Tough Road For Snowflake

[DeanS]

I acquired Eggroll and Snowflake back in March 20...they are now 11 months old. I was in 7th heaven when I got them. I put them in with Jimmy and Climber, since they are all the same size and age. I went to check on them (as I do about every 15 minutes) and there was a puddle of blood in their enclosure. I was shocked...so I checked out all the babies...Jimmy: Fine! Climber: Fine! Eggroll: Fine! Then came Snowflake...she was withdrawn into her shell and I feared the worst...so I took her in the house and put her in a shallow soak with warm water...and the blood started to flow...I was beside myself because she was already my favorite...ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! After a minute or so she extended her head and my worst fears came true...it looked as though part of her face had been torn off. I pulled out tweezers, q-tips and gauze. I was able to dab away a HUGE clot of blood and discovered that her chin had been degloved and a small portion of her face including part of her beak had been torn away. For the first coupla days, I wondered if she would live... then when the critical stage was over...I thought will she be disfigured for life...well, I feel she's as good as she's gonna get...All the yearlings still co-habitate. They share a Tortoise House at night and during the day they're in a temporary habitat outside (or in the kiddie pool). I thought did a rat sneak out in broad daylight and attack her? Did a crow poke at her through the wire mesh...then a few weeks after it happened, I was cleaning the babies and I discovered a small, almost indistinguishable mark on Eggroll's beak, and I figured it out. They must have been feeding on the same endive leaf and met in the middle...Well Eggroll has a huge head and is much heavier than Snowflake...kind of the Arnold Schwarzennegger of baby tortoise...so they scrapped with Snowflake coming out on the losing end...SUBMITTED FOR YOUR EDIFICATION. I am still trying to figure out 3 months later what will become of Snowflake. A portion of her beak is turned outward, but she still handles some food items well...But I do have to grind up cactus for her. Oh yeah! The photo I won the Contest with was one week after the incident...I've MOSTLY been photographing her good side!
Any suggestions/ideas from you seasoned veterans?

The day I got her 3.20.2010

The NEXT day 3.21.2010

Last week 06.06.2010

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Shouldn't you be separating Snowflake so she can heal and to prevent exposing her to further possible injury?

She is a beautiful tortoise, I hope she recovers fully eventually.

 

[luvsulcatas]

So cute! How is Snowflake doing?

 

[DeanS]

Shouldn't you be separating Snowflake so she can heal and to prevent exposing her to further possible injury?

She is a beautiful tortoise, I hope she recovers fully eventually.

I did keep her separated until the scab came off...and I've been feeding them all separately.

---

So cute! How is Snowflake doing?

She struggles a little, but still does her best to keep up.

 

[South FL Katie]

Poor baby, that's terrible. I hope she continues to improve. She's still as cute as ever!

I do have one suggestion...you could send her to me

 

[DeanS]

Poor baby, that's terrible. I hope she continues to improve. She's still as cute as ever!

I do have one suggestion...you could send her to me

Katie, if she were to go anywhere, it would be to you I can't make my problem someone else's...and I'm determined to give her the BEST I can.

It took me this long to bring this up...then I thought what if someone else went through this...what did they do? What were the results?

 

[Motara's Mom]

She is beautiful!

I am glad I am not the only one that checks every 15 min. LOL When I first got mine she flipped herself over twice and I have been so scared to not check on her. So far she hasn't done it again. My husband laughed at me because I didn't want to go out to eat because we would be gone and who knows what would happen.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Dean, that just breaks my heart. I think you should separate her and keep her separated forever if need be. I feel grateful to you that you kept that away from us when it happened. But how would you like seeing Arnold everyday if he had already ripped off half your face?
I have 8 yearlings right now. Months ago I noticed the biggest one was getting noticeably bigger so I started paying more attention, he would wait for me to put the food in and when his clutchmates started walking towards the food he jumped at them and bit at a face. So I separated them immediately. I have 3 in one habitat 3 in another and the smallest 2 alone. That is very upsetting to me to see her pretty little face mangled like that.
You are thinking that is was an accident during feeding, but I disagree with you sir. I have had torts for a few years now, I started out by head-starting hatchling desert torts. I would keep them for a year then they would be put out for adoption, so I feel if anything, hatchlings are my area of expertise, and I have never seen a wound like that that wasn't deliberate. She is also being mentally bullied you know. Once there is physical bullying going on, there is also mental bullying. So that means she spends every minute of every day afraid. Or so it would seem to me.
I am not an expert, but like I already said I have raised many hatchlings and I would set her up alone. I would cut up all of her food, as she might not be getting quite enough now because it looks like her jaws don't meet so she might not be able to rip and tear.
You animals are yours to care for in a way that pleases you, and I really don't mean any disrespect at all. It is just distressing to me to see such a horrific wound on such a new and pretty face. So please consider what I have told you, I believe she would benefit greatly from being set up alone. As her jaws grow you can dremmel them even and after a while they should be together.

 

[DeanS]

Considered and taken fully to heart! Thanks for your candor...

And you are quite right...her jaws don't align quite right!
I do give her every advantage when feeding...and she did get a piece of Eggroll too...although hardly a drop-in-the-bucket compared to what she had to endure. She can handle dandelion fine but I do chop cactus up in the food processor for her. Fortuntely, she loves Zoo Med's Grassland diet and plows through it like there's no tomorrow.

Realize also that this happened 3 months ago and it's been nothing but harmony since (among the torts). But, I'm always watching.

 

[Angi]

Oh...so sad. That poor baby. It is always hard on the parents too. I have two boys and have spent way to much time at childrens hospital and urgent care.

 

[Scooter]

I'm glad she made it through and is getting better. She still has a very sweet beautiful face!

 

[DeanS]

Actually, I've taken something I've heard to heart and will be separating the 2 smaller torts ( Snowflake and Jimmy) into the PLANTER conversion I discussed yesterday!

Eggroll and Climber will continue to use the 'temporary' enclosure and I will embark on dressing that up soon! Details to follow!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

You could always send Snowflake and Jimmy up to live with me for a while, I'll trade them for King Robert...