Please help if you can (lump on throat)

[Ron Cobb]

Hello:

Let me start off as I'm a good papa of my speedy. I bought him 15 years ago for my son and after a divorse, I kept him, he's 15 years old. I noticed JUST recently his lower jaw/throat swollen. He (we will call him a "he" since I have no idea if it's female or male). Anyway he eats like a horse, loves my attention, even loves my doggies. BUT, with the swelling on his jaw/throat I have been concerned.

Now before everyone says "you should have taken him to vet" one must learn I live in a rural area and haven't found one. Please take a look at the pictures I have included, help me with suggestions and most of all, don't kick a turtles Daddy while he's down.

Emails to my email addy is most appreciated since I may not see what you all have to say if I need to check this great forum, remember I'm a newbie.

Thank you all !

Ron

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Ron, and welcome to the Forum!!

Does Speedy live outside? His beak is ever so long and needs to be ground down or trimmed. I've never seen the lump like what Speedy has, but I'm afraid you're going to have to take him to a tortoise vet. If you look in our http://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/tortoise-vet-list.126/ section and choose your state, then find your city. I hope we have a vet shown there that is not too far from you.

Speedy the Russian tortoise, needs to have a nice, large, safe outdoor pen. If he were biting off his food, grazing, then the beak wouldn't get that overgrown.

Please keep us informed as we all learn from threads like this. Hopefully its not something life threatening.

 

[littleginsu]

I saw a video of a tortoise (might have been a turtle) with something similar and the Vet had to lance it because it was an abcess. Is it possible to get him to one of the recommended Vets?

 

[Kim444]

I may be wrong but his eyes look a little puffy as well, I really think he needs to see a vet even if you need to travel a bit to see one. Can you tell us what area you are in so we can help you search for one?

 

[Ron Cobb]

Thank you ALL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I live in Yucca Valley California but Palm Springs is probably the closest city that is truly a city. I will see if there is someone in that area pronto. By the way Yvonne he lives in a 50 gallon table aquarium that has been turned into his domain. I keep it clean and replace the (we will call it pet bark) often. AGAIN, I CAN NOT THANK YOU ALL enough !

As far as finding a vet, if anyone knows where there might be one, at this point travel distance or cost is no object (I'm simply stupid when it comes to a retile vet).

Thanks again,

Ron

 

[Ron Cobb]

OK, I feel like a real idiot. I've been taking my babies (dogs) to a vet in Yucca Valley for 18 years and I just looked, they handle retiles ! I know all the doctors as friends so I think Speedy will not only be in goods hands but hopefully will be cured.

Thanks again folks and as soon as I find the reason and the out come I will keep you all in the loop. Guess I can finally get some sleep.

Ron

 

[turtlelou]

Good luck

 

[Ron Cobb]

Thank you Turtlelou, I've set up an appointment for "speedster" with my regular vet.

Ron

 

[Madkins007]

Good to see you here, and I hope things go well for you!

 

[Yvonne G]

I wonder what goiter looks like.

Have you been feeding a lot of goitrogens or cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cabbage, etc)?

 

[Ron Cobb]

Hello Yvonne:

I feed her mainly just Romaine lettuce BUT I will gladly feed her what ever she needs as soon as I'm informed. You see, I'm really new at this with a turtle, but if you asked me about a dog, I could tie your ears up for hours. Please let me know, Speedy goes in (hopefully my friends at the vets office can move a few people around) this afternoon.

Thank you !

Ron

PS I have broccoli at home, would that help Speedster feel better until I get her in if I can't get her in until tomorrow. If not, what would make her more comfortable ?

 

[Yvonne G]

NO! Broccoli and other cruciferous veggies are goitrogens, and too much of them cause the thyroid gland to swell. I'm betting that's what's wrong with your tortoise.

 

[Ron Cobb]

Sooooooooooooooooooooo maybe the romaine is OK ? I read that's what to feed them. I've never gave Speedster anything but romaine, red and green leaf lettuce. What else could cause it ? Now keep in mind, since I'm an inexperienced turtle owner, I didn't know she needed water with her food, I thought she got her water through her food. So for 15 years, that's all she got. Now that I've talked to some of you fine peeps, I'm giving her water. Could this have something to do with dehydration ?
Man I'm feeling like more of an idiot as this goes on but one way or another, it's going to come out positive.

