HELP--Sulcata may have taken a bite out of plastic

[pascualthetortoise]

We've had our 18 year old Sulcata for a little over a year. Today we gave him a plate of food on a large, hard plastic plate and then left him to eat it after a few minutes. When I came back it looked like he had taken a bite out of the plate. I was hoping he had just stepped on it and broken it, but I couldn't find the missing piece anywhere. Is there anything we can do at this point? Should we take him to the vet?

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

This looks like hard plastic. Is that correct?

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Answered my own question. I think if the pieces aren't too large you may luck out and it will past in the stool. Do you feed a high fiber diet? I ask, because ideally the plastic will be imbedded in the strands and just pass. Watch the stools. Look for any signs of blood in the stool. I wouldn't think at this stage a vet could do anything to help. Keep us informed. Three days or so the plastic should pass.

 

[Jacqui]

Is it a plastic or those hard foam ones? Either way, I would like Ken says watch the stools for it to work it's way through. I would be feeding items to help move it along faster also. Looks like the size is not too large for the size I would guess your tortoise is.

 

[Yvonne G]

don't worry about it. Just make sure the tortoise is well-hydrated, and the plastic will pass right on through. I had a black rubber soaker hose laying across my Manouria pen a few summers ago. I went to turn the water on and couldn't see any little sprays coming up out of the hose. Upon closer inspection, there were several bites taken out of the hose and the water was flowing nicely out the new holes in the hose.

You have to think of your tortoise the same way you would think of your human toddler. If you would have taken the toddler to the pediatrician for the same offense, then go to the vet. If you would have adopted a wait and see attitude with the toddler, then you can also wait and see with the tortoise. But hydration keeps things flowing (like my soaker hose).