See what you vet says tomorrow. Let us know what's said. Are you bathing him. Has he pooped.
Redfoot's arms and neck look puffy.
- Thread starter jockma
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Yes, I soaked him for a moment but decided to feed him first before I soak him more. He hasn't pooped. He's definitely straining though, he puffed up so big while pushing, scared me half to death.
If it looks like something is stuck in his tail, try putting a little mineral oil in his vent to help lubricate whatever it is to get it out.
What kind of substrate do you use in his enclosure?
100% coco coir, I don't have any mineral oil on me...is there anything else I can use?
He's soaking now and he's farting a LOT. That's good...
That's what happened to mine. I kept feeding foods that loosen them up. And warm baths. Her poop was very hard, at one bit a long twig came out with thorns on it. About 2 to 3" long. I'm not saying yours is not an infection but it sounds like some sort of blockage. It will be interesting to see what your vet says. Keep the baths warm. Does he struggle to get out of the bath? If he's sloshing about in the bath trying to escape its a good thing, its making him exercise and adding to getting things moving.
Olive oil or coconut oil should work
I put some olive oil there. The soak didn't help him pass anything so I'm giving him a break for now. Hopefully the strawberries and yesterday's papaya help him out.
It doesn't look that bad. Maybe he has a very large poop stuck there, maybe he ate some coir. Put him in a large tube with shallow water so he can walk. Maybe it will move things. But what helped me the most is a 20 minute car ride to the vet 
. He started pooping really big.
. He started pooping really big.
Vet appt is at 12 tomorrow! Really looking forward to it to put my mind at ease. He's eating and moving about so I've calmed down a bit...still probably way too worried to be healthy for myself lol...but I'm optimistic! Thanks for the well wishesSorry to have just heard your tort seems sick.
He also seems to be stressed. Head gets dry so easily.
@Yvonne G . If this was a kidney infection, would the puffing up come and go like this?
It will come and go if he's straining trying to push some sort of blockage. Its the nature of pushing, I'm guessing if trying to pass kidney stones this will happen. But I don't know if when they do get a kidney infection whether it permanently puffs up or not.
I'm still not seeing anything unusual. Edema isn't transient like what you are describing. Tortoises puff out certain parts are they breath and move - you may just be seeing totally normal pudge, for lack of a better word.
It's hard for me to capture it in photographs. His soft tissue is usually concave there, this more or less happened overnight. Here's how it looks from below. I also just noticed a little red spot on his soft tissue...I'm hoping it's a little abrasion from him trying to escape the soak tub.
