I think my tortoise has mouth rot?

brownbetty524

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Jan 20, 2022
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Stockton,CA
Hi there,
My sulcata tortoise eats fine, but I revamped her indoor cage today with fresh dirt and scrubbed her down outside with fresh water. I noticed that her mouth was deformed and was black and miss-shapen. I am definitely clueless when it comes to turtle care and I need some advice and guidance on what to do for my tortoise. I think it's a girl, I have never had her sexed but I have always called it a "her". I don't have a thermometer in her cage but she does have a day time light and a nighttime light. I give her mixed greens everyday. I was reading on the forums that she must have calcium. But I visited a reptile store recently and saw that they had a tortoise similar in size and I revamped her cage to look like the one that they had in the store.

I am unsure what is wrong with her mouth. Sorry the pictures are so bad she kept trying to retreat to her shell. Honestly I don't handle her a lot I just let her hang out in her cage. I would like to improve how I take care of her. When I bought her she didn't have an eye so she is a one eyed turtle.

Any guidance and help would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time.
 

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wellington

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You need to get a thermometer and know what the temps are! She needs a basking area of 95-100.
All over day temps of 80 with a uvb fluorescent tube bulb. Night temps need to be 80 without any lights on. Following a pet stores advice or how they di things is a very bad idea, most do not have a clue.
The diet needs to be much better with more good items added. She needs 80% humidity and without it she pyramided as yours has done a lot.
Please read the caresheet for sulcatas and get things right asap!
As for the mouth maybe others can see it better them I can.
 

brownbetty524

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Jan 20, 2022
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Stockton,CA
You need to get a thermometer and know what the temps are! She needs a basking area of 95-100.
All over day temps of 80 with a uvb fluorescent tube bulb. Night temps need to be 80 without any lights on. Following a pet stores advice or how they di things is a very bad idea, most do not have a clue.
The diet needs to be much better with more good items added. She needs 80% humidity and without it she pyramided as yours has done a lot.
Please read the caresheet for sulcatas and get things right asap!
As for the mouth maybe others can see it better them I can.
Thank you so much for your information. I will make the changes. I hope others respond to my post. Thanks Again!!
 

Tom

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Try to get some clear pics of the mouth. They are all blurry and I can't zoom in on them. It looks like the top beak has settled inside the lower beak. This is bad. A good tortoise vet might be able todo a series of dremmel tool treatments and get this corrected.

Read and follow that care sheet. As Barb said, most pet stores, even the reptile ones, have it all wrong. They tell you the wrong stuff and sell you the wrong stuff.

Questions are welcome.
 

Yvonne G

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The black is nothing to worry about. It's just plant oxidation from what he's been eating.

I'm looking forward to seeing better pictures so I might offer my opinion but if you're not seeing goopy, cheesy stuff inside the mouth, it's not mouth rot:

1642784533218.png
 

brownbetty524

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Jan 20, 2022
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Location (City and/or State)
Stockton,CA
Hi there,
I really appreciate all of your guidance and feedback! you all are amazing! I am going to the store to make her a new habitat and I am getting the incandescent bulbs. I also took her outside today to a grassy patch and she loved it. She was out for about 35 minutes. I am going to take her again today. (i work from home and had to run in for a meeting) I am also getting her calcium and repti vitamins.
 

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