Sick Sulcata? *Urgent*

[Kendall]

My tortoise is making strange noise which sound like she is strained as she retreats back into her shell. As she does this she sometimes has a discharge from her cloaca which is a translucent yellowish whitish color and seems to be almost gel like in consistency. I am making her an appointment at the vet but I am not sure when I can get it and any information helps.

She is still eating and moving around except for when she is straining.

 

[TechnoCheese]

My tortoise is making strange noise which sound like she is strained as she retreats back into her shell. As she does this she sometimes has a discharge from her cloaca which is a translucent yellowish whitish color and seems to be almost gel like in consistency. I am making her an appointment at the vet but I am not sure when I can get it and any information helps.

She is still eating and moving around except for when she is straining.

Could your tortoise be straining to poop? Have you seen her poop recently? Could she have eaten anything to cause a blockage?
The gel might be urates. Is it a toothpaste like consistency, or gritty?
Could you show us pictures of your tortoise and enclosure?

 

[Bambam1989]

Hello Kendall.
Would you describe the sound as a "hiss"?
How frequently does she strain? Is it every few minutes?
She may have a blockage. Gently turn her over so you can examine the tail, does it look swollen?
Providing your tort with a long warm soak can help loosen things up if this is the problem. Keep the water warm (not hot) and the water level should be high enough to cover the tail completely, almost half way up the shell is fine. Let your tort soak for 30minutes or more (it's not uncommon for me to let my sulcata soak for an hour each day)

 

[Maro2Bear]

Good info from BamBam. First thing I thought of was to recommend a good, long warm-water soak.

Good luck, please provide some updates too!

 

[Kendall]

Could your tortoise be straining to poop? Have you seen her poop recently? Could she have eaten anything to cause a blockage?
The gel might be urates. Is it a toothpaste like consistency, or gritty?
Could you show us pictures of your tortoise and enclosure?

Could your tortoise be straining to poop? Have you seen her poop recently? Could she have eaten anything to cause a blockage?
The gel might be urates. Is it a toothpaste like consistency, or gritty?
Could you show us pictures of your tortoise and enclosure?

she has been pooping, but it is possible that she ate something recently. The gel is not gritty and I will post photos once I get a chance.

 

[Kendall]

Hello Kendall.
Would you describe the sound as a "hiss"?
How frequently does she strain? Is it every few minutes?
She may have a blockage. Gently turn her over so you can examine the tail, does it look swollen?
Providing your tort with a long warm soak can help loosen things up if this is the problem. Keep the water warm (not hot) and the water level should be high enough to cover the tail completely, almost half way up the shell is fine. Let your tort soak for 30minutes or more (it's not uncommon for me to let my sulcata soak for an hour each day)

The sound is more of a grunt and it’s frequency keeps changing. Soaking did seem to stop it temporarily and I will check her tail when I’m home.

 

[vladimir]

Hi @Kendall, how is your tortoise doing?