Oh Boy!?!

Bartman · 08-29-03, 10:50 AM

I woke up today and saw my tortoise walking around like usual but when i picked him up i noticed a piece of his shell is HANGING off. Its a very thin layer of shell and underneath looks sort of like intestines..obviously not his but the pattern looks like little lines and things..i have some pics but there a little blury..is this normal?!?!?!? and what am i supposed to do???

right where the middle of the three fingers is where the piece is

im lifting the little piece slightly on this one.......

enso · 08-29-03, 10:57 AM

Vet asap.

Steele · 08-29-03, 10:58 AM

I have no clue but would recomend a trip to the vet. Keep us posted

johnnym1972 · 08-29-03, 04:23 PM

Where did you get the Tortoise from, and how long ago did you get it? That is a very deep compression fracture, that usually occurs when a large shipment of wild caught Tortoises are packed together for shipping in an unsafe way. That wound needs to be thoroughly cleaned, debrided of any necrotic tissue, and set with a fibreglass mesh cast. The Tortoise will also need to be put on antibiotics to prevent infection, so it is obvious that you only have one option. You need to find a Veterinarian that specializes in Turtles/Tortoises, or at the very least Reptiles in general. You can email me if you need any further information, and please let us know how you and your Tortoise make out. Good luck, Johnny.

Bartman · 08-29-03, 04:42 PM

i found a reptile specialist over the internet and the only one near me but it was recomended by another vet so its probably very good....i will tell them exactly what you said and will make the fix him up nicely..i will take him this sunday..do you think he can last for a day?

Bartman · 08-29-03, 04:49 PM

and i bought the tortoise from someone on THIS site...it looked perfectly fine when i first got it and i have had it for about 2 weeks. Ed_ is the member that sold it to me but i cant get reach of him anymore so i guess he knew it was cracked and thats why he sold it....

Bartman · 08-29-03, 04:53 PM

oh and how much around do you think a procedure like that would cost..canadian...i only have like 60 bucks but if i NEED i can get more............

red bootz · 08-29-03, 05:26 PM

You've had him for two weeks and you didn't notice THAT?
I second johnnyM. Once a bad infection sets in his chances of recovery are greatly decreased. A vet ASAP. And keep him paper towels in the meantime. Plus, you'll definitely need more than 60 bucks....Good Luck.

Bartman · 08-29-03, 05:48 PM

no i had him for 2 weeks and just now the piece is hanging off

Bartman · 08-29-03, 06:11 PM

ive put him on paper towl and im taking him to the vet either tomorrow or the day after...i HOPE to god its nothing toooo serious but i dont care how much money i ship out i am NOT letting him die...i love him tooooooooooo much..thanks everyone for any help you could have given me and ill keep you posted Steele

Nic · 08-29-03, 06:29 PM

Too serious?! Dude hospital ASAP! Keep it clean and wrapped tight! Good Luck man.

icex19 · 08-29-03, 09:47 PM

Good luck

Bartman · 08-29-03, 10:32 PM

thanks

johnnym1972 · 08-30-03, 12:09 AM

Hey Adam, I really hope that you are able to find a good vet, but realistically it will probably cost $200 - $300 for the entire treatment. If you have any trouble finding a vet, or enough money, just try to keep the fracture clean until you are able to get it to a vet, but don't use too much peroxide, since it causes tissue destruction. Betadine works really well, and you can apply it with a cotton swab like a Q-Tip. I also talked to a friend that used the new crazy glue gel formula on a similar fracture with great success, but he had some help with the re-alignment of the shell pieces. Just remember, crazy glue was used for all types of wounds in the big wars, and it is still used in first aid kits worldwide, so it could be a cost effective solution if there is no sign of serious infection. Just make sure that you use a brand new tube, and try to keep everything as clean as possible. Also, try to keep your Tortoise nice and warm, about 85 - 88 degrees is optimal, and also well hydrated. He will heal much quicker and deal with infection much better if he is kept warmer than usual and well hydrated. Sorry it took me so long to post again, but I wasn't available until just now. Good luck, Johnny.

johnnym1972 · 08-30-03, 12:34 AM

Hey Adam, I forgot to respond about the JERK that sold you a sick Tortoise, but won't reply to you when you try to get ahold of him AFTER he took your money. I hate to say it, but if you had bought your Tortoise from a reputable breeder, like me or my friends, you would not have these problems. Not only would you recieve a replacement Tortoise, free of charge. But you would also be assured that the injured Tortoise would recieve all of the medical attention that it needs, without leaving you stuck with the vet bill. Here's a 100% true story of how things went for me, when something was wrong with some Tortoises that I bought. I bought a pair of "Sri Lankan" Indian Star Tortoises (Geochelon Elegans) from a reputable breeder over the internet, and when they arrived, the male had RNS - (runny nose syndrome). The breeder not only paid all of the shipping to fly them back across the country, but he also prepaid the shipping fo fly the replacement pair back!!! He is a perfect example of a caring, responsible breeder and a first class animal lover. I just wanted to share that with all of you, take care. Johnny.