Anyone know what this is?

[Jeremy 1]

Hello,
Is this mouth rot? This just started recently. 15 month old sulcata. Is there a remedy, or just go straight to vet. Thanks!

 

[tortdad]

Can you get a clearer pic. A few different angles

 

[Jeremy 1]

 

[Jeremy 1]

Can you get a clearer pic. A few different angles

I loaded some better pics. Thanks

 

[Stuart S.]

How long have you had him? What does he eat? Have you noticed him eating his feces?

 

[Bee62]

What happens to the green around the beak / mouth if you clean it with warm water ? Could it be washed away ?
I see that a piece of the lower beak has broke away. Was the beak overgrown and now that pieces has been broken ?
Sulcatas are not known for any rot, shell or mouth.

 

[Tom]

Where are you and how is this tortoise housed?

It is unusually for the lower beak to break like that, and my best guess is that a rodent got in there and chewed on him at night. It would be difficult for a baby to bite something hard enough to do that to itself.

I'd clean it with a dab of peroxide on a Q-tip and keep an eye on it. It should heal in time.

 

[Jeremy 1]

How long have you had him? What does he eat? Have you noticed him eating his feces?

I have had him for just over a year. I feed him clovers, grass, grapevine leaves, cactus, mazuri, and spring mix (winter). I add vitamin powder about every 3 days. Soak twice a week. I did soak daily for the first 6 months I had him.
I have never noticed him eating feces.

 

[Jeremy 1]

What happens to the green around the beak / mouth if you clean it with warm water ? Could it be washed away ?
I see that a piece of the lower beak has broke away. Was the beak overgrown and now that pieces has been broken ?
Sulcatas are not known for any rot, shell or mouth.

Yes, the green is from his food, he just finished eating before i tok the picture. I did not think that it was overgrown. He is the smallest of 3 I have. Maybe it was more of a injury and not rot. Thanks for the response!

 

[Jeremy 1]

Where are you and how is this tortoise housed?

It is unusually for the lower beak to break like that, and my best guess is that a rodent got in there and chewed on him at night. It would be difficult for a baby to bite something hard enough to do that to itself.

I'd clean it with a dab of peroxide on a Q-tip and keep an eye on it. It should heal in time.

I have 3 suclcatas in a very large terrarium inside with uvb and spot heat lamp, heating pad under cage set from 11am to 3pm to mimic the hottest part of the day. Coconut husk shavings and play sand substrate that I keep moist then let dry before I add more water. Hide with tortoise moss moist. Temps are perfect. 100 degree spot light area. 76 degrees on other side to the hottest time it will rise to 90. Water dish, and I feed them off tile peice that is a bit course to keep there beak trim hopefully.
For about a month now it's been warmer outside. So everyday I put them in the lawn with a fence around them. They eat the lawn and clovers and bask or move to shade.
Thanks for the response!

 

[Jeremy 1]

Where are you and how is this tortoise housed?

It is unusually for the lower beak to break like that, and my best guess is that a rodent got in there and chewed on him at night. It would be difficult for a baby to bite something hard enough to do that to itself.

I'd clean it with a dab of peroxide on a Q-tip and keep an eye on it. It should heal in time.

Oh, and I live outside las vegas.

 

[Yvonne G]

No, not mouth rot. I'd be willing to bet he was up on top of something, like his shelter, and he face planted and chipped the beak. Don't worry about it. It will grow back.

 

[Jeremy 1]

No, not mouth rot. I'd be willing to bet he was up on top of something, like his shelter, and he face planted and chipped the beak. Don't worry about it. It will grow back.

That's a huge relief! Thanks for the reply.

 

[tortdad]

Is the fence a chain link fence? He could have broke it trying to taste the fence

 

[Jeremy 1]

No, its that plastic coated stuff. Pic attached. The sulcatas are small so I got this with the rungs close together. I'm not sure how it could have happened. Sometimes they do get on top of the hide. Maybe a bird? Although we don't leave them unattended for very long. I wonder if it wasn't one of the other 2. Sometimes they do the lady and the tramp, where 2 are eating the same peice of food. Of the 3 this one is the smallest. The largest one is 4 times his size. I wonder if he got bit. Thanks.

 

[Tom]

I have 3 suclcatas in a very large terrarium inside with uvb and spot heat lamp, heating pad under cage set from 11am to 3pm to mimic the hottest part of the day. Coconut husk shavings and play sand substrate that I keep moist then let dry before I add more water. Hide with tortoise moss moist. Temps are perfect. 100 degree spot light area. 76 degrees on other side to the hottest time it will rise to 90. Water dish, and I feed them off tile peice that is a bit course to keep there beak trim hopefully.
For about a month now it's been warmer outside. So everyday I put them in the lawn with a fence around them. They eat the lawn and clovers and bask or move to shade.
Thanks for the response!

My best guess is that he bit something he shouldn't have, or something bit him. Outside the ground squirrels are awful. Could be that, or it could have been one of the other tortoises trying to eat the same pice of food as him. Could be the fence you are using too. Is it a see through fence, or a solid visual barrier?

That tortoise is very small for its age. Are the other ones bigger?

The following points are not necessarily related to your issue there, but might help in general:
-I would never use an under tank heat mat for tortoises. It is not safe. Heat should come from over head.
-No spot spot bulbs. Use flood bulbs instead. Spot bulbs concentrate too much carapace desiccating IR-A into too small of an area.
-No sand. It is a huge impaction risk and possible skin and eye irritant.
-76 is too cool for little sulcatas. Keep it above 80F 24/7.
-Due to the smaller size, I would soak daily or at least 5 times a week.
-You didn't say how many hours they spend outside daily, but keeping little ones outside for too much time per day greatly slows their growth and contributes to pyramiding and dehydration. They should be soaked when you bring them back in every day that they get outside time. I don't relax on this until they get some size on them.

Here are some ideas for outdoor enclosures:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/cheap-easy-simple-sunning-enclosure.14680/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/simple-sunning-enclosure.104351/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...table-but-safe-outdoor-baby-enclosures.30683/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/outdoor-enclosures.121732/

Hope these things help.

 

[Jeremy 1]

Cool, thanks for your help!!

 

[Bee62]

Your fence for outdoors is not good for tortoises. They can look trough the fence and try to get out not knowing that they don`t can get trough the fence.
It is better for tortoises to be kept in a fence that they can`t see trough. A wooden fence or a stone fence is much better.
And please cover the outdoor enclosure against predators. Ravens or crows are everywhere, intelligent and fast. They can get a baby tortoise and take the tort with them easily and quick.