Wet leg

[klinej50]

Took my tortoise to the vet for a stool sample and we found out he has worms. He has been treated and going back Wednesday to test again. The vet have him vitamins because she said his shell was soft. Now his back left leg is wet like in the shell and swollen Can anyone tell me what's wrong

 

[klinej50]

Plus it's flakey

 

[Yvonne G]

Ask the vet if he injected the tortoise with Vitamin A,D,E. Too much vitamin A causes the skin to slough off, just like you show in that picture.

Also, vitamins have nothing to do with soft shell. That would be MINERALS, or Calcium, to be more specific. Calcium and sunshine.

When you go back to the vet, please tell him that you think the skin is flaking off due to the vitamin A injection the vet gave the tortoise. If you say it like that, he will realize you know a bit about what you're talking about and he may own up to giving the tortoise the wrong amount.

 

[klinej50]

That's what I thought my sister took them in and didn't ask me and just listened to the vet... I had a smaller tortoise which passed away a day after going to the vet... Is there anything I can do if he gave him those vitamins

 

[Yvonne G]

The only experience I've had with hypervitaminosis A the animals died. (from infection because of the raw skin)

Here's what I took off Wikipedia:

In animals[edit]
The following treatments have been used to help treat or manage toxicity in animals. Although not considered part of standard treatment, they might be of some benefit to humans.

• Vitamin E - appears to be an effective treatment in rabbits,[32] prevents side-effects in chicks[33]
• Taurine - significantly reduces toxic effects in rats.[34] Retinoids can be conjugated by taurine and other substances. Significant amounts of retinotaurine are excreted in the bile,[35] and it is believed this retinol conjugate is an excretory form as it has little biological activity.[36]
• Cholestin - significantly reduces toxic effects in rats.[37]
• Vitamin K - prevents Hypoprothrombinemia in rats and can sometimes control the increase in Plasma/cell ratio's of Vitamin A.[38]

Your vet should know what to do if the tortoise is suffering from hypervitaminosis. I'm pretty sure that's what's wrong with the tortoies.

 

[klinej50]

Is my tortoise going to die?! I'm freaking out the vet was specialized in reptiles I figured he would know what is best

 

[Yvonne G]

What causes them to die is that the area gets infected. So if you get him on antibiotics, he has a good chance of pulling through.

 

[wellington]

Wow, I'm so sorry. I sure hope your tort beats this and turns out fine. Unfortunately, most reptile vets have no clue about tortoises. It's sad that they even treat a tortoise without telling the owners they have really never done it before. To bad they don't try to educate themselves on tortoises before treating. Fingers crossed yours is okay.

 

[Jodie]

I hope he is ok.

 

[AmRoKo]

I hope your baby gets better.

 

[wellington]

If you haven't yet, I think I would keep him/her by herself and on paper towels until you can get some antibiotics and s/he starts to get better. I wouldn't want to get dirt or substrate in there.

 

[mikeh]

It sounds like this "reptile specialist" vet already killed one of your tortoises. Now he is working on doing the same to the other. This guy has no business being near a tortoise.

First of he overdosed the animal with vitamin injection.
Second, vitamin injection for soft shell?...This vet is an idiot. Calcium injection, not vitamin injection for soft shell, but the shell doesn't look dire for any injections, rather fix in husbandry. What did he treat the parasites with? Another injection?

You take your tortoise to a proven "tortoise" vet because if this guy messes up with antibiotics you can for sure say goodbye to the tortoise.

The new vet needs to know everything this idiot did to the animal and should be able to explain to you why the skin is falling off by telling him about the vitamin injection. The new vet should NOT inject anything into rear legs and explain why. The new vet should know Leopards can have severe allergic reaction to certain antibiotics.

The idiot vet should refund you all $$, pay for the new vet bills and your last tortoise.

There is a list on the forum for recommended tortoise vets. Really hope you find the right vet quick. The tortoise will not make it thru a second screw up. Don't be afraid to walk out if the vet seems like they have no clue.

 

[ascott]

I would make sure to offer some clean tepid water soaks....you can also do warm water flushes with a small squeeze bottle a few times a day, I would bump the temps up in the enclosure to at least 80 at all times and offer a good basking spot (near 100)...as long as there is not an open wound on the leg and if you are going to offer supervision, I would get that tort outside in the natural sun and air and let him get those benefits....be sure to have shade available for the tort as well...

You can also use a topical antiseptic spray after the warm water flushes....make sure to not use any product that will "cake" onto the area, the caking environment is a breeding ground for bacteria....the treatments should be able to be absorbed fully into the skin and not set ontop of the skin, did I say that right?

Where there is life there is chance...so do not get disheartened, but rather set a plan of attack....be diligent and there is as good a chance the tort will do well as any other chance.....

I would however, never ever, ever go to that vets office again with this or any other tortoise, I also would not let someone else take the tort in the future....folks are ignorantly mesmerized by vets for some reason???? I don't get it. I would absolutely go and share with the vet your feelings on their unskilled treatment of this little tort as well as the other.....but, that is just something I would do...

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, definitely! Even if you don't plan on using this vet again, he needs to know that his vitamin A injection caused the skin to peel off the leg.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I am so sorry to hear about your tort!!
Yes, @mikeh has got that spot on... Find a vet that is proven to work with tortoises, not just 'reptiles'.

 

[Carol S]

I hope your tort gets well soon.

 

[stojanovski92113]

What's the update on your tort???

 

[klinej50]

He is a clean area but seems to be ok. Soaked this morning for 15 min....

 

[Tom]

Kline, just so you know, yours is not a unique experience. I can't even count how many tortoises have died or sloughed skin from "vitamin injections" given by vets who don't have a clue about tortoises. They have little handbooks in the back. When you bring in an animal that they are not familiar with, they go to the back, read the little hand book, and then come out and proclaim the tortoise needs a "vitamin injection". Then what you are seeing and have seen is the outcome days later.

Makes me want to SCREAM!

We need to find the publisher of these vet handbooks and kick them square in the pants. Then find all the vets in the country who blindly ignorantly follow this advice and kick them square in the pants after making them refund all the money they took in for something they know nothing about. I am going to have some sore feet when I am done...

 

[klinej50]

We actually found the vet office on tortoise form and we called and told them it was for two tortoises needed a tool sample and they made an appointment with the vet who had no idea what he was doing (he was on google). He did nothing and still charged us 120. We took him to a different office and this is what happened one died and now one is sick