Scales came of front leg

[COmtnLady]

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum.

Please calm down. Your tortoise could have been digging and rubbed the scales off in the process. A rodent may have gotten into the area. While it is your responsibility to keep him safe, there are always unexpected things that happen. If he's eating ok and not bleeding, life is good.

How often do you soak him? Its possible he could be a little dehydrated. Do you have terracotta saucers (probably two), big enough for him to turn around in, countersunk into his substrate, filled with water as deep as where the top and bottom of his shell comes together?

Chicken wire is a very light gauge of wire that makes a "netting" of holes, each of which is about the size of the hole created when you put the tip of your index finger to touch the tip of your thumb. Chickenwire IS the size a baby bird could easily fit through. Could there have been a mix up between what you envisioned and chickenwire?

Listen to Zolasmum and the others here. This is something to solve and correct so it doesn't happen again, its not the end of the world.


Again, we're here to help.

 

[serendipity123]

I doubt it was a rodent as it must have happened whilst I was at work. In his indoor enclosure.

He had a vet visit on Monday due to me stressing that he ate a buttercup and they didn't mention he was dehydrated but it's possible.

I give him 2 baths a week as someone on a forum said to me everyday is excessive. And he has a mini blue paddling pool in his enclosure all the time.

It might be that the water isn't deep enough.

I'll show you a picture if his mini paddling pool it's small but he's small he's only 600g

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thank you for including a photo of your set up! It’s actually super helpful when advising you🙂
There are a few things that need addressing in the photo, the substrate you’re using appears to be some kind of topsoil? Which isn’t a good substrate option unfortunately, it looks very dry and dusty which can cause problems, along with the small rock pieces in there. I wouldn’t use the newspaper either.
That water dish can actually be a bit of a hazard too, most pet store options are, because they’re smooth and lack traction, in the event the tortoise flips, they make it more difficult for them to right themselves, the safest option is a terracotta saucer sitting flush with the substrate👍

I know none of these things are relevant to the initial injury, but I don’t want you running into any potential future issues.
Perhaps this thread I made could be helpful, it covers the right kind of equipment, levels, safe substrates, maintaining humidity, and a bit about diet at the end. You can apply it to your set up where any tweaks are needed😊let us know if you have any further questions🥰

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[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Feel free to check these ones out too🙂

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[serendipity123]

Thank you for including a photo of your set up! It’s actually super helpful when advising you🙂
There are a few things that need addressing in the photo, the substrate you’re using appears to be some kind of topsoil? Which isn’t a good substrate option unfortunately, it looks very dry and dusty which can cause problems, along with the small rock pieces in there. I wouldn’t use the newspaper either.
That water dish can actually be a bit of a hazard too, most pet store options are, because they’re smooth and lack traction, in the event the tortoise flips, they make it more difficult for them to right themselves, the safest option is a terracotta saucer sitting flush with the substrate👍

I know none of these things are relevant to the initial injury, but I don’t want you running into any potential future issues.
Perhaps this thread I made could be helpful, it covers the right kind of equipment, levels, safe substrates, maintaining humidity, and a bit about diet at the end. You can apply it to your set up where any tweaks are needed😊let us

 

[serendipity123]

Thanks for this. I'll give his soil a good spray down now before I go to work.

The reason why I'm using topsoil is because that's what the rescue centre insist I use. And I decided not to go against there advice in order for them to let me adopt him.

The rescue centre don't like coco coir but I'll think I'll mix it 50 50.

I was going to buy a large terrocota dish but for some reason I changed my mind. I think it was the height of the sides that put me off.

Will go to the garden centre and buy it.

I'll get rid of the newspaper this weekend when my liner gets delivered.

Thanks for the advice