Worried

[Misty23x]

One of my tortoises seems to have become really yellow in the legs and the front legs have large protruding scales. I picked her up and her mouth was open. Anyone know if these are symptoms are a sign of her being unwell?
Many thanks

 

[wellington]

What kind of tortoise do you have? What are the enclosure temps, humidity, substrate, diet, lighting, heat? Also, how old and a picture would all help a lot.
Also, hello and welcome

 

[Yvonne G]

We're going to need to see pictures, Misty. It's hard to diagnose or give out info without being able to see what you're talking about. Even harder when we don't know what species you're talking about.

While we're waiting for pictures, you can start by giving your tortoise a good, long soak in warm water.

 

[Misty23x]

Sorry I was a bit vague!
I've taken a close up of one of her legs. I think she is around 2 years old but not really sure. Her mouth is closed now just concerned as the scales are very prominent. I keep them in a glass vivarium which is well lit during the day and has a heat mat underneath and I turn both light and mat off when I go to bed. Their diet mainly consists of lettuce, cucumber, fruit and the tortoise pellets.

 

[Misty23x]

We're going to need to see pictures, Misty. It's hard to diagnose or give out info without being able to see what you're talking about. Even harder when we don't know what species you're talking about.

While we're waiting for pictures, you can start by giving your tortoise a good, long soak in warm water.

I've sent one pic and here's another

She has a couple of white spots on her head too. Not sure if this is normal?
Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[wellington]

I can't really tell what is going on with the leg, if anything. However, the diet needs some improvement. Lettuce is not the best item to give. Cucumber is mainly water, not too bad, but not for all the time. Check out thetortoisetable.org.uk for more edible items to add.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Misty:

It looks like her leg is swollen. There's no way for us to know what is causing the swelling...a bug bite, a sprain, etc. Try to find a good tortoise vet in your area and take the tortoise in for an evaluation. In such a small container, the tortoise might have been trying to escape, and slid down the side, spraining her leg. But we have no way of knowing.

But a good start in making the tortoise healthy would be for you to upgrade her living arrangements. Two tortoises of that size just can't live in a viv. At the very least, two adult tortoises need a 4'x8' space.

I think that your tortoise might be Hermanni. Here's a link to a good care sheet. Please study it and make some changes for your tortoises' well being.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-63799.html