WOW! Poor Guy....his eyes look swollen.
Pictures of Desert Tortoise with Broken Jaw
- Thread starter Candy
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Tortuga_terrestre said:
Wow welcome home Walter. How was your time at camp?
can he eat? graze? does the lower jaw move? is that a runny nose I see?
He seems to be able to eat grass just not the same as Fernando does. His pull is not the same strength as Fernando because his jaw is injured. No it's not a running nose, actually he looks rather healthy for being tube fed for 6 months. He is a little underweight that's all.
Actually Shelly what the Dr. Greek had explained to me is this kind of break in the beak/jaw will not heal itself together. It will grow out split.
Shelly said:
Actually Shelly what the Dr. Greek had explained to me is this kind of break in the beak/jaw will not heal itself together. It will grow out split.
Candy said:Tortuga_terrestre said:
Wow welcome home Walter. How was your time at camp?
Camp??? hahaha.. we had roasted marshmallows...ha... ill take pics of the tan line on my head... but I'm just glad to be back in civilization..
Poor thing... hopefully he'll recover.
I think he was the winner... should have seen the other guy.
I think he was the winner... should have seen the other guy.
Wow, so glad you are getting him proper care now. I hope you can find a home for him that will care as much for him as you do.
Candy, have you tried putting him with yours? Maybe they will get along. As you can see, I know nothing about DT's. I always worry...what if Solo and Pio don't get along when Solo get's older. I'm lucky that Pio is a female, and maybe no matter what Solo is, they'll get along.
Man I would take him in a second, but I already have a male. Poor guy, it hurts to look at those pictures! Poor Guy!! Candy you are his guardian angel, what an awesome thing you are doing to take such good care of him! It was his lucky day when you picked him up!
so if the grass is soft and fresh he can eat just fine? Did they do xrays?
Thank you Charlotte. I'm hoping that I can find him a loving home too.
Terry I'm afraid to put them together since that is why he is like this to begin with. I can't believe as big as he is that he lost any fight. I've always been told that males don't get along and since Fernando is around 35 years old and Jaw Breaker (that's his temporary name ) is around 40 to 50 years old I don't think that they would like each other very much, but I could be wrong.
I know what you mean about already having a male Torty Mom. If I didn't already have a male I would definitely keep this one. Today he saw me and came right up to me as if to say "You're the one who feeds me aren't you?" He is so cute and social.
Laura he can pull some grass on his own. I've been helping him since he is underweight by feeding him by hand. I let him graze and then I put the cut up food in his mouth. He has a strong enough grip, but I'm sure it's nothing like Fernando's. Dr. Greek seems to think that he can get some food on his own since when I took him in for his checkup he had grass in his throat. Dr. Greek said that he didn't need to take x-rays, that he could already see the damage done and that it's already healed so there's really no reason for any unless he was going to do surgery then he said that he would take some. The vet that I got him from said that he had taken them about a year ago and now that he's gone digital he didn't have them handy, but he did say that when and if he found them that he would email them to me. No surprise that I haven't gotten an email from him yet.
Terry I'm afraid to put them together since that is why he is like this to begin with. I can't believe as big as he is that he lost any fight.
I've always been told that males don't get along and since Fernando is around 35 years old and Jaw Breaker (that's his temporary name ) is around 40 to 50 years old I don't think that they would like each other very much, but I could be wrong.I know what you mean about already having a male Torty Mom. If I didn't already have a male I would definitely keep this one. Today he saw me and came right up to me as if to say "You're the one who feeds me aren't you?" He is so cute and social.
Laura he can pull some grass on his own. I've been helping him since he is underweight by feeding him by hand. I let him graze and then I put the cut up food in his mouth. He has a strong enough grip, but I'm sure it's nothing like Fernando's. Dr. Greek seems to think that he can get some food on his own since when I took him in for his checkup he had grass in his throat. Dr. Greek said that he didn't need to take x-rays, that he could already see the damage done and that it's already healed so there's really no reason for any unless he was going to do surgery then he said that he would take some. The vet that I got him from said that he had taken them about a year ago and now that he's gone digital he didn't have them handy, but he did say that when and if he found them that he would email them to me. No surprise that I haven't gotten an email from him yet.
In my personal experience (my 4 males and others I have observed) male Ca Desert Tortoise do not get along, they turn into gladiators at the drop of a dime.
