Help, tortoise injured by dog

Aphrael

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A dog got in and gnawed on the tortoise shell. His body doesn’t seem injured but pieces of his shell were gnawed off. We are washing the wounds and using a diluted iodine mixture. What else can we do? I saw posts of putting dressings over the wounds to prevent flies etc but I’m not sure how we can do that based on the location of the damaged shell. Getting to a vet is not an option currently; please, any guidance would be really appreciated
 

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zovick

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A dog got in and gnawed on the tortoise shell. His body doesn’t seem injured but pieces of his shell were gnawed off. We are washing the wounds and using a diluted iodine mixture. What else can we do? I saw posts of putting dressings over the wounds to prevent flies etc but I’m not sure how we can do that based on the location of the damaged shell. Getting to a vet is not an option currently; please, any guidance would be really appreciated
The chewed shell edges will heal over time. Just keep the broken areas clean and free of flies and maggots. To help keep flies off, you might be able to put some tape over the broken edges. I would try using adhesive tape or even duct tape to cover the areas which are broken.

Was the dog which did this yours? Obviously, you will need to find a safer place for your tortoise. If these wounds were just a little worse than they are, they could actually cause the death of your tortoise from shock and blood loss. I have seen such deaths happen to other peoples' tortoises over the years.

Where is Centurion?
 
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Aphrael

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Oh man that's hard to look at. Can you explain why a vet is not an option?

@Yvonne G and @zovick might be able to provide further advice. Wishing for the best.
Thank you! I wrote the initial post very fast and in panic so I realize I maybe left out some of the details. To add come context and to reply to @zovick questions as well:

We rescued the tortoise from someone who indicated that their dog had attacked their tortoise but they said the injuries were “minor”. This is the condition we got him in which is why I posted the message to see what more we can do for him. The reason a vet isn’t an option currently is that we stay on a plot in South Africa and are without transport currently.

I feel so terrible for the poor little guy. Will tape the shell edges as suggested on here. Will keep updated as it goes along
 

Yvonne G

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It's not as bad as it looks. Just try to keep it clean and free of flies/maggots. To help keep the flies off you can apply a sitcky cream or ointment to the areas. This will also attract dirt, so it will be a daily hassle until it heals enough to not attract flies.
 

Aphrael

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It's not as bad as it looks. Just try to keep it clean and free of flies/maggots. To help keep the flies off you can apply a sitcky cream or ointment to the areas. This will also attract dirt, so it will be a daily hassle until it heals enough to not attract flies.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the guidance. Will apply an ointment as well.
 

zovick

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Thank you! I wrote the initial post very fast and in panic so I realize I maybe left out some of the details. To add come context and to reply to @zovick questions as well:

We rescued the tortoise from someone who indicated that their dog had attacked their tortoise but they said the injuries were “minor”. This is the condition we got him in which is why I posted the message to see what more we can do for him. The reason a vet isn’t an option currently is that we stay on a plot in South Africa and are without transport currently.

I feel so terrible for the poor little guy. Will tape the shell edges as suggested on here. Will keep updated as it goes along
So was this a wild tortoise which just happened to be attacked by the dog or was it the pet of the dog owner?

Glad you have tried to help the animal, either way.

If it was a wild tortoise, simply putting it back into the general area where it was found might be the best option. It will either survive on its own or not. I have seen wild turtles and tortoises with even worse injuries than this which have healed with no help from humans. Obviously, you would not want to put it close to the dog owner's property, but if a god spot could be found reasonably nearby, releasing it may be your best choice.
 

Aphrael

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So was this a wild tortoise which just happened to be attacked by the dog or was it the pet of the dog owner?

Glad you have tried to help the animal, either way.

