Plastron damage - Help!

[GM1025]

We have a baby Sulcata approximately 3 1/2 months old. We've struggled with proper enclosure due to space at our zoo. Sometime in the past week or 2 this damaged occurred. We are unsure if he got dropped by a customer (we've stopped letting the public hold them) a fennec fox bite (the babies only were in the same space a day or 2 because we noticed the fox messing with their bin) or the slot sat on him or something (one night only because we were trying to keep them properly warm and humid). I noticed a few days ago this one was not as active or eating as much. I soak daily in warm water and take them outside for sun time to help with the issues we've had getting the enclosure set up properly. We moved some animals around and they got a much better enclosure with proper heat, uvb and humidity now. He was a lil more active in this set up, I've been monitoring for signs of a RI due to the lack of activity and eating. Yesterday I did our daily soak and he DRANK and DRANK a ton of water, which made me very happy! I give them a lil run around time in the grass outside and this lil one moved a little and did a very long urate .. which again I was concerned but happy to see him pee! I had a gut feeling to check him more closely and found these nasty cracks on his side. We don't have an exotic vet near us that knows Tortoises. So my question is what can I do for him, products to use, what to look out for and any information I can take to our local vet (that sees quite a few of the other animals) to help her?

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome!

Something bit this tortoise. You can tell by the opposing bite marks on each side. The marks on the carapace look like canine punctures, and that would be just about the right size for a fennec fox.

I would scrub the area with a betide solution one time, and then keep triple antibiotic creme on it for a couple of weeks. Be sure flies aren't getting in there and laying eggs.

They should be indoors in a large closed chamber, and this will prevent flies having any access to them.

Give these a read through for the current and correct care info:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[GM1025]

Hello and welcome!

Something bit this tortoise. You can tell by the opposing bite marks on each side. The marks on the carapace look like canine punctures, and that would be just about the right size for a fennec fox.

I would scrub the area with a betide solution one time, and then keep triple antibiotic creme on it for a couple of weeks. Be sure flies aren't getting in there and laying eggs.

They should be indoors in a large closed chamber, and this will prevent flies having any access to them.

Give these a read through for the current and correct care info:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you so much, I have both on hand and can do so. They are now in an 5x4 enclosure with both uvb & heat. I'll print those for the zoo owners and myself. Can i place a band-aide over it when antibiotic cream is applied so substrate won't stick? Know this is a bite mark is helpful. Any suggestions on getting him to eat? Fresh chopped grass and chopped hay plus chopped romaine is offered daily.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

It is best to keep the wounded tortoise on cloth or paper towels and separated from other tortoises. It is better than using a band aid, the wound can breath this way. Also, keep the tortoise indoors to avoid any flies laying eggs into the wound.

Has the tortoise lost his appetite?

 

[Ink]

Keep your tortoises separated always.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Has this tortoise been in a group of other babies the same age? Pairs or tortoises of different ages and species should not be housed together. Groups of mature tortoises should always have the correct male to female ratio.

 

[GM1025]

It is best to keep the wounded tortoise on cloth or paper towels and separated from other tortoises. It is better than using a band aid, the wound can breath this way. Also, keep the tortoise indoors to avoid any flies laying eggs into the wound.

Has the tortoise lost his appetite?

Yes it's not eating much at all, Will see what I can come up with to help him the best I can. Probably a separate tub in the rear of their enclosure off the substrate if i can find something small to use for water. When I did the bi-weekly weight that really helped me know something was more wrong than just a RI, he only weighs 2 oz while the other one from the same hatch now weighs 2.7 oz. Big difference in these little ones.

 

[GM1025]

Has this tortoise been in a group of other babies the same age? Pairs or tortoises of different ages and species should not be housed together. Groups of mature tortoises should always have the correct male to female ratio.

We have another from the same hatch with them, I feed 2 plates on opposite sides and watch for any signs of bullying including sitting on top of food, trying to climb on each other. I know that but since I don't own them or the zoo I'm trying to do the best I can for them with what I got to work with. Owners know I'm passionate about trying to do correct husbandry and diet, but I can't afford extra things out of my own pocket. I even asked if I could bring them home with me.

 

[GM1025]

Keep your tortoises separated always.

I wish I could but since I don't own them or the place I can only do what I can to help them the best I can until they move locations with more room.

 

[Tom]

Thank you so much, I have both on hand and can do so. They are now in an 5x4 enclosure with both uvb & heat. I'll print those for the zoo owners and myself. Can i place a band-aide over it when antibiotic cream is applied so substrate won't stick? Know this is a bite mark is helpful. Any suggestions on getting him to eat? Fresh chopped grass and chopped hay plus chopped romaine is offered daily.

Band aid is fine as long as it doesn't fall off and he eats it.

These are babies. Hay is for adults. Fresh grass is good, but it must be freshly sprouted soft and tender young grass until they gain some size. Romaine is okay if you are doing the appropriate amendments. I used soaked horse hay pellets to add fiber to lettuce, calcium powder, and then I add some dried leaf options to add nutrition and variety.

They should never be housed in pairs. The bite isn't helping anything, but the pair thing is likely a big part of the problem too. They should be separated. Keeping the injured one is a tub in the back of the enclosure is not a good way to go because it can't thermoregulate or get to the comfortable hide areas.

The two threads I linked earlier explain all this in more detail. Questions are welcome.

 

[GM1025]

Band aid is fine as long as it doesn't fall off and he eats it.

These are babies. Hay is for adults. Fresh grass is good, but it must be freshly sprouted soft and tender young grass until they gain some size. Romaine is okay if you are doing the appropriate amendments. I used soaked horse hay pellets to add fiber to lettuce, calcium powder, and then I add some dried leaf options to add nutrition and variety.

They should never be housed in pairs. The bite isn't helping anything, but the pair thing is likely a big part of the problem too. They should be separated. Keeping the injured one is a tub in the back of the enclosure is not a good way to go because it can't thermoregulate or get to the comfortable hide areas.

The two threads I linked earlier explain all this in more detail. Questions are welcome.

Thank you