Keeping Tortoises
Tortoises Health
[Preventing Illnesses]
Tortoises secret a lot of bacteria in their droppings and urine. In the wild, they walk very long distances and it is therefore improbable that they come across the parasites or bacteria again. It is more probable in a terrarium or an outdoor cage. You should therefore observe several rules:
1. Change the drinking and bath water daily (several times a day if necessary)
2. Disinfect the water containers
3. Should water reach the ground, change the ground material (apart from in outdoor cages)
4. Collect all droppings in terrarium and outdoor cages
I would now like to introduce you to some tortoise illnesses.
Please note, that you should always get advise from your vet, I have not studied vet medicine.
[Colds - Blocked Noses - Lung infections]
The cause is usually a too cool atmosphere or if the tortoise is permanently in a cold draft.
How do I recognise a cold?
1. Irregular, heavy breathing
2. Slime (or bubbles) on the nose or mouth
3. Often decline of food
4. Perhaps apathetic behaviour
5. Breathing noises
You should keep your tortoise separately from others at 29 - 30 degrees Celsius. Should the situation not improve, see a vet immediately! In light cases, the chance of healing is very good. Should the cold be at a late stage, you cannot abandon antibiotics.
[Intestine Illness]
The cause of this illness is not explainable. It is assumed, that it is due to nutrition mistakes or a weakness of the constrictor.
How do I recognise an intestine illness?
The rectum stretches in front of the cloacae (NOTE! Not the penis)
The vet tries to push the intestine back inside with lubrication. Healing chances are sometimes possible.
[Diarrhoea]
The cause is usually an incorrect diet or feeding food that has gone off. Sometimes an injury to the intestines can be the cause.
How do I recognise diarrhoea?
The excrement is fluid or too odorous
The tortoise needs to fast for a week. It should be bathed daily, you should ensure that the tortoise drinks plenty. Check and weigh the animal regularly. Should you not notice and improvement, go to the Vets immediately! The healing chances are very high if there is no damage to internal organs.
[Stomach - Intestine Parasites]
The tape and thread worms are often absorbed through food. With wild catches, the probability of parasites is very high.
How do I recognise stomach - intestine parasites?
1. Droppings are abnormal (perhaps containing worms)
2. Strong loss of weight
3. Sometimes apathy
4. Eyes are sunken
You should take samples of the droppings and have them tested by a Vet. Treatment by a Vet is wise. The chances of healing are only good at the beginning, the more advanced the illness becomes, the more difficult is the healing.
[Constipation]
The cause is usually too little movement, feeding bloating food and too low temperatures.
How do I recognise constipation?
Irregular droppings
You should bathe the animal in luke warm water and perhaps light radiation at 30 degrees Celsius. If there is no improvement, contact a Vet, perhaps an enema is necessary. The healing chances are very high.
[Skin Injuries / Wounds]
The causes can have different backgrounds, e.g. dog bites, marten bites, etc.
How do I recognise skin injuries / wounds?
Bleeding wounds / injuries
Disinfect the wound and put your tortoise into quarantine. Line the quarantine bowl with kitchen roll. Following feeding or droppings, you should change the kitchen roll. A Vet may prescribe a wound powder or cream as support. The healing chances are, depending on the degree of injury, good.
[Oedemas]
Is usually caused by metabolism disturbances in connection with lack of vitamins.
How do I recognise Oedemas?
Blisters or swelling of the skin that are filled with fluid
Change to adequate nutrition and supplement this with vitamin tablets. The blisters should definitely not be opened! Contact your Vet. The healing chances are good at the beginning.
[Paralysis]
The causes can have several backgrounds, e.g. infections, poisoning or damage to the nerve system.
How do I recognise paralysis?
The tortoise is lacking movement
Please visit your Vet. The healing chances are very different depending on the gravity.
[Eggbound]
The cause is a disturbance to the egg deposition, caused through non suitable laying places, too low temperatures or over production of the lime adenoids.
How do I recognise an egg bound animal?
1. The female paws out the nest, but doesn’t lay any eggs
2. Perhaps Apathy
3. Egg deposition begins, but doesn’t end
4. Decline of food
5. Breathlessness
Please contact your Vet. With an X-Ray or an ultrasound, a Vet can ascertain that the animal is egg bound. The healing chances are different depending on the degree.
[Acariasis]
Acarodermatitis can be absorbed outdoors or by fellow animals.
How do I recognise Acariasis?
Small moving points can be seen on the skin of the tortoise.
Apply MALATHION (5% dilution) and then bathe the tortoise in a 0,2% NEGUVON concentrate. The healing chances are good, apart from when the parasites have transferred to the inside.
[Ticks]
Ticks are absorbed outdoors.
How do I recognise Ticks?
Small, round foreign bodies on the soft body parts, mostly on the throat and front feet.
Remove the tick with tick scissors. The healing chances are good.
[Eye infection]
The cause is usually too low temperatures or a too low humidity.
How do I recognise an eye infection?
The eyes are closed
When the eyes are open, the conjunctiva is red
Perhaps there is puss or fluid in the corner of the eye
If there are no mistakes in the keeping, contact your Vet. The animal must be put into quarantine until the eye infection has healed. The healing chances at the beginning are very good.
[Shell deformation]
The cause is usually a vitamin or lime deficit during breeding.
How do I recognise a deformation?
The shell has become hunched.
The deformation starts during the upbringing, if young animals grow too quickly, are fed too much and are held in a dry atmosphere.
[Soft Shell (Rachitic)]
The cause is lack of vitamin D in connection with a lack of lime and UV rays (sunlight).
How do I recognise rachitic?
The shell is soft and slightly misshaped
Hunches on the shell (hunches are curved upwards)
Feeding should be switched to vitamin and mineral foods. The Vet can give additional vitamin injections. Please ask your Vet which therapy is the best. The healing chances are good, however deformation of the shell remains.
[Shell cracks, Shell breaks]
The cause is usually an accident, an animal bite or a fall.
How do I recognise cracks or breaks?
The shell is broken or cracked
The healing chances are dependant upon the degree of injury. The Vet should clean and disinfect the wounds. Breakages should then be set. Food should be enriched with lime tablets.
[Penis incident]
The cause can be relaxation of the withdrawal muscle. This happens during mating.
How do I recognise a penis incident?
The penis (not the cloacae) is not withdrawn.
The animal must be put into quarantine. Put it in a bowl with damp kitchen roll. Should there not be an improvement within 1 - 2 days, go to the Vets. The healing chances are good.
[Tumours]
The cause is usually unknown.
How do I recognise tumours?
They are mostly on the soft body parts (adenoids), contact your Vet! The healing chances are different.
[Poisoning]
The cause is usually corrupt food.
How do I recognise poisoning?
1. Vomiting
2. Apathy
3. The tortoise has staggering movements
Visit your Vet! The healing is dependant on the degree and type of poisoning.
[Herpes (herpes viruses)]
Herpes infections lead to death for many tortoises. You should visit your Vet immediately, he maybe able to help your pet. The chances with herpes are however not very good. Check with wild catches, they are often carrying the herpes virus.
