Sulcata tortoise

[TammyJ]

If your tortoise is constipated as you mentioned, he should be getting daily soaks in warm water that he can move around in. What is his diet?

 

[Yvonne G]

You'll need to make sure to clean out any poop that gets stuck in there. I've never seen a shell that has grown like that. If it turns out to be too much of a problem a vet can cut the shell to make the opening bigger, but it will bleed, so a medical professional has to do it.

 

[kriss389]

If your tortoise is constipated as you mentioned, he should be getting daily soaks in warm water that he can move around in. What is his diet?

I have been soaking him daily ,he was able to get some poop out today with my help while he soaked. Winter just passed here so he was inside i was giving him hay,pebbles and masuri. And when hes outside he grazes on grass.not sure if thats the correct diet ?

 

[kriss389]

I have been soaking him daily ,he was able to get some poop out today with my help while he soaked. Winter just passed here so he was inside i was giving him hay,pebbles and masuri. And when hes outside he grazes on grass.not sure if thats the correct diet ?

*mazuri

 

[TammyJ]

Pebbles? What do you mean?

 

[wellington]

What do you mean pebbles?
Be sure the vet has experience with tortoises. Most don't and can do more damage than good. If your only choice is a regular small animal vet and not a reptile tortoise experienced vet then you will have to use the small animal vet and hope for the best
If there is a zoo in your area, you might want to ask them who they use.
Good luck and keep us posted.
@Markw84

 

[kriss389]

You'll need to make sure to clean out any poop that gets stuck in there. I've never seen a shell that has grown like that. If it turns out to be too much of a problem a vet can cut the shell to make the opening bigger, but it will bleed, so a medical professional has to do it.

Yeah he dosent have any poop stuck i don't know why it grew like that 😔i feel horrible and blame myself .omg i thought just some filing would do it😢but cutting my baby and making him bleed💔 im hurting for him just thinking about it😭

 

[kriss389]

Pebbles? What do you mean?

 

[TammyJ]

Don't feel bad! You obviously care so much and it's great that you are doing everything you can for him! Thanks.

 

[kriss389]

What do you mean pebbles?
Be sure the vet has experience with tortoises. Most don't and can do more damage than good. If your only choice is a regular small animal vet and not a reptile tortoise experienced vet then you will have to use the small animal vet and hope for the best
If there is a zoo in your area, you might want to ask them who they use.
Good luck and keep us posted.
@Markw84

We just moved up here to Washington from Southern California and been having trouble finding a good reptile vet ,unfortunately there is no zoo close by .the closest one would be in Seattle and i live in Spokane valley. The vet that's seeing him on Wednesday said she is experienced in exotics but i have my doubts but thats all there is so im praying they can do it with out hurting him more😢

 

[kriss389]

Don't feel bad! You obviously care so much and it's great that you are doing everything you can for him! Thanks.

Thank you !! That means alot to me. Specially right now cuz i keep blaming my self .but i am trying to do everything i can !!

 

[wellington]

We just moved up here to Washington from Southern California and been having trouble finding a good reptile vet ,unfortunately there is no zoo close by .the closest one would be in Seattle and i live in Spokane valley. The vet that's seeing him on Wednesday said she is experienced in exotics but i have my doubts but thats all there is so im praying they can do it with out hurting him more😢

I wouldn't feed the colored ones, Rep-Cal. That's for RF who can eat fruit. Your's should not have fruit.
You should also add orchard hay, cactus pads, more grass, hibiscus leaf and flower, mulberry leaf, more those items if possible then the pellets.

 

[wellington]

Thank you !! That means alot to me. Specially right now cuz i keep blaming my self .but i am trying to do everything i can !!

I highly doubt it had anything to do with you doing or not doing something. Also, it likely will be harder on you then him.
Many of us did wrong in the beginning before this forum was around. Now we do better, just like you are doing.

 

[kriss389]

I wouldn't feed the colored ones, Rep-Cal. That's for RF who can eat fruit. Your's should not have fruit.
You should also add orchard hay, cactus pads, more grass, hibiscus leaf and flower, mulberry leaf, more those items if possible then the pellets.

