Sulcatas and Dogs

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
My dog Misty has never shown an interest in tortoises. Also, she's never outside where she can contact tortoises unless I'm out there too. When a new tortoise comes on the property (I operate a tortoise rescue) Misty is interested in smelling the new animal, or smelling my hand, if I've shaken hands with the person, but after that initial sniff she's no longer interested.

Yesterday I took in a 'found' sulcata, about a 15lb'r. He's covered in mud. When I took him to his new quarantine yard, Misty was VERY interested in smelling him. I could hardly wash the mud off for her nose being in the way. After I set him down, she continued to give him the once over. And now, a day later, she still goes to find him and smell him.

I washed the mud off him and noticed some rough 'strings' around the back end. Upon closer inspection, it looks like curls of shell from a dog/coyote tooth scraping the shell.

2018 Rescue #54.jpg

Those little curls sticking up are pieces of shell, not grass. And you can see all the tooth scraping around the bottom edge of the shell. This tortoise was found in sort of a rural area, and the finders did have a large dog (Misty DID NOT DO THIS).

Misty is a real foody. So now that she has gotten a sniff of something to eat under that hard exterior I hope I don't have to watch her more carefully when it comes to the turtles and tortoises.
 

EllieMay

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2018
Messages
9,603
Location (City and/or State)
East Texas
My dog Misty has never shown an interest in tortoises. Also, she's never outside where she can contact tortoises unless I'm out there too. When a new tortoise comes on the property (I operate a tortoise rescue) Misty is interested in smelling the new animal, or smelling my hand, if I've shaken hands with the person, but after that initial sniff she's no longer interested.

Yesterday I took in a 'found' sulcata, about a 15lb'r. He's covered in mud. When I took him to his new quarantine yard, Misty was VERY interested in smelling him. I could hardly wash the mud off for her nose being in the way. After I set him down, she continued to give him the once over. And now, a day later, she still goes to find him and smell him.

I washed the mud off him and noticed some rough 'strings' around the back end. Upon closer inspection, it looks like curls of shell from a dog/coyote tooth scraping the shell.

View attachment 251192

Those little curls sticking up are pieces of shell, not grass. And you can see all the tooth scraping around the bottom edge of the shell. This tortoise was found in sort of a rural area, and the finders did have a large dog (Misty DID NOT DO THIS).

Misty is a real foody. So now that she has gotten a sniff of something to eat under that hard exterior I hope I don't have to watch her more carefully when it comes to the turtles and tortoises.

I sure hope not! I bet it’s not her first good sniff though so she will probably do fine. I’m sure you will have it under control regardless. I never had a clue how badly these tortoises are abused. It fires me up every time I see a new story of one that has been thrown out or just isn’t wanted anymore because they are suddenly too big! You’re pretty special Yvonne!
 
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