Humans have done animal testing for years, it's time to give back and do Human testing.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Whatever method you try. Test it on yourself first. Humans have done animal testing for years, it's time to give back and do Human testing.

True
Shells are more sensitive than we think

 

[GingerRaph]

Thank you for all the tips! I really appreciate it!

Update: I forgot to get a picture, but from the looks of it, I see what looks like hot glue is the bulk of what's holding the wheel on. The gorilla glue doesn't appear to be slathered on the shell. It looks like it's just on the perimeter of the hot glue. I gave Raph a bath yesterday and soaked the glue in some of that Dapple soap for baby bottles since it's the most mild soap I can think of. I then let him soak a bit in the warm bath water and the hot glue became pliable to where I think I can gently peel it off a little at a time. If I can get the hot glue off then the yellow gorilla glue shouldn't be that big a deal. You can see when the hot glue is wet that there doesn't seem to be gorilla glue underneath it. You can see right down to the shell so hopefully that is the case!

On a side note, I really think the issue with his legs has to do with his enclosure! We agreed to take him not really knowing anything about tortoises. In fact when we brought him home I was like "Pretty sure that's not a turtle!" and my wife was like yeah, it's a cherry head tortoise!

Anyway, he came with an small aquarium. Not sure the gallon size, but it's sitting on a 2x4 table in my sons room and it's way smaller than 2x4. I am pretty sure he's lived his whole life in this thing which makes me really sad! I noticed when cleaning him yesterday that his back legs seem to retract and move plenty. They just aren't strong enough maybe? I am hoping with more outdoor sun/shade/space he could recover some/all of his mobility??

I am going to throw together something in the backyard real quick this week/weekend since it's really nice weather in the Pacific Northwest and then focus on building something inside for him in the winter months!

 

[Yvonne G]

Barb (wellington) alluded to water therapy a couple days ago. That means put the tortoise in water deep enough that he can't touch the bottom and let him paddle around for a bit. Start out small, maybe 5 minutes, and increase the time daily. This gently strengthens the legs. Also be sure he's getting his calcium and UVB.

 

[GingerRaph]

Barb (wellington) alluded to water therapy a couple days ago. That means put the tortoise in water deep enough that he can't touch the bottom and let him paddle around for a bit. Start out small, maybe 5 minutes, and increase the time daily. This gently strengthens the legs. Also be sure he's getting his calcium and UVB.

Yeah I saw that. I was going to look into how to do that, but it sounds like they can swim? I didn't realize that! I will definitely add that to the list!

 

[zolasmum]

You will need to stay with him every moment, though, to grab him if he starts to go under !
Angie

 

[COmtnLady]

If it really is a cherryhead, it needs 80-85% humidity and 80-85 F temperatures, 24/7. The only way to do that is to have a closed top to hold heat and humidity in. And as you already know, a MUCH larger of an enclosure.

What are you feeding?



.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

After seeing the photos of this sweet little guy on the other thread, I think it’s clear he has MBD, I’m not sure if that changes the water therapy suggestion, I think this guy will struggle to swim and could very well stress him out.

I know you're getting him a larger set up outdoors as soon as possible, which I think should still be the goal, but as it could take longer than getting a bigger temporary indoor set up, I wanted to include information below on how to get this guy an enclosure inside that will give him the much needed humidity as he looks very dry and potentially dehydrated. It also includes the correct equipment to use for an indoor set up, uv included, however if the plan is to house this guy outdoors, and you’re able to get him out for some natural sunlight until his outdoor enclosure is set, then don’t worry about the uv suggestion!🙂

If going with a light emitting heat source, use an incandescent floodlight on a 12hour timer.

However red foots aren’t necessarily a basking species coming from the forest floor, nor do they need a ‘warmer end’ and a ‘cooler end’ they thrive in a ambient temperature range of 80-86, 82-84 being optimal. To achieve this you’ll probably find it easier sticking to CHE’s (ceramic heat emitters) as your heat source, hang them evenly from one another to distribute the heat more evenly, these can run 24/7 and they need to be on a thermostat.
I’d personally recommend this for your guy considering his mobility, I wouldn’t want to risk him overheating under a floodlight.

For ambient lighting, hang it so the entire enclosure is lit but provide plenty of shady spots with plants and hides cause red foots don’t like things too bright. Either get some led strip lighting or a standard screw in led in the colour range 5000-6500k from the hardware store, this needs to be on a 12hour timer.

Always avoid anything labelled halogen or mercury vapour.

For uv light provide it the form of a t5 fluorescent tube light, don’t go with compact uv bulbs, they can damage the tortoises eyes, I’d recommend the Arcadia brand cause it comes with the reflector fitting to waste no uv light, members on here also use the zoo med brand, mount it 18-21 inches from substrate, this can be on a separate 4hour timer from noon. I’ll include photos of them and how people mount them on stands made from timber. If keeping yours outdoors don’t worry about this!

Definitely never use any foggers/ misters, they make the air too wet causing respiratory issues and only focus of getting the top layer of substrate wet, which will leave them prone to shell rot, same with constantly spraying.

You want to aim to have the bottom layer of substrate damp, to do this pour lukewarm water into the corners, not loads but enough to dampen the entire bottom layer. To stop that top layer getting a little too dry/dusty, mix the substrate now n then, which also helps boosting humidity. I’d personally recommend orchid bark for substrate usually, but again with your guys mobility perhaps he’ll find coco coir easier to navigate, just make it damp and packed down firmly by hand. Check your monitors and substrate to do the pours as and when needed.

To maintain humidity you need a closed chamber set up, this can be provided with a greenhouse topper, If you can’t find an exact fit for your base then place it over like the one with the white base in the photo, I’d put lining down under the base and cover though to stop condensate getting on your floor.
When making your base, just make sure the material is safe, some people get a large bookcase, lie flat and take the shelves out, some use flower beds or just make their own, for all these options I’d line with cheap pond liner, making sure the liner goes up the sides too and make sure those sides are deep enough.

Some people even hang their lighting from the greenhouse frame! Simply wrap the wire round so it’s at the height you need(check with temp gun/put thermostat in, 18-21 for uv) and secure with cable ties.
I’ll also include examples of the stands people make/buy.

For a water dish a shallow terracotta saucer is considered safest, they have grip in the event your tortoise flips themselves, most pet store options are a known hazard. With your guys problems I don’t doubt you already have a shallow dish available.

Ignore whatever else is in these enclosures in the photos, they’re just to give you an idea👍

I’d also always recommend getting your hands on a temp gun, they’re SO handy when setting up a new environment or for checking your monitors are correct🙂

I have a good list of foods we feed our red foot if you’d like me to send it too? Might help give you some ideas for variety😊

 

[Yvonne G]

Yeah I saw that. I was going to look into how to do that, but it sounds like they can swim? I didn't realize that! I will definitely add that to the list!

Not all tortoises float, but most RFs do. You still have to be on hand and watchful.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Not all tortoises float, but most RFs do. You still have to be on hand and watchful.

Looking at his photo I think there’s some MBD present, does that change things on letting him swim? My worry is his legs may never regain complete mobility with the MBD and him struggling to swim could stress him? But I’m interested on what you think!🙂

 

[Yvonne G]

Won't hurt to try. Baby steps.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Won't hurt to try. Baby steps.

Good call, maybe it could potentially help his strength which would be wonderful! Probably won’t hurt with close supervision like you say, crossing my fingers for this little guy!🥰