Ron

 

[tortadise]

Sooooooooooooooooooooo maybe the romaine is OK ? I read that's what to feed them. I've never gave Speedster anything but romaine, red and green leaf lettuce. What else could cause it ? Now keep in mind, since I'm an inexperienced turtle owner, I didn't know she needed water with her food, I thought she got her water through her food. So for 15 years, that's all she got. Now that I've talked to some of you fine peeps, I'm giving her water. Could this have something to do with dehydration ?
Man I'm feeling like more of an idiot as this goes on but one way or another, it's going to come out positive.

Ron

I'd scrap all that your feeding. Stick with grasses and broad leaf weeds and greens.

Dandelions, escarole, endive, thistles, mallow, cactus fruit/pad, hibiscus leaves/flower and as much grass as possible. In the event it's winter or grocery store greens are to be bought and you can't find Endive, or dandelion greens your ok to get collar, mustard, and turnip greens. These are way more nutritious than romaine, and green leaf. Red leaf isn't that bad but there's better.

 

[turtlelou]

The tort has never had water?

 

[tortadise]

Oh boy I didn't read that part. Yeah she may need some fluids IV. At least soak her quite a bit.

 

[Yvonne G]

He's probably missing quite a lot of vitamins and minerals that are required for healthy growth. Think about it - if a human wants to diet and lose weight he eats salads. Your tortoise needs a variety of different things to eat. In the wild they wander over great distances eating a bit from many different plants and weeds. Here's a list of foods taken from the site russiantortoise.org:


GREENS
Most grocery stores have a decent selection of greens that Russians readily eat. Ideally the greens should be organic and pesticide free. However this is the real world and not all tortoise keepers have access to "ideal" food. So, I have this section as a starting point for a varied diet. The following greens are easily found in my local stores:
Romaine lettuce (fed on occasion)
Red and green leaf lettuce (fed on occasion)
Endive
Escarole
Radicchio
Chicory
Turnip greens
Mustard greens
Kale
Collards
Spring Mix (mixed salad greens)
cabbage (fed on occasion)



With the above veggies one can develop a good diet. Once again (and I can't stress this enough) variety is the key!
Don't feed the same food day in and day out. Mix varieties and choose a different green as the basis every few days.

OTHER GOOD CHOICES
Some other favorites of my tortoises that are available:
Hibiscus (flowers and leaves)
Hosta
Sedum
Mulberry leaves
Hen and Chicks
Ice Plants
Prickly pear flowers, fruit and pads (burn the spines off)
Dandelion
Plantain (not the banana type fruit....the weed plantago major)
Mallow (flowers and leaves)
Henbit
Rose (flowers and leaves....make sure no systemic pesticides were used)
Chrysanthemum flowers
Cornflowers Plagiobothrys ssp
Forsythia (flowers and leaves)
Dayflower Commelina diffusa (flowers and leaves)
Californian Poppy escholzia
Chia Salvia hispanica

Goiter (if that's what your tortoise has) is caused by an iodine deficiency, or by eating too much cruciferous veggies. I would say your tortoise probably has the deficiency due to a not very good diet.

 

[Ron Cobb]

Wow.....................................Should I literally "soak" her in a bath of some type ? I'm sooooo sorry to be burning up all of you peoples time ! Looks like I need to take a few days off to tend to her, so much to get done in a short period of time. I have a rose bush that I DO NOT use pesticides, I can actually feed her that ? If so, I'm leaving my office and headed home for some nursing.

Thank you all,

Ron

 

[Yvonne G]

Hey, Ron...don't ever think that you're burning up our time. We wouldn't be on the Forum if we didn't want to talk to people. I only hope we can get your tortoise up and running and feeling better.

A tortoise of your tortoise's size usually doesn't get soaked, however we do provide a tray of water for the tortoise to self soak. I use a flower pot saucer that is bigger than the tortoise so that he can sit in it if he wants to. Otherwise, they just lean in and drink.

 

[Ron Cobb]

Vons has an awesome organic line of veggies. Surely I ought to find the stuff on this list ?