Shell problems

[OR*Tort*lover]

Hi everyone,

I just brought home my Russian tort last week. I was wondering if you more knowledgeable people could give me advice on his shell. I just gave him a good once over and I feel like his ventral side looks horrible.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

He looks very dry and either has healed puncture holes from a dog. Or some other healed damage.
Hopefully a member with RT experience will come along soon.
It's very common for Russian tortoises to have scars and such.
They're very active and very scrappy.

 

[OR*Tort*lover]

He looks very dry and either has healed puncture holes from a dog. Or some other healed damage.
Hopefully a member with RT experience will come along soon.
It's very common for Russian tortoises to have scars and such.
They're very active and very scrappy.

I was part of his care before he came to live with me and he was kept in an open top on dry substrate so that's not surprising. I'm trying to change that for him. I've still got alot to learn but I'm hoping that I can make the rest of his life as happy, healthy, and comfortable as possible.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I was part of his care before he came to live with me and he was kept in an open top on dry substrate so that's not surprising. I'm trying to change that for him. I've still got alot to learn but I'm hoping that I can make the rest of his life as happy, healthy, and comfortable as possible.

With this forum, you and he will be just fine

 

[Blackdog1714]

Yep he needs a good soaking and maybe a little rub down of the coconut oil that is solid

 

[Yvonne G]

I would worry more about that overgrown beak than the shell. His plastron looks like it might have had some shell rot at one time or another, but I think it's gone now. (but hard to really tell from a picture) Take a tooth brush and scrub the shell clean then take another picture and show us.

 

[OR*Tort*lover]

I would worry more about that overgrown beak than the shell. His plastron looks like it might have had some shell rot at one time or another, but I think it's gone now. (but hard to really tell from a picture) Take a tooth brush and scrub the shell clean then take another picture and show us.

So that is something I can help with. I have experience with bird beaks but I've never done a tortoise. The only thing I worry about and the reason his beak is overgrown I guess, is that I don't really know how a healthy beak should look like, so I'm not sure how much to trim back.

ETA. I'll soak him and scrub him later today and post another pic then.

 

[Yvonne G]

Just clip tiny pieces off all the way around. Don't try to take a bit bite all at once, just tiny bits. The top overlaps the bottom just a very tiny bit.

 

[Yvonne G]

Feeding the tortoise foods he has to bite off, not cut up foods, helps to keep the beak trimmed.

 

[OR*Tort*lover]

Post spa treatment. Pooped in his bath. Hated the shell scrub and polish. Did better than expected with the beak trim. Hated when I tried to file it smooth though.

Lmk how the beak length looks. I was at the point where I was scared to take more so I stopped.

 

[Yvonne G]

That beak looks much better, but you can still take off more. The plastron shows signs of previous shell rot. Little Russian tortoises are gathered up by the hundreds and piled into small boxes or enclosures where they poop and pee on each other, and sit in that waste day and night, while awaiting to be shipped to another country for selling. Then they go to a dealer where conditions are not much better. So by the time the pet store gets them, they have shell rot and dinged up shells. Your little tortoise's plastron looks pretty good. You an see all new keratin growing in those ragged spots. He looks great after his spa treatment!