Sulcata Bit By Dog HELP!!

[KevinTheTortoise]

I have a baby Sulcata named Kevin, and he's about a month and a half old. While he was outside, I ran in for only a couple of minutes to go to the bathroom. When I came back out, my dog had just gotten him. When I picked him up he had two puncture wounds on one side of his his under belly and on the other side there is a small cut. There is also one small crack on the top of his shell and a little one on the side. I have put him in a plastic container under his lamp and have tried to clean his wounds. I used an iodine solution to clean the wounds and covered them with gauze so hopefully they will not get infected. He has started to walk around but is a little slower than usual and I can tell that he is lethargic and tired. But his appetite is pretty much the same because he still eats everything green in sight. I know I need to take him to a herp vet but I don't have the money. I am really worried that his wounds are going to get infected and he won't make it. He seems fine now, but I don't want him to take a turn for the worst. His wounds look somewhat superficial, but I don't know what else to do. If anyone has any suggestions on what I should do to help him heal and recover fully I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[Masin]

I hate reading these.
Do you have pictures?

 

[shellysmom]

Hi there, I'm sending you a PM about help w/ a vet.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Get some clorhexadine (Nolvasan)from the drug store. Several times during the day wash the wounds with the Nolvasan. Keep him a little warmer than normal. I'd make sure his wounds are kept clean and that he is eating. Soak him in terramycin powder, you can get it at the feed store. Soak for about 20 minutes daily in the powder. Oh...mix the Nolvasan 20 to 1 with water and wash with that diluted. Keep us posted.

 

[dmmj]

As long as no internal damage was done the wounds should heal, your biggest foe will be infection. No dirt substrate until the wounds heal over. Follow maggie's advice ,and not to beat a dead horse, but don't ever leave it alone with a dog, any dog ever. You were lucky this time no serious damage was done to the limbs.

 

[KevinTheTortoise]

Get some clorhexadine (Nolvasan)from the drug store. Several times during the day wash the wounds with the Nolvasan. Keep him a little warmer than normal. I'd make sure his wounds are kept clean and that he is eating. Soak him in terramycin powder, you can get it at the feed store. Soak for about 20 minutes daily in the powder. Oh...mix the Nolvasan 20 to 1 with water and wash with that diluted. Keep us posted.

Thanks a lot for the replies! I have read that Nolvasan is really hard to find and I'm not sure where to get it at. Do you know where I can? Also, I called a local reptile vet and he said that I should avoid soaking him in order to eliminate bacteria or contact with the wounds to avoid infection. So I'm not sure if I should soak him or not. I am keeping him in a plastic box that I cleaned out with nothing in it except a wooden log he can lay under for some shade. He sits under his light mostly and he is eating great but is slow moving around, but he seems fine for now. I really hope he pulls through this!!

 

[Masin]

Thanks a lot for the replies! I have read that Nolvasan is really hard to find and I'm not sure where to get it at. Do you know where I can? Also, I called a local reptile vet and he said that I should avoid soaking him in order to eliminate bacteria or contact with the wounds to avoid infection. So I'm not sure if I should soak him or not. I am keeping him in a plastic box that I cleaned out with nothing in it except a wooden log he can lay under for some shade. He sits under his light mostly and he is eating great but is slow moving around, but he seems fine for now. I really hope he pulls through this!!

Where are you located? That'll help folks figure out a place you can get it.
Fingers crossed for him for sure! Keep us posted!

 

[Nixxy]

Well, that's a turn of events. Tort biting the dog. Usually we hear about the opposite. Some pictures would help, but it looks like the other guys have already given you some good instructions.

 

[Masin]

Well, that's a turn of events. Tort biting the dog. Usually we hear about the opposite. Some pictures would help, but it looks like the other guys have already given you some good instructions.

Huh?

 

[ra94131]

Well, that's a turn of events. Tort biting the dog. Usually we hear about the opposite. Some pictures would help, but it looks like the other guys have already given you some good instructions.

Huh?

I think he might have thought the title read "Sulcata Bit MY Dog HELP!!"

 

[KevinTheTortoise]

[/QUOTE]

Where are you located? That'll help folks figure out a place you can get it.
Fingers crossed for him for sure! Keep us posted!
[/quote]
I live in Gilbert, Arizona.

 

[expo tort]

Dogs+ torts= horror & sadness

 

[lynnedit]

Try a feed store for the Nolvasan. Also Amazon (might be able to get 2d shipping).
I believe that this is a better product to use longer term than Iodine, which can actually slow healing if used over an extended period of time.

Unless the vet you contacted was an experience reptile vet, if I were you I would follow the advice of experience tort keepers (Maggie, Yvonne, among others) and rehabbers on this web site instead.

You can put newspaper down, and tear some up in strips to put inside his hide. Change it frequently. Make sure there is a small shallow ceramic bowl for him to drink if he wants (but not large enough to get into). Mist his food so he can take in water that way.

You have painfully learned your lesson, but no dog should be trusted, ever.

 

[JeffG]

I can't offer you any advice, but I had a baby leopard tortoise in a front opening enclosure 8 years ago, and my dog somehow managed to open the enclosure, get the tortoise out, carry it down stairs & out the doggie door, and chew on it in the backyard for awhile when we were not home. When we came home we found the tortoise outside with some injuries that were worse than what you have described. We cleaned him up and kept him in a sterile enclosure for a couple months, and he recovered just fine. He still has the scars from the ordeal, but he does not seem to suffer any other affects. I still have him and he is doing great.

I hope your guy has the same result. We did immediately get a lock for our enclosure too.

 

[Nixxy]

Well, that's a turn of events. Tort biting the dog. Usually we hear about the opposite. Some pictures would help, but it looks like the other guys have already given you some good instructions.

Huh?

I think he might have thought the title read "Sulcata Bit MY Dog HELP!!"

Ah yes, I'm a bit tired and read it wrong.

 

[ra94131]

Well, that's a turn of events. Tort biting the dog. Usually we hear about the opposite. Some pictures would help, but it looks like the other guys have already given you some good instructions.

Huh?

I think he might have thought the title read "Sulcata Bit MY Dog HELP!!"

Ah yes, I'm a bit tired and read it wrong.

I did once hear a story about a medium-sized dog getting hurt pretty badly by a "ramming" adult Sulcata. Anecdotal evidence only, but seemed plausible.

Either way, keep your pets separate. Off the top of my head, there aren't any two different species of pets that I would keep together. (I'm sure there are exceptions, but none that I'm familiar with.)

 

[ascott]

We need pics to see what the damage looks like....you say a crack on the shell, a puncture on the shell ???? If this is the case then the injury is not superficial, right?

Please be sure to keep the temps at 85 at all times and the plastic container you are using needs to be large enough that he can move in and out of the basking/heat source...paper towels do not have any ink on them and I would suggest those instead (the plain ole white paper towels)...also, be aware of flies---if any of the injury has created a break in the skin or the shell you don't want any flies landing there and making things gross(er)....

Please let us know how he is progressing....oh, I don't see you mention it--but the dog was just being a dog--so future plans to assure the two never can come into contact would be good, although I am sure you have already handled this...