The Tortoise Table

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advice/reassurance. I have an 18 month old Hermann's. When I got Izzy there was a small patch of discoloured shell looking like the top layer had flaked off (not the entire scute). It looked fine but there is now a small hole to the side. I've treated with antibacterial solution (diluted Chlorhexidine as per advice elsewhere) to be safe. But could someone advise on if this is ok or what it might be?

[attachment=0]IMG_20210410_105224663.jpg[/attachment]

Izzy otherwise seems to be eating well, passing waste, and is pretty active.

Thanks in advance!
Richard

Hi Richard (hope that’s right)
It looks like at sometime there has been some damage to the shell and I can see where the shell will eventually flake off. What we need to make sure is that it’s clean and there is no live infection in there. A gentle daily scrub with a soft toothbrush with just water or diluted tamodine while you bath him will make the process faster to heal, and a quick vet check just for confirmation what what you are doing is ok and it’s clean.

Hope that is helpful and please keep us posted on the outcome.

Lin

Thanks Lin,

That's great, I'll do that. It was infection I was wondering and worried about. I'll keep a close eye especially for any unusual smell. Does the white bit regain colour, and if the entire scute comes off does a new one grow in its place?

I was also wondering about taking Izzy outside to get direct sunshine. I'm unsure about air temperature as I'm in Scotland and it's currently about 7 degrees. Is that ok if not outside for long periods?

Thank you for this advice and such a brilliant website & resource. I used the plant identification pages with some students in my day job!

Cheers,
Richard

Hi Richard and welcome to you and Izzy from me too.

Just to add to what Lin has said, if you do go to a vet, make sure it is a vet who is qualified to treat 'exotics'. There are some good vets in Scotland, and you could check out the Scotland section of our recommended vets list here: https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... HGRaz_TUZY

Regarding taking Izzy outside -- it's always desirable for tortoises to be in the sunshine, but I think that 7C is probably a bit too cold. If it's over, say12C you can put her out and then just keep feeling her shell and when it starts to feel cool then bring her in again for a warm up. Depending on how big she is (bigger tortoises retain heat longer) she could be outdoors for, say, 15 or 20 minutes at the lower temperature range and then for longer when it gets warmer, and all day when the temperatures rise above, say, 20C. A small tortoise can lose heat quickly though, so do keep checking. Also, most Mediterranean tortoises can handle dry cold, but they don't do well at all in wet cold and can get respiratory infections.

Nina

The general rule of thumb regarding the outside temps is if you can go out in a short sleeve t shirt then it’s ok for tortoises...However, I think the rules are different for you hardy bunch in Scotland you wear t shirts when there’s snow on the ground
I agree with Nina, it’s a bit chilly at 7deg C so hang in there till it rises, it shouldn’t be long now.

Lin


chardholme wrote:
> Thanks Lin,
>
> That's great, I'll do that. It was infection I was wondering and worried
> about. I'll keep a close eye especially for any unusual smell. Does the
> white bit regain colour, and if the entire scute comes off does a new one
> grow in its place?
>
> I was also wondering about taking Izzy outside to get direct sunshine. I'm
> unsure about air temperature as I'm in Scotland and it's currently about 7
> degrees. Is that ok if not outside for long periods?
>
> Thank you for this advice and such a brilliant website & resource. I
> used the plant identification pages with some students in my day job!
>
> Cheers,
> Richard

Thanks both,

That's really helpful. I'll keep Izzy indoors until it warms up to at least 12 degrees, it is currently hail stoning! I've checked the vet list and have a couple of options, if anyone has a recommendation near Dundee or north Fife that would be appreciated too.

Thanks so much for the help and guidance, loving the forum and discussions. Hope everyone is well!
Richard

Hi Richard,

I was just wondering if you took Izzy to the vet, and how she's doing.

Nina