shell fracture near pelvis

[avasims]

hello everyone. i just took peaches to the vet today to try to get her treat for the impaction. turns out there wasn’t one in fact not even constipation which threw me off… she hasn’t pooped that i know of in 3 weeks. they found a shell fracture near her pelvis along the line on the bottom of her. the vet believes this is because of the MBD that i know she has but i’m not convinced. We didn’t really find out what’s wrong with her besides her lungs looking a little off on the x-ray. are there any other reasons for this fracture? does this affect the tortoise at all?? is it painful?? the doc says it’s fully healed. but when i press on it it moves. i can try to get a video if possible. please anyone let me know if this is a bigger problem than the vet made it as well as why she isn’t pooping or eating.

 

[wellington]

If it is healed, it's likely fine. Otherwise everything else looked good?
If I remember right, you had some temps you needed to improve on? Has that been done?
Are you sure she isn't eating her poop? Yes some will do that.
Greeks hibernate in the wild right? Maybe she is getting herself ready for that? They stop eating a couple weeks before hand to empty their gut. They can't hibernate with food in their gut.
Br sure you have her in a brightly lit enclosure for 12 hours a day and get the temps where the need to be and don't let it drop below 70 at night to help keep her out of trying to hibernate.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Can you post photos of the x ray?
I'm no doctor but I do have considerable experience with MBD and in treating it.
The entire skeletal system would show MBD. Especially the longer bones of the legs. There will be bending and not as much density as in the normal bone.
True MBD is very painful. It can be stopped. But the damage is permanent.
A cracked shell carapace doesn't sound like a MBD issue to me.
Is the shell squishy or hard? Just don't squeeze that particular area. It seems to be uncomfortable

 

[avasims]

Can you post photos of the x ray?
I'm no doctor but I do have considerable experience with MBD and in treating it.
The entire skeletal system would show MBD. Especially the longer bones of the legs. There will be bending and not as much density as in the normal bone.
True MBD is very painful. It can be stopped. But the damage is permanent.
A cracked shell carapace doesn't sound like a MBD issue to me.
Is the shell squishy or hard? Just don't squeeze that particular area. It seems to be uncomfortable

thankyou for the information. she’s excessively shedding but other than that her bones look ok, i think. i could try and get the photos from the doctor and you could let me know what y’all think. the part where is it cracked is able to be moved but the whole piece itself is not squishy. The whole shell seems pretty hard.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

thankyou for the information. she’s excessively shedding but other than that her bones look ok, i think. i could try and get the photos from the doctor and you could let me know what y’all think. the part where is it cracked is able to be moved but the whole piece itself is not squishy. The whole shell seems pretty hard.

So. It's broken in two?
That's not good.
The vet didn't have a remedy for that?
Can you give us photos of thar injury? Hopefully one of our members will have a helpful idea

 

[ZEROPILOT]

If it is healed, it's likely fine. Otherwise everything else looked good?
If I remember right, you had some temps you needed to improve on? Has that been done?
Are you sure she isn't eating her poop? Yes some will do that.
Greeks hibernate in the wild right? Maybe she is getting herself ready for that? They stop eating a couple weeks before hand to empty their gut. They can't hibernate with food in their gut.
Br sure you have her in a brightly lit enclosure for 12 hours a day and get the temps where the need to be and don't let it drop below 70 at night to help keep her out of trying to hibernate.

It doesn't sound like it's healed well.

 

[wellington]

It doesn't sound like it's healed well.

Not really by the OP last post. You'd think a vet would at least know if a shell crack was healed or not, ugh.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Not really by the OP last post. You'd think a vet would at least know if a shell crack was healed or not, ugh.

Another vet learning as you pay them?

 

[avasims]

So. It's broken in two?
That's not good.
The vet didn't have a remedy for that?
Can you give us photos of thar injury? Hopefully one of our members will have a helpful idea

So. It's broken in two?
That's not good.
The vet didn't have a remedy for that?
Can you give us photos of thar injury? Hopefully one of our members will have a helpful idea

It doesn't sound like it's healed well.

hello everyone. i just took peaches to the vet today to try to get her treat for the impaction. turns out there wasn’t one in fact not even constipation which threw me off… she hasn’t pooped that i know of in 3 weeks. they found a shell fracture near her pelvis along the line on the bottom of her. the vet believes this is because of the MBD that i know she has but i’m not convinced. We didn’t really find out what’s wrong with her besides her lungs looking a little off on the x-ray. are there any other reasons for this fracture? does this affect the tortoise at all?? is it painful?? the doc says it’s fully healed. but when i press on it it moves. i can try to get a video if possible. please anyone let me know if this is a bigger problem than the vet made it as well as why she isn’t pooping or eating.

 

[avasims]

View attachment 351522

here is where the fracture is. i put some duct tape along the sides since the whole piece is drooping down

 

[ZEROPILOT]

@Tom
Any idea how to reattach shells?

 

[avasims]

@Tom
Any idea how to reattach shells?

no idea. hopefully this will keep things in place for now

 

[wellington]

@Yvonne G
I would think some epoxy would work. Don't really know though.
If it is droopy then I would keep her on paper towel ad you don't want dirt getting in it.
I would also keep her inside as you don't need her banging it on hard surfaces or bugs getting into it.

 

[Yvonne G]

Peaches is male.

In order for new growth to attach to both sides of the crack it has to be stabilized so it doesn't move, and raised up so it's not drooping. It probably should also be scraped to make raw edges before it's stabilized. Rather than epoxy, I think small holes and zip ties.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Peaches is male.

In order for new growth to attach to both sides of the crack it has to be stabilized so it doesn't move, and raised up so it's not drooping. It probably should also be scraped to make raw edges before it's stabilized. Rather than epoxy, I think small holes and zip ties.

So we're in agreement that this IS NOT healed?

@avasims. You need to find another vet.