Advice on sulcata shell

[clamoreaux2012]

Picked up this rescue sulcata from the vet's office yesterday. She is about 6 years old, 30lbs. She was apparently dumped on the side if the road, unknown shell injury. Anyone have experience with recovery of a shell this bad? Please share thoughts advice. I took this pix after her shell cleaning tonight.

Thanks!

 

[wellington]

Poor thing. That looks terrible. I can't help you except to give your thread a bump for more exposure. Good luck. Glad you can help her.

 

[Momof4]

Poor thing. I wonder if she was burned?

 

[MichiLove]

Who would do such a terrible thing? She's beautiful. Good for you for taking her in. I hope someone can give some advice on how to take care of her shell.
-Kristen

 

[clamoreaux2012]

Thanks. It doesn't look burned, its hard for us to tell if the missing scoots are due to some sort of shell trauma (although the shell structure is intact), SCUD, or just overall poor nutrition and care. So we are treating her the best we can and hoping for the best. Just wanted to know if anyone else has experience they would like to share? Outcomes and shell re-growth?

She is a sweet thing and tolerates her special baths well. My other two sulcatas were upset when she was up on the table for her bath. They really seem to be accepting of her. Her respiratory rate is normal, eyes clear, moving around, eating, pooing, all of which are good signs. I was recommended to the vet by a friend of mine who does wildlife rehab, so they asked if I could take her. We have the space... whats one more right!?

 

[clamoreaux2012]

Oh, I just wanted to also say that I am not new to sulcatas or rescue animals by any means. I just recently found this forum after trying to find pictures and long term outcome information on our new girls condition. My other two sulcatas we have had for years and are very healthy active torties. People are surprised at our "shed" for them. During the summer months they are free to come and go as they please. Here in VA we have shorter mild winters, but when it starts to cool they go up at night, out during the day. Once they daytime temp is getting below 65 they are up 24hrs a day. They like their shed... they have outgrown traditional reptile heating pad so we use large pig blankets with adjustable temp for them to lay on, heat lamps, UVB lamp, all of which are on timers. Plus it even has a space heater in case it gets really cold with remote temp readings in the kitchen for cont. monitoring. It costs more to heat my torties in the winter than to run my hot tub!

 

[l0velesly]

Poor thing!! It makes me mad that someone would dump it!! I'm thinking it might be shell rot but I don't know... I hope she recovers well! Good thing she was found by you!

 

[Julius25]

How can someone do it ? Poor tort.
You really did a great action by taking her with you
I hope she recovers well

 

[chris_m90731]

Man, humans can be real bastards sometimes. Dumped on the side of the road...

 

[princessdreamsxxx]

I took a leo in just like this and I scraped everything off and is all went back to bone just like this! Bathed twice daily in dusted f10 then applied f10 barrier cream and it has started to heal after 8 months but still to early for re growth signs of how it will look long term my reptile vet who specialises in tortoises said it will never gain a pattern again it will hopefully just re grow to cover the bone area so hopefully it's not so sensitive for her we had her shell tested and it was extreme dry shell rot through poor housing I could not believe it when I got her I practically lifted half her shell off her back! All her carprace is deformed underneath and she is so lovely she comes to me now every morning

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome, clamoreaux2012!

Sad to say, I've seen this before. The most likely thing to have happened to the tortoise was that someone had the heat light hanging too low and the tortoise was burned. It is usually one of those red lights of a high wattage.

What happens is the bone dies. It will be white, dead bone showing for a very long time. During this time, new keratin and bone grow under the dead bone. This takes a very long time. In a big tortoise like that it will take years. But eventually the white, dead bone will flake off and the new kertatin will show. It will never look as pretty as the original shell, but given enough time, it will look better than it does.

 

[EricIvins]

That is old burn damage......New growth has been coming in for a short time, so leave it be. Treating, scrubbing, or using anything topical could actually slow down the healing process. All the animal needs is good husbandry at this point.......

 

[clamoreaux2012]

Thanks for the info, this is the worst shell I have seen. I don't care is she is never pretty, or her shell doesn't grow right. It just worries me having bone showing (even though she came from the vet) for some reason it makes me a little nervous.

The "scrub" we are using is veterinary antimicrobial surgical scrub once per day for 7 days, I use a soft kitchen sponge to foam it up and let it sit on her shell for two minutes. It will kill any bacteria, etc, since we are unsure of her entire history.

UPDATE: She (still haven't found the right name) was more active today, exploring more of the yard while grazing. Then she gobbled down the kale and collard green salad I made her for dinner which was good to see. She was not as happy about her special bath today, she kept trying to climb off off of the table which has sides on it. Still very friendly and docile, although she did hiss a little when I picked her up to put her on the table for her bath. Was able to get a good look at her belly today, everything appears okay there.