Really i did not know that ,thank you! I will buy all of those from mow on .

 

[kriss389]

I want to thank all you guys who replied and commented 🙏🙏🙏 you guys made me feel so much better with your help .i will most definitely update you all! Feel free to keep letting me know and teaching me on things i had no idea about .i thought i was doing my best but theres so much more to learn !! I love my little guy so much .God bless you all🙏

 

[Len B]

I notice that my sulcata tortoise shell has grown so that a thin ,almost translucent edges of it has started to obstruct his tail.is there a safe way to trim it ?or can i file it down? Or what should i do ,i feel terrible for him since he hasn't been able to poop for the past couple weeks.please help!

I believe the shell deformation started while still in the egg not by anything you've done. Other than this problem your tortoise is beautiful. I have a sulcata that came out of the egg deformed, I call him Squiggy the scrunched tortoise.
About keeping it outside you don't need a large heated shed. What you need for him is an above ground burrow in the form of a properly insulated and heated house. I have 5 sulcatas that live outside all year. They each have their own house and the largest is 8x8 ft. They usually come out to eat and wander about daily even with cold temps and sometimes snow on the ground. We haven't had much snow for the past few years here at the beach, not one flake so far this winter. I got my first sulcata Walker as a hatchling in 1996 he is now over 150 pounds. Sulcatas can be kept in cold weather areas without it costing you an arm and a leg in electric bills if setup properly.

 

[kriss389]

I believe the shell deformation started while still in the egg not by anything you've done. Other than this problem your tortoise is beautiful. I have a sulcata that came out of the egg deformed, I call him Squiggy the scrunched tortoise.
About keeping it outside you don't need a large heated shed. What you need for him is an above ground burrow in the form of a properly insulated and heated house. I have 5 sulcatas that live outside all year. They each have their own house and the largest is 8x8 ft. They usually come out to eat and wander about daily even with cold temps and sometimes snow on the ground. We haven't had much snow for the past few years here at the beach, not one flake so far this winter. I got my first sulcata Walker as a hatchling in 1996 he is now over 150 pounds. Sulcatas can be kept in cold weather areas without it costing you an arm and a leg in electric bills if setup properly

I believe the shell deformation started while still in the egg not by anything you've done. Other than this problem your tortoise is beautiful. I have a sulcata that came out of the egg deformed, I call him Squiggy the scrunched tortoise.
About keeping it outside you don't need a large heated shed. What you need for him is an above ground burrow in the form of a properly insulated and heated house. I have 5 sulcatas that live outside all year. They each have their own house and the largest is 8x8 ft. They usually come out to eat and wander about daily even with cold temps and sometimes snow on the ground. We haven't had much snow for the past few years here at the beach, not one flake so far this winter. I got my first sulcata Walker as a hatchling in 1996 he is now over 150 pounds. Sulcatas can be kept in cold weather areas without it costing you an arm and a leg in electric bills if setup properly.

Waow!! I highly appreciate your reply/message !!i keep blaming myself 😔 for not taking care of him properly which i have tried my best since he was born 5 years ago .i love him to death!!and thank you yes he is Beautiful!! When i started getting some of the first messages on here i kinda got discouraged and felt like i wasn't doing a good job ,so i started looking for places to rehome him which was braking my heart even searching them online 💔 becausewe moved to a place we're it's always snowing and it's not that easy for me to just move and i want the best for him .but now you gave me a little hope.and i will keep trying and fighting to take care of him!! He's my baby and i love him so much!! I can't thank you enough. God bless you💙

 

[SinLA]

yes look at @Maggie3fan for ways to keep tortoise in your climate.

Others are better at this than I am, but to the experts - does it make sense to try to remove a piece of the shell that's overgrowing his anal area and back legs. Seems like a recipe for disaster...

 

[Yvonne G]

yes look at @Maggie3fan for ways to keep tortoise in your climate.

Others are better at this than I am, but to the experts - does it make sense to try to remove a piece of the shell that's overgrowing his anal area and back legs. Seems like a recipe for disaster...

My thought was the back of the plastron, not the carapace above the tail.

 

[SinLA]

looks like it is entirely covering the tail to me...