If it was a wild tortoise, simply putting it back into the general area where it was found might be the best option. It will either survive on its own or not. I have seen wild turtles and tortoises with even worse injuries than this which have healed with no help from humans. Obviously, you would not want to put it close to the dog owner's property, but if a god spot could be found reasonably nearby, releasing it may be your best
According to the lady, she had been raising him for the past 6 years. She said he is roughly 6 yrs old so I assume she had him from young. She was very distraught that her dog suddenly did this, they have apparently never had an incident in the past
 

zovick

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According to the lady, she had been raising him for the past 6 years. She said he is roughly 6 yrs old so I assume she had him from young. She was very distraught that her dog suddenly did this, they have apparently never had an incident in the past
There are innumerable threads on the site with these same horror stories. 99% of the time, they are done by dogs which have never bitten anyone or anything. Many times, the tortoises don't survive. This one was lucky its injuries weren't any worse.

If you keep tortoises where dogs can get at them, sooner or later this type of incident will happen no matter how friendly the dog has always been, etc., etc.
 

Sarah2020

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Thank you so much! I really appreciate the guidance. Will apply an ointment as well.
As mentioned continually add and leave cream this will suffocate and prevent maggots which would naturally start appearing. When I was younger we had a tortoise with shell damage and the hole was filled with savalon and a plaster applied and regularly washed out and cleaned over time it will heal. I think the tortoise was terrified and luckily secure in it shell. Please ensure you soak the tortoise in shallow water to hydrate and provide fresh green veg. Papaya skin may be a favourite in your part if the world. Good luck and wish it a speedy recovery.
 

Sarah2020

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There are innumerable threads on the site with these same horror stories. 99% of the time, they are done by dogs which have never bitten anyone or anything. Many times, the tortoises don't survive. This one was lucky its injuries weren't any worse.

If you keep tortoises where dogs can get at them, sooner or later this type of incident will happen no matter how friendly the dog has always been, etc., etc.
I think they have adopted the bitten tortoise, however totally agreed canine and tortoise not a good mix.
 

wellington

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I don't think taping it is a good idea. @Yvonne G can weigh in on this.
You want to keep it clean and free of flies but I think the cream Yvonne mentioned would be better then tape.
You could try wrapping it with gauze which is breathable.
 

JMM

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Thank you for helping this tort. Please get it to a veterinarian or local animal health worker as soon as possible. In the meantime, you need to provide supportive care and as others have indicated, keep the wounds free of flies and infection. Keep the tortoise in a safe, confined area with a relatively clean substrate--i.e. not soil or sand--and access to shade and some sort of humid area to help prevent dehydration. In its compromised condition, this tort is unlikely to be able to fend for itself. Provide food and water. Make sure food is highly palatable--i.e. make sure the tort is eating it and getting enough hydration. Clean wounds daily--iodine can inhibit healing--better to use something like dilute chlorhexidine if available or even a soapy solution made with gentle dye free scent free dish soap. Infection (localized or even systemic) and flies are the greatest risk. An antibiotic ointment can be applied until wounds start to heal over. Gauze as wellington suggest can be used to help keep wounds clean. Clean and inspect wounds 1-2x/day. Soak daily in clean water (depending on water source, boiled and cooled might be necessary to help prevent infection) once wounds have begun to heal over. Be patient. Torts take a very, very long time to heal.
 

teemo

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I saw your post and wanted to add but there isn't much more that could be said. I was expecting to see some serious damage that wasn't around the edges and was going to add some possibilities for treating that which is a really bad problem. Around the edges isn't bad as long as there is no infection - so treat with that in mind. If there is something like a zoo anywhere in your area you might try calling them and they might be able to direct you toward whoever treats their reptiles, herps, etc. Damage around the edges happens in the wild and aside from looking 'rough' after the fact isn't so bad.
 

florida1

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Shell won't heal. My Russian was chewed on five years ago. She is fine but the shell is still chipped. See photo below. The original owner gave her to me to keep her safe from the dog. If your tortoise only has shell damage it should be fine -just a bit less than perfect.
 

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Mattesj

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A dog got in and gnawed on the tortoise shell. His body doesn’t seem injured but pieces of his shell were gnawed off. We are washing the wounds and using a diluted iodine mixture. What else can we do? I saw posts of putting dressings over the wounds to prevent flies etc but I’m not sure how we can do that based on the location of the damaged shell. Getting to a vet is not an option currently; please, any guidance would be really appreciated
When a dog stole my tortoise, the vet gave him a shot of antibiotics. Mine was not as bad but he healed fine.
 

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