Please help! My tortoise has a lump on her neck

[Imakolo]

Please help!
I made an account on here for the sole purpose of seeking out help for this. My tortoise is around one years old and I recently found a very large and concerning bump on her lower neck. The location is around her shoulder blade almost.

I can poke and prod at it and it provokes no reaction from her, she doesn’t even flinch. The bump is extremely soft and mostly her color except for a little bit of pink at the top of it and it’s whiteish. She can still fully put her head in her shell and is hungry and active. I bathe her twice a week, she has a humid enclosure, and a diet of leafy greens.

I’m extremely worried and scared for her she means a lot to me. I will not be able to go to a vet for her until I get more money later, will she be okay like this for a little bit of time?? What should I do? And how can I help her right now? I’m really upset.

( I’m sorry for the awkward holding of her, she was being very uncooperative with a picture and I had nobody to help me )

 

[zovick]

It looks like a cyst or an abscess which tortoises sometimes get for no apparent reason. It will probably keep getting larger over time and may impede the tortoise's breathing and/or swallowing.

I would recommend saving up some money and taking your tortoise to a good reptile vet or a vet school with a good exotics department. There is a good vet school in Philadelphia if you are close enough to go there.

 

[Imakolo]

It looks like a cyst or an abscess which tortoises sometimes get for no apparent reason. It will probably keep getting larger over time and may impede the tortoise's breathing and/or swallowing.

I would recommend saving up some money and taking your tortoise to a good reptile vet or a vet school with a good exotics department. There is a good vet school in Philadelphia if you are close enough to go there.

Really?? Okay, my dad is a dog and cat veterinarian. He has access to many medications and antibiotics through many companies. Is there something I can ask for that could help her? Does this issue need to be lanced and drained, is that the only solution or can her body fight it off with medication?

 

[Imakolo]

Also I want to add, my father is a vet. He works with mammals. However he has worked on a variety of animals and successfully pulled off many treatment plans for friends and family with reptiles with research. But this would be a surgery wouldn’t it? How tricky is it to lance this thing? He has all the sterile equipment In the world and medication, would it be a good idea to have him try helping her? I can’t find any reptile vets near me…what is the texture of the infection in that capsule? Is it very liquid, could he simply make a very small poke and gently squeeze it out? The spot is very soft so I assumed it’s liquid…

 

[zovick]

Also I want to add, my father is a vet. He works with mammals. However he has worked on a variety of animals and successfully pulled off many treatment plans for friends and family with reptiles with research. But this would be a surgery wouldn’t it? How tricky is it to lance this thing? He has all the sterile equipment In the world and medication, would it be a good idea to have him try helping her? I can’t find any reptile vets near me…what is the texture of the infection in that capsule? Is it very liquid, could he simply make a very small poke and gently squeeze it out? The spot is very soft so I assumed it’s liquid…

Have you shown this spot to your dad? If he is a vet, he is most likely quite able to treat this situation successfully. Most of the time in tortoises, the best thing to do is remove the entire cyst/abscess via simple surgery. This is called excision. The only difference between doing this procedure on a tortoise as opposed to a mammal would be the anesthesia used to immobilize the animal for a successful outcome.

Incising and draining it is less desirable because it will eventually refill with whatever is in it now.

By the way, I am a dentist who has done lots of oral surgery. Humans sometimes get lesions like these in their mouths. They are not that difficult to excise when small like the one your tortoise has. I really recommend having a discussion with your father to decide what should be done.

 

[zovick]

@Imakolo
Addendum to the above post. The cyst/abscess on your tortoise is not necessarily infected. Sometimes tortoises just get these for no obvious reason.

 

[Imakolo]

@Imakolo
Addendum to the above post. The cyst/abscess on your tortoise is not necessarily infected. Sometimes tortoises just get these for no obvious reason.

My main concern is how long she will be okay like this. I’m working as quick as possible to help her but it might take around a week or more. If it is infected that can kill her right? What are the signs and how long does that usually take?? How fast do these things grow?

