Patch.......thoughts

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Irwin4530

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Hello...
so long story short this pretty girl was given to me in August and I have been working hard to bring her to health. she is doing great now but I want your advice on a few things....
1) what do you think they have put on her shell..will it hurt her? (the girl who gave her to me had no ideas)
AND
2) she spent the end of the summer outside and seemed to be doing well but then got very thin and weak before I let the rest of the boxers go into hibernation so I took her into the tortoise shed, did some soaking and antibiotic baths. she is "fat and happy" now........should I just keep her in or (now that she is feeling better) should I try to hibernate her in the basement??
 

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Yvonne G

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I think it might be a boy.

We don't use fiberglass or whatever type patch that is anymore. Reason being it MIGHT (not always) lock in germs and bacteria. I know with fiberglass, when it gets really old and weathered it sometimes is "pickable." That is, you can pick a bit at a time and chip it off. Its really not good to put something permanent on a shell, because new shell generates over the "abys." But maybe this was a bad injury that left the organs open to air. Still, there are other ways of mending without using fiberglass or whatever that is..dental cement?

No. Don't hibernate him this year. He needs the rest of the winter and all next summer to gain strength. The patch wasn't arbitrary. It was put there due to an injury on the shell.
 

Irwin4530

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emysemys said:
I think it might be a boy.

We don't use fiberglass or whatever type patch that is anymore. Reason being it MIGHT (not always) lock in germs and bacteria. I know with fiberglass, when it gets really old and weathered it sometimes is "pickable." That is, you can pick a bit at a time and chip it off. Its really not good to put something permanent on a shell, because new shell generates over the "abys." But maybe this was a bad injury that left the organs open to air. Still, there are other ways of mending without using fiberglass or whatever that is..dental cement?

No. Don't hibernate him this year. He needs the rest of the winter and all next summer to gain strength. The patch wasn't arbitrary. It was put there due to an injury on the shell.

I will have to take another picture of her....looks male in this photo because of the eyes but her "belly" is flat and tail is short.

No idea why the patch is there but is there anything that I should be looking out for? it is clean looking an there is nothing that I am worried about (not soft, doesn't smell, no discharge etc) she seems to be full grown.
 

yagyujubei

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Looks like a female to me. It looks like a very old patch, I wouldn't fool with it. Obviously she had a broken shell at one time.
 

RedfootsRule

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Its hard to say about that patch. It was probably applied due to the shell being broken at one time. It will have to come off, at some point, but you run the risk that the shell isn't healed yet....If it isn't, however, there are superior methods to that (practically looks like quikset cement to me), for cracked shells, like cable ties. In the "tortoise health" section I believe ether is a post about "chelonian shell repair" in the stickied section....
 

Millerlite

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Bottom pictures would help to sex. Looks like a female tho and full gown. The patch is old work and if she healthy with it on I see no problem with it. If in the future it starts falling off or what not I would worry then. I would just keep her indoor till summer time and then she can go back out. She gets to stay warm this year!
 

turtlemann2

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I wouldnt try to remove it unless it began flaking off, looks like a good set IMO for an aged technique that is still quite funtitional
 

Irwin4530

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As far as gender I have attached a few pics for you to see. I still say female but.....
 

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Irwin4530

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turtlemann2 said:
with that tail shot and the coloration of her eyes i agree female it is :) now if she would lay an egg just to confirm this designation lol :)

hehehehee....that would be nice!
:D
 
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