Swollen Russian tortoise

[Jessica w.]

View attachment 210507
View attachment 210507

 

[Jessica w.]

I am concerned about my Russian tortoise she seems to have swollen around her legs up by shell. Eating good, moving, active. Temps and lighting correct. Feeding various greens. 6ftx3ft encloser. What is causing this. She has been wormed in past. Should she be wormed again?

 

[Pearly]

This is BAD. We need much more info than just one picture. Detailed description, please. If she was mine I'd be on the phone asking my herp vet for urgent appointment. Meanwhile how do you keep her? What type enclosure? Pictures if it please. What are her enclosure temps/humidity? Is she eating? And what do you feed her and how often? Does she have water dish in her enclosure? Do you soak her? What do pee and poo look like? How is is acting? Where are you located????Crank her enclosure temps up to 85F give her nice long warm soak asap, call the vet, then please answer all of the above questions. How old is your tort? Do you know the gender?

 

[zovick]

Kidney failure is the most common cause of that "bloated" look. There may not be any good treatment for that condition. Take the tortoise to a good reptile vet to have it examined.

 

[Jessica w.]

She is eating great, active. Temps 72-95-85 6ft encloser eats varied greens. Seems to be in good health besides this. Our reptile vet is 1 hrs 1/2 away and she doesn't work e

 

[Jessica w.]

The vet doesn't work every week. Hard to get in

 

[Jessica w.]

Has anyone seen this before?

 

[Pearly]

She is eating great, active. Temps 72-95-85 6ft encloser eats varied greens. Seems to be in good health besides this. Our reptile vet is 1 hrs 1/2 away and she doesn't work e

I have never seen any living creature that's "in good health" with this much edema. You mention the swelling is "around the legs and by the shell"? So it's on both hips/butt? Meaning symetrical?

 

[Jessica w.]

I have never seen any living creature that's "in good health" with this much edema. You mention the swelling is "around the legs and by the shell"? So it's on both hips/butt? Meaning symetrical?

 

[Jessica w.]

Yes around both back legs. A little around front.

 

[Pearly]

Yes around both back legs. A little around front.

Jessica, the fact that she is eating and acting normal doesn't surprise me. Torts are very tough and can take a lot before their body starts to decompensate. Edema is NOT normal. If it was just in one place I'd say "bug bite" or some other local trauma, but all over like this, is likely to be a symptom of internal organ involvement. I don't mean to fear monger here but again if she were mine I'd want to check her basic labs at least (blood count, chemistry which both can tell you about infection, kidney/liver/electrolyte problems). Could we go back to my first reply to your initial post? And could you answer every single one of my questions that I asked there? Address one by one with detail. Include pictures. This way we'll get a little better picture and might be able to give you some better advise to tide you over until she can be seen by your vet

 

[Kasia]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/teabag-pillow.144140/page-1
That is kidney/liver failure symptom. I had the same stuff with my tortoise. It's probably a matter of time for him to stop eating and get lethargic. They can go for a long time with all that fluid building up but it's a torture. Vet ASAP. I soaked mine in herbal tea increasing diuresis - try that it helps a lot (link on top). And got him on drugs stimulating liver for about 2 months. He pulled trough but there were times that I thought that he won't. His was diagnosed with a gout. He was swollen and had deposits of uric acid/salts crystals on both sides of his head/neck that were removed in a course of a surgery.

 

[Jessica w.]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/teabag-pillow.144140/page-1
That is kidney/liver failure symptom. I had the same stuff with my tortoise. It's probably a matter of time for him to stop eating and get lethargic. They can go for a long time with all that fluid building up but it's a torture. Vet ASAP. I soaked mine in herbal tea increasing diuresis - try that it helps a lot (link on top). And got him on drugs stimulating liver for about 2 months. He pulled trough but there were times that I thought that he won't. His was diagnosed with a gout. He was swollen and had deposits of uric acid/salts crystals on both sides of his head/neck that were removed in a course of a surgery.

 

[Kasia]

??

 

[Jessica w.]

[QUOTE="Jessica w., post: 1496052, I am having a hard time using this site. She is in a 6ft×3ft horse trough encloser. Heat temps right now 80-90-77 she is eating varied greens, very active, soaks. I seed some of the turtle groups, they all said she was fat. Her poop looks the same. I was told to worm her. She has been wormed in past. I have appointment with reptile vet but couldn't get in untile 23rd. I left my local dog vet a message to see what she could do, maybe blood work. I check inside her mouth and it's pink. I also gave her a carrot soak. My local dog vet will take any recommendations, but hasn't seen many reptiles.

 

[Kasia]

[QUOTE="Jessica w., post: 1496052, I am having a hard time using this site. She is in a 6ft×3ft horse trough encloser. Heat temps right now 80-90-77 she is eating varied greens, very active, soaks. I seed some of the turtle groups, they all said she was fat. Her poop looks the same. I was told to worm her. She has been wormed in past. I have appointment with reptile vet but couldn't get in untile 23rd. I left my local dog vet a message to see what she could do, maybe blood work. I check inside her mouth and it's pink. I also gave her a carrot soak. My local dog vet will take any recommendations, but hasn't seen many reptiles.

When you open her mouth do you feel pee ish smell?

 

[Jessica w.]

 

[Jessica w.]

Her encloser is also insulated around out side under curtain around. Could this be a bacteria infection, hidden respiratory. Her breathing sounds good. What other info can I give that may help. What all can I ask my dog vet do Monday. She is really good to try and help

 

[Kasia]

If your local Vet can get blood from her do uric acid, liver enzymes and calcium to phosphorus ratio. That will get a look on kidney/liver function. Go for blood morphology as well.

 

[Kasia]

It can be a lot of things but as @Pearly wrote it's not a good singh and it needs a Vet visit. I see similarities to mine story but hopefully yours is different nevertheless don't underestimate the symptoms.