 

[zovick]

My main concern is how long she will be okay like this. I’m working as quick as possible to help her but it might take around a week or more. If it is infected that can kill her right? What are the signs and how long does that usually take?? How fast do these things grow?

They are all different. Sometimes they grow very slowly, sometimes a bit more quickly. Infection is not likely looking at the photos you posted. When there is an infection, there is generally a reddish color present due to inflammation (increased blood flow as the body tries to fight the infectious agent). Also the animal will tend to act lethargic, stop eating, and generally look unwell.

Your tortoise is showing none of the above signs from what I can tell.

Why don't you ask your father these questions? I am sure he could help you more than I can.

 

[Sam the French]

My main concern is how long she will be okay like this. I’m working as quick as possible to help her but it might take around a week or more. If it is infected that can kill her right? What are the signs and how long does that usually take?? How fast do these things grow?

Hi, my red ears had a kyste, removed by a surgery. All was ok straight away !
The worst part was to keep him outside the soaking water, only showered and drink in a very low level of water to keep the wound dry and clean for 5 days … 😅

 

[Imakolo]

Hello! Just wanted to give a little update…

chili is on a daily dose of antibiotics now, 1 mL Baytril by her mouth everyday which she does not like but cooperates well enough.

My dad is under the impression that the antibiotics will be enough to fix her and that we won’t have to lance her abscess and that the antibiotics are enough. He is a vet and I trust him but she’s a tortoise, not an animal he works with, and it worries me. Chili’s behavior hasn’t changed, she’s her normal self, very hungry, chill and if not maybe a bit more sleepy because of the antibiotics. But…I’m not sure, can a tortoises body get rid of an abscess by itself? I mean humans and animals can do that can’t they?

I’m betting the answer is no, I would love some advice for this. He seems to think it would cause more harm than good and that they are very difficult to put under for surgery. Does anybody know about surgery for reptiles? How would we keep her surgical sight even clean afterwards? I mean she lives in coconut coir ( a little bit dirty lol )

( Currently saving up money just in case )

 

[Sam the French]

Hi, my red ears had a kyste, removed by a surgery. All was ok straight away !
The worst part was to keep him outside the soaking water, only showered and drink in a very low level of water to keep the wound dry and clean for 5 days … 😅

Hi, my red ears had a kyste, removed by a surgery. All was ok straight away !
The worst part was to keep him outside the soaking water, only showered and drink in a very low level of water to keep the wound dry and clean for 5 days … 😅

Sorry, I meant : « … to keep the 2 stitches dry ».

 

[Sam the French]

Hello! Just wanted to give a little update…

chili is on a daily dose of antibiotics now, 1 mL Baytril by her mouth everyday which she does not like but cooperates well enough.

My dad is under the impression that the antibiotics will be enough to fix her and that we won’t have to lance her abscess and that the antibiotics are enough. He is a vet and I trust him but she’s a tortoise, not an animal he works with, and it worries me. Chili’s behavior hasn’t changed, she’s her normal self, very hungry, chill and if not maybe a bit more sleepy because of the antibiotics. But…I’m not sure, can a tortoises body get rid of an abscess by itself? I mean humans and animals can do that can’t they?

I’m betting the answer is no, I would love some advice for this. He seems to think it would cause more harm than good and that they are very difficult to put under for surgery. Does anybody know about surgery for reptiles? How would we keep her surgical sight even clean afterwards? I mean she lives in coconut coir ( a little bit dirty lol )

( Currently saving up money just in case )

Good morning,
Our Vet is a reptile specialist, and he said that like for humans, a kyste should not be opened or drained.
Or you let it, or you remove it by a surgery.
He precised that on aquatic turtle like mine, it ought to be removed asap, because it can grow very fast and badly !
As he is spending most of time in the water where he is pooping ( even if I do my best to keep a clean swimming pool 😅 )
The 2 problems :
The anesthesia… very serious point ! to be done by a turtle or at least reptile Vet.
The healing… hard skin ! But it goes on quickly if you manage to keep the stitches safe and dry.

As she is under antibiotics, let’s see, hope it will work ! 🙏
And congratulations to you ! Cause giving her the medication in the mouth everyday, … 😅💪😎