Urgent help please (has crushed shell)

[bedia]

This lovely tort was found by a friend by a main road.
It is by far the worst break I have seen. We can not find a vet that knows reptiles who can help. What do we need to do? Please help me with what I need to do?
After first aid we will try to take him to a specialist tomorrow.

 

[spud's_mum]

Oh my gosh!!!!! That poor baby! I'm sorry but I can't help maybe @Tom can though.

 

[Yvonne G]

Move the shell back up to where it belongs then tape it in place with that new type of paper tape that's easy to get off. We don't fiberglass them back into place anymore because that seals in germs. But a vet can clean it all out then tape or wire it back together and eventually, with antibiotics and good care the tortoise will be fine.

Once it's cleaned and wired back in place you can wrap him in plastic wrap for daily soaks, then remove the wrap.

 

[christinaland128]

Poor baby, good you found her and are nice enough to care for her. <3

 

[Lyn W]

That has really upset me to see that I do hope the poor thing will be will be OK. Thank you for taking care if him and good luck.

 

[Mantissa3]

Hi Bedia: Where are you located - what region of the country? There is a herp vet surgeon/specialist in my neck of the woods that could consult (or if you are close to the San Francisco Bay area, he could actually do the procedure.) He is on the tortoiseforum.org vet list on this website in Castro Valley, CA. One of his surgical "success stories" is that he cut a sully's shell open, removed a huge tumor that was pressing on the tortie's spine and paralyzing him, and then patched the shell and the sully now weights over 100 pounds. That surgical feat was a few years ago and the tort recovered fully. There is also an amazing tortoise surgeon/specialist who will consult or you can take this one to him - Dr. Todd Driggers in Gilbert, AZ. He owns the Avian and Exotic Clinic and has a couple of decades of training and hands-on with all tortoises: (480) 706-8478
[email protected]

Please keep us posted on this poor baby's progress? I think it will depend on internal damage as much as a doctor's skill at patching the shell back together. You are in our hearts and prayers- thank you for your care for this little one.

Karen, Cliff, Bump and Pumpking (2 baby red foot rescues)

 

[bedia]

Hi Mantissa3
We live in Istanbul
The tort is a she and is full of eggs. All bones seem to be ok but there is a lot of flesh damage. One egg was broken and the vet helped her pass it.
I still could not find a tortoise specialist but the veterinary faculty seems to know what they are doing.
Poor baby is in pain and they are worried about the amount of pain meds they can give her in this condition. She has been treated for infection, put in some sort of cast and will be wired once they are sure there is no internal bleeding.
The faculty is about 2 hours away so I won't be able to visit her everyday ( Hope they will keep treating her right and take care of her when I am not there.

 

[bedia]

Update on Alara.

She is doing fine... Lost all her eggs but eating a little, very little.
She is trying very hard to hide so we gave her a shoebox.
The veterinary faculty did not know anything about wiring so they mended the broken shell with somesort of resin and covered the holes of missing pieces with some x-ray film.
3 more days of antibiotics and then a safe home for a few months.
I am not sure this is enough, I am so worried.
Please let me know what else I can do...
Thank you...

 

[mike taylor]

You did what any of us would do already now you wait and hope she makes it . Look up the care sheets here and keep temps up . The are tough animals she'll be OK just takes time .

 

[turtlelady80]

Omgosh....wow. Please keep us updated on her!! Very happy that your friend brought her to you to get the help she so desperately needed!!

 

[Carol S]

Poor tortoise. The break looks like it would be so terribly painful. I hope she makes a quick and full recovery. It is so wonderful of you to see that she got the medical care that she so desperately needed.

 

[Nanchantress]

Any updates on this turtle?

 

[bedia]

Any updates on this turtle?

Hi Nanchantress,
I am sorry I did not see this post earlier.
She is alive but went through a terrible time. The first vet was not careful enough so the morning after she came home I found a maggot on her leg. Rushed her to my cats vet and she had immediate surgery to have the maggots removed.
Next we went to a wild life sanctuary where we found another vet specialising in sea turtles. He managed to wire the shell together.
She is now at the sanctuary for an extended stay. That vet is willing to take care of her until there is no risk of infection.
I cried so much, I am not willing to risk her until she is stable.
Thank you for asking.

 

[Nanchantress]

You did a great job getting help for this poor turtle! Thank you for the update. Sounds like she has a great chance of making it and that couldn't have been possible without you.

 

[Alaskamike]

It is amazing how resilient tortoises can be. I've seen some unbelievable she'll damage repaired and tortoises do just fine healing.

It's so good you got the little gal to a good facility for healing. We all hate to see animals suffer.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Hey, how is she doing?

 

[Keith D.]

Hope that beautiful tort is doing better. Please let us know