Nztortoise
New Member
Hello everyone, I’m new to this forum but have been keeping and breeding Hermann tortoises for many years. I live in NZ so we are in the middle of summer here to just to clear up that this is not a hibernation related problem.
This morning I found a 21 year old female dead in her enclosure. I have owned her for the last 10 plus years and she has always been fit and healthy, I’m absolutely devastated. She was fine yesterday, moving around and eating and dead today. I had seen no signs of her being unwell and she had not lost any weight. She was in a pretty bad way when I found her, very swollen, bleeding from the mouth, bottom and shell - I believe this has happened after death though due to the gases in her stomach.
I’ve spoken to a tortoise expert friend who believes the only thing to cause such a fast decline is poisoning (unlikely as my others all appear fine) or perhaps she was egg bound? I’m very concerned as my females and juveniles live together so I’m hoping it’s not some disease.
Has anyone heard of anything similar? Do you think it would be worth getting a vet to xray her to check for eggs?
Sorry for the long winded first post
This morning I found a 21 year old female dead in her enclosure. I have owned her for the last 10 plus years and she has always been fit and healthy, I’m absolutely devastated. She was fine yesterday, moving around and eating and dead today. I had seen no signs of her being unwell and she had not lost any weight. She was in a pretty bad way when I found her, very swollen, bleeding from the mouth, bottom and shell - I believe this has happened after death though due to the gases in her stomach.
I’ve spoken to a tortoise expert friend who believes the only thing to cause such a fast decline is poisoning (unlikely as my others all appear fine) or perhaps she was egg bound? I’m very concerned as my females and juveniles live together so I’m hoping it’s not some disease.
Has anyone heard of anything similar? Do you think it would be worth getting a vet to xray her to check for eggs?
Sorry for the long winded first post