Skin condition in sulcata tortoise

[sandycobb1]

I have a 10 year old male sulcata who is not feeling well. The skin around his neck is peeling. He is still eating tortoise pellets but is not interested in fresh food or sunshine. He seems kind of weak. Any Ideas?

 

[Kristina]

RE: Skill condition in sulcata tortoise

Has he been to the veterinarian lately and received any Vitamin A shots?

Pictures and more details about your set up/care would be great. The peeling skin could be just dryness and not related to the lethargy at all, but more details are needed to be sure.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

RE: Skill condition in sulcata tortoise

The skin shedding means nothing, the rest means he needs to go to the Vet now, don't waste time until he is sicker.

 

[Tom]

RE: Skill condition in sulcata tortoise

Hello and welcome to the forum.

We need a lot more info to help you.

Where are you? How is he housed? What kind of "pellets" are you feeding him? What are you doing for water? Etc...

 

[TortieLuver]

Welcome to the forum! yes, with pictures and more information, we might be able to help you better.

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum, I agree with all above, more info will be needed to help you..

 

[sandycobb1]

He lives in a tough shed outside out portland home. He went to the vet in December and we think he had an A shot in December. He dosent have access to water every day, but we can make that happen. The pellets were sold to me by the reptile vet. I will upload picture ASAP. I am very worried. But the reptile vet is very expensive.

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We just gave him some water and took some pictures. I dont know how to upload them.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Sandy:

Welcome to the forum!!

(Portland, Oregon? or Portland, Maine?)

I really like your set-up. An insulated shed with the hot lights and a dog house inside. That one picture even looks like he's got a TV!

But, you're right, he doesn't look too good. Don't worry about the peeling skin unless it gets raw underneath the peeling. To me, he looks dehydrated. Can you buy a plastic kiddie pool and put him inside it to soak? And buy one of those rubberized non-tip dog bowls for water inside the shed.

I don't care if a vet gave you those pellets, I wouldn't feed them to anything...even something I didn't like. You don't want something that looks like kid's cereal. There are only two kinds I would even consider...Mazuri Tortoise Diet and Zoo Med Grassland Tortoise Food. Both of those are made up of dried weeds and grasses and they are a natural tan/brown color.

It takes an awful lot to make a big sulcata like that ill. You need to find out what's wrong soon and rectify it. Its got to be something in his environment. What is the temperature outside now (weather)? What is the temperature inside the shed?

Good luck in your search and please keep us informed. We'll help you all we can.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

If it's Portland Oregon he has been missing sun I'll bet. After seeing pix of him, I would give injections of lactated ringers. My exotic Vet here in Corvallis is not that expensive maybe you can bring your guy down here and we can help...

 

[Laura]

does he have a yard to get out into? If you cant do the kiddie pool then get a plastic garbage can lid and dig a small hole for it to fit, fill it with Warm water and make sure he has access to it.. take him out of the shed and place him in it if you have to. WArm water.. dont let it get shilled while he is soaking.
Mazuri pellets can be bought or ordered where they sell Purina food. Feed stores are a great place to try. Try enticing him with a colored food object. yellow squash, slice of strawberry just to get him to eat, rhine of watermellon..

 

[Amber richardson]

I live in Longview, wa not to far, mine is two I would get a little kids pool and do a warm soak, also I love pumpkin, it's good cleaner outer, ha ha , and I've herd a little once a week is a natural dewormer. I would listen to people on here there vary smart and caring. I wish you well.

 

[Laura]

canned pumkin is fine too. just dont get the pie filling with spices.
the color and smell sometimes entices them to eat..
But he really needs fluids.. if you can.. pick him up and put him inyour bathtub tonight.. warm water..

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oh and for pictures.. try tinypic.com it will give you a choice, choose the jpeg for forums. copy the link and paste here..
Then the pics are loaded here, full size, easy to see!

 

[sandycobb1]

He is too big for us to put him in the bath tub tonight. But we will find a kiddie pool or trashcan lid to use tomorrow. Will he tolerate it? I feel like he will just walk out of the trash can lid. We have a old plastic sled we put in the ground that is full of water that is in his yard that he has access to, but its cold water. How long should we soak him for?

 

[Baoh]

Way too dry/dehydrated, IMO. Does he have moist dirt or mulch he can burrow/dig into? If not, please provide this for him.

Also, I agree with the others about changing the food source.

What are the first five or so items, in order, on the ingredients list for those colored pellets?

If he won't eat greens on their own, chop them up and mix them with the pellets, gradually changing the ratios to include progressively less pellets until he eats what he is supposed to. Mazuri is quite good, too, in my experience.