Two of the males I have now use to be housed together...but take into account that the Old Man Humphry had issues (bad eye sight, what ended up to be an abscess and a general mellow attitude) which made him not a fighting partner, however, I found that he likely suffered silent bullying....then I witnessed outright bashing and attempted biting attacks...heck Herman even tried to mount the poor guy...so once I was in a position to convince the prior host to remove the old man, that is what was done...and they have not been housed together since they have been turned over to me. They each have their own yard space and they are both aok All four of my guys have their own yard space...peaceful.
Two of the males I have now use to be housed together...but take into account that the Old Man Humphry had issues (bad eye sight, what ended up to be an abscess and a general mellow attitude) which made him not a fighting partner, however, I found that he likely suffered silent bullying....then I witnessed outright bashing and attempted biting attacks...heck Herman even tried to mount the poor guy...so once I was in a position to convince the prior host to remove the old man, that is what was done...and they have not been housed together since they have been turned over to me. They each have their own yard space and they are both aok
All four of my guys have their own yard space...peaceful.
Candy said:Thank you Charlotte. I'm hoping that I can find him a loving home too.
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If I was in CA I would take him in a heartbeat. I'm glad to hear it looks like he can eat some grass on his own. Maybe he needs some time to build up his jaw muscles again since he was syringe fed for 6 months.
candy is you get desperate to place him,, we can talk.. I have room, just would need to put up some walls.. visual barriers and a few barricades..
O MY Gosh, Candy, I just saw this thread! Jawbreaker is gorgeous and I thank God that his paths crossed yours. Poor little guy (well big guy ) Some people make me sooo mad!! I am so glad that he is now in your family and that you guys treat him like a little prince . I hope and pray that you will find him a very good home .
I have been cutting Hermy's food in little pieces since I got him. The vet told me that they must have fed him too much protein (cat food and dog food) so I will have to do that all his life.
) Some people make me sooo mad!! I am so glad that he is now in your family and that you guys treat him like a little prince . I hope and pray that you will find him a very good home .I have been cutting Hermy's food in little pieces since I got him. The vet told me that they must have fed him too much protein (cat food and dog food) so I will have to do that all his life.
That's the equivilent of a cleft pallet. The keritin of the jaw splits beyond the line of growth... that's what protects the bone structure of the jaw. That tortoise lived a long time like that.
-EJ said:
EJ do you think that he has lived like this for a year or so because that's actually what the first vet that had him told me. I'm not sure what to believe since he didn't even give me the x-rays that he had taken so that I could take them with me to show the reptile vet.
He seems to understand quite well me handing him his food as he opens his mouth even when I just go to pet the top of his head. That tortoise has lived like that for a very long time. Who ever raised it... looks like it is wild caught.
In the past I was under the impression it could not be fixed. I know some amazing vets today.
Word of caution... CTDs to not like change. Why is the owner giving it up?
In the past I was under the impression it could not be fixed. I know some amazing vets today.
Word of caution... CTDs to not like change. Why is the owner giving it up?
Candy said:-EJ said:
EJ do you think that he has lived like this for a year or so because that's actually what the first vet that had him told me. I'm not sure what to believe since he didn't even give me the x-rays that he had taken so that I could take them with me to show the reptile vet.
EJ per prior posts.. the owner turned it in, took it home and it got attacked again, so it was surrendered to vet.. vet/rescue said it needed a new home. candy was nice enough to go pick him up. i think she is still looking for a home for him.
Laura's exactly right. He supposedly got into a fight with another tortoise (this is the story that I received from the vet) and he glued the jaw/beak back together and then sent it home with instructions for the owner not to put it back with any other tortoises, but the owner didn't listen and supposedly he got into another fight and it re-broke the jaw/beak. The vet told me that the owner couldn't pay him for the x-rays so the vet kept him. I'm not sure if I believe the entire story, but I just knew he was kept cold there and needed a warm place to go to so I took him home with me. Dr. Greek (the herp vet that I took him to) said that we could attempt to fix it if I find that he is having too much difficulty eating. He doesn't guarantee that it would work though if we did do surgery. He actually thinks it would be better to cut his food up for him and let him be. I would definitely be willing to pay for the surgery if I knew that it could provide a better life for him. I am cutting up his food and he's doing fine eating it. He does pull at the grass and is able to get some of it I'm just not positive how much he's actually getting and that it why I am supplementing his diet with cut up greens. 
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