New owner- I think my Hermann has a hole in his shell. Help!

tillysquibs

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I've just collected my first ever tortoise today. He/she is thought to be 3-4 years old. He seems very active. Never had a tortoise before so I have no knowledge of what to do with him other than reading up on the net.
He's spent the last year in a heated outdoor building. It was barely heated though with no lamp. I'd guess it must have been no more than 15 degrees in there. I've got him a UVB and heat lamp but it doesn't arrive until tomorrow.
When we gave him a bath tonight we noticed a hole in his shell. i didn't want to poke too much but it does seems soft underneath the hole. It's not weeping though.
He was feed on veg and fruit, i noticed he had banana, broccoli and cucumber in his bowl. I've bought him some calcium powder but he's not had any yet.

What shall I do about his shell? Also how will I know if he is indeed a he?
Thanks in advance
Amy

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Kori5

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I don't have much experience but I would take him to the vet. It does look like a hole. Sounds like he wasn't kept in good conditions before you got him. What I do know is that you have to change his diet to weeds like dandelions plantain clover hibiscus rose petals etc.
 

Kori5

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He doesn't look like a Hermann tortoise to me. But you need to post better pictures of carpace and plastron.
 

martaemha

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Poor thing. You need to take him to a good tort vet asap. Looks like he suffered awful conditions in this building. The diet he was given was not suitable for him either. You need to visit a vet not only because of the shell but also to get an idea of what's happening underneath. With poor diet his liver and kidneys may potentially be damaged.
This hole may be some injury (for instance dog bite) that hasn't healed yet or an infection. Is the whole of his carapace and plastron soft? From the second picture I am almost 100% sure he is a male but the second thing I am sure of is that this substrate is not appropriate for him. But you only got him today so I hope you will do your best to improve his condition! Good luck and keep us posted!
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Amy:

I agree he probably should see the vet. The vet would be able to pick out any dead tissue from the hole and clean it all out for medication to take effect in there.

Be sure to read our hermann care sheet. You'll find it pinned at the top of the Hermann section here on the forum. Your new tortoise looks like he hasn't had the best care or diet, and he could use some TLC.
 

David Salas

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Can anyone tell me what happened to this Hermann's tortoise, I got it cheap from turtles and tortoises inc. He said it was congenital but this I think is a boldface lie. Accepting this I have one question will these healed wounds go away? Or leave just a minor blemish? And how long will it take to heal over?
 

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TammyJ

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What's going on here???
Tillysquibs, can you please post some more pictures of your tortoise? We would like to try and help.
It's a good idea to get him to a good reptile vet, ASAP, to start with.
All the best, more expert help will come along for you here.
 

David Salas

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What's going on here???
Tillysquibs, can you please post some more pictures of your tortoise? We would like to try and help.
It's a good idea to get him to a good reptile vet, ASAP, to start with.
All the best, more expert help will come along for you here.
I'll see what I can do
 

David Salas

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Ok these are my best pics, hope this helps, it's healed over, no exposed flesh
 

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