Umbilicus care?

[AmandaJustice]

Okay, weird question -- Sam had a brown patch on his plastron that our vet told me was the remains of his yolk sac. It fell off today, leaving him with a little pinkish opening. Is there any specific care for that area/ should I be super cautious of anything while it finishes closing up?

These are the things I didn't know to ask...

(Sorry for the following giant picture, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to resize it :/ )

 

[wellington]

@Yvonne G @tortadise can help

 

[Turtlepete]

The area around the umbilical scar looks rather deformed, but it's not a worry. Just make sure you aren't using a particularly abrasive substrate (i.e., cypress mulch, orchid bark) and it won't be an issue.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

He's rather beautiful, though the scar is a little unusual.
I think it makes him extra-special.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Amanda thank you for the pict ! We get people everyday that ask questions but never send us a pict to help see anything . So again thank you for the pict . Have a great tort day !

 

[tortadise]

Welcome, completely normal. Resume great care that you can find throughout the forum and all will be well. It should heal very quickly. Typically it's not seen in youngsters by new owners because most breeders won't sell offspring that young. Sometimes they will though and you get to experience this. Will be healed in a month or so NAND completely sealed up. Soft substrate is recommended when this young. Coco coir or peat moss is a good choice and also keeps moisture in very well.

 

[AmandaJustice]

Thank you all so much

Yes, we were under the impression that Sam was around 3 weeks old when we got him, but once our vet saw the yolk sac she put him at about a week old. On the plus side, that explained why he wasn't really interested in eating until today, although we've been soaking him daily as per directions, and have kept our humidity and temps on point.

He's so stinking cute, I'm glad this isn't an issue!

 

[Tom]

That tortoise should not have been sold at that age. It needed another week in a proper brooder box to absorb its yolk sac and let that umbilical scar close up. If that tortoise had hatched in the wild it would still be underground in its warm, humid nest chamber. It would not be up exposed to dry air and potentially sharp objects that could damage the yolk sac and cause infection.

If that were my tortoise I would set it up in a brooder box on damp paper towels with a pile of greens in the middle. Leave it in there until that scar closes up. Probably 3-4 days from this point. Soak and change towels and greens daily. Keep the box somewhere warm. 85-90. I use plastic shoe boxes with the lid on.

Its a myth that they don't eat with a yolk sac. They eat the moment they stick their head out of the egg, even when they are still in the egg.

 

[AmandaJustice]

I'll do the best I can to replicate that. Thank you.

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum.

You'll get the help you need from the experts here, so do not worry. And good luck.

 

[AmandaJustice]

Thanks all. It seems no matter how much I think I've prepared for a new animal it's invariably inadequate -- something always happens that throws me for a loop. I'm so grateful for this forum and others like it with people who know what the heck is going on so I can implement the necessary measures to ensure my animals' quality of life.

 

[AmandaJustice]

Updated picture of Sam's plastron -- scar appears to be closing:

Thank you all for your help. He is in a closed environment, humidity is 99% per his hygrometer and confirmed by his enclosure clouding over, temps are 85-90.

 

[Chantel]

We got our baby 2 days ago, and yesterday I learned about the umbilicus as well. Tom is a wonderful help!!! I can't believe how much one day has made in our little Dozer. She/he is healing up quick! Your turtle had a larger opening than mine, and is a lot bigger, judging by the pics!

 

[AmandaJustice]

Tom definitely knows his stuff I got our Sam on the right track and he's looking good now -- his plastron is all healed, thankfully. He was 47 grams when we got him and obviously was very young. Now he's right at 70 grams. I'm thinking I could have a giant on my hands (thankfully our back yard has room for a very large enclosure... and as a bonus it will cut down on my husband's mowing time! )

Here's a more recent (still giant -- sorry, I wish I could do this better!) picture:

 

[Chantel]

He is adorable!!! If you see my post in the introductions, (New Sulcata owner in N. California), you can see Dozer was 29 grams the day after I got her, and 2" long. Her umbilicus was still open today, so with Tom's help, I made a tortoise hospital. I released her from the hospital today as her umbilicus is closed and she has gained 3 grams! Hopefully it's all up from here! Either way, I'm learning a lot, and I think she is awesome! I sit and watch her way more than I should!!! My house is neglected!

 

[Cheryl Hills]

Now that is a cute picture.

 

[Yvonne G]

old thread