Infected bite

LolaMyLove

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My larger female Russian has bitten my younger female pretty badly about 3 weeks ago. I have been soaking the younger girl and keeping an eye on the wound. It scabed over and has looked like it was healing ok. Yesterday I noticed it looked a little swollen and today it looks terriable. Along with a new missing scale on the other leg the skin on her leg is turning white and the wound is now reopened. Is there anything I can do for it or is it time for a reptile vet visit? uploadfromtaptalk1432916681477.jpguploadfromtaptalk1432916689764.jpg
 

LolaMyLove

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Well now I need some home health tips because I only have two vet options that treat reptiles near me and neither can see her until monday.
 

Tom

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You need prescription oral or injectable antibiotics right now. That is a bad infection and she could lose the leg. One of those vets needs to see you ASAP today. This is an emergency and cannot wait. Its up to you to make them understand that.

Don't take "no" for an answer because the saucy office girls want a light day before the weekend.
 

LolaMyLove

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Ok just got home from Berkeley Dog and Cat Vet Services who have two reptile vets on staff. I can't attach the picture but the treatment room I was in was lined with tortoise shells of different types. Very morbid yet beautiful at the same time. The doctor spent a good amount of time inspecting Ruby. They flushed out the bite and packed it with silvadene cream (and sent some home with me) and gave her a ceftazidime injection as well and showing me how too and sending 4 more doses home with me. If all goes well we see her again in a few weeks, and can assess any long term damage to the leg if any. Please keep you fingers crossed for her. I so wish I had taken her to the vet sooner.
 

Jodie

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Poor baby. Keep us updated. Sure glad you were able to find a vet for her. Hoping for a full recovery for her.
 

Lyn W

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I hope she is better soon. Was the reopened wound and loss of scale on the other leg caused by a new attack by the bigger tort? If so maybe you need to separate them.
 

johnsonnboswell

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Unfortunately russian tortoises do not do well in pairs, as you too have discovered. It's a nuisance to have to operate two separate habitats, but there's no going back. In a crazy way, it's maybe better when one draws blood so it's obvious that aggressive behavior is going on, instead of one quietly bullying the other to death.
 

LolaMyLove

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Yes, my larger female is a bully. They all (3) live outside in a 35'x70' enclosure yet she hunts out the smaller one. I have to build a separating wall to stop this. Even feeding them 15 feet apart with sight blockers does not stop my big girl. For the time being I have the smaller one inside while shes healing.
 

LolaMyLove

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Update on her leg: I have been soaking her daily and flushing the wound then reapplying the cream. The bite it's self appears to be healing but the leg around the bite I'm not sure about. The scales are peeling away from her leg and I can see a small amount of black tissue. [emoji20]
Otherwise she's doing fine. She has a heath ly appetite and normal behavior. Tonight she gets her 2nd home injection. It's a 2 person job, she's very strong!!!
 

tortadise

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Ok just got home from Berkeley Dog and Cat Vet Services who have two reptile vets on staff. I can't attach the picture but the treatment room I was in was lined with tortoise shells of different types. Very morbid yet beautiful at the same time. The doctor spent a good amount of time inspecting Ruby. They flushed out the bite and packed it with silvadene cream (and sent some home with me) and gave her a ceftazidime injection as well and showing me how too and sending 4 more doses home with me. If all goes well we see her again in a few weeks, and can assess any long term damage to the leg if any. Please keep you fingers crossed for her. I so wish I had taken her to the vet sooner.
Sounds like a good vet. That's great application and antibiotic. Cool shells too.
 

LolaMyLove

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So quick update. Ruby went back to the vet for her follow up last week. All looks great! The wound is healing nicely, there is still a small amount of black tissue but it's not spreading. A few more weeks and I should know more but at this point it's all good signs.
 

Alaskamike

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So glad this is healing. Maybe a sticky thread with pics like this and a brief description of how it happened could be placed under " why not keep tortoises together ?"

I remember seeing a armed sulcata who's she'll was literally opened to his insides by the gulags of another. Quite a sobering picture.
 

Tom

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So quick update. Ruby went back to the vet for her follow up last week. All looks great! The wound is healing nicely, there is still a small amount of black tissue but it's not spreading. A few more weeks and I should know more but at this point it's all good signs.

Thanks for the update. Hope the recovery continues.
 

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