4yo Iberia - thighs and tail seem wet and crusty

[hippybean80]

We have a 4 year old spur thigh tortoise which up until recently has been very healthy, he/she(?) doesn't appear to be eating and i haven't seen any bm but because she is in an outdoor enclosure its hard to tell.

She weighs 193g and looks healthy in all other aspects, shiny black eyes etc but doesn't appear to be have been particularly mobile over the last couple of days - today I have noticed her rear legs have started to look puffy.

I have brought her back indoors this evening, thought maybe being clean on a dry surface might help, have been giving her daily baths when i noticed her drop in appetite to ensure its stays hydrated.

Has anyone come across this before? wondered if it is possibly some sort of fungal infection?

Appreciate any advice anyone has

Kr
Nicky

[Lorna]

My Ibera had a bladder stone. She had bulging tissue each side of the cloaca, which was oozing fluid as the stone was impacted in the cloaca. You need to take your tortoise to a specialist vet.

Lorna

[CherryBrandy]

I will bow to others greater knowledge, and Lorna's first hand experience but that does look like a fungal infection and a little raw so could be picked up a cut and fungal set in - bit like shell rot. How long do you bathe her for? I only ask because when I have poorly torts and I bathe those areas which are sore some can become 'soggy' and puffed a bit like when we sit in the bath too long. But there is something underlying.

[hippybean80]

Thanks for the input. Have only been bathing for 5-10 minutes at a time - do you think that is too long? Have booked her in to the vet later on today so will let you know the outcome.

Nicky

[hippybean80]

Well took her to the vet and they have kept her in after an x-ray they have advised the she is profoundly constipated, to the point where she couldn't possibly fit anything else in her small little body.

Last night and today the vets have been trying to do all they can to soften the poo to try and get it out. The vets have advised that overnight they had been able to remove some, but there was a large hard plug of poo that would need to be broken down before there was any chance of removing it. The vet is concerned that a.) they might not be able to soften and remove the poo and b.) as it has now been a few days for such a little tort not to eat that she may not retain and have an appetite even when she is able too.

Waiting for update later on tonight

[vikki]

I hope they can get everything out and that she will be better soon. keep us updated.

[emma_mcraf]

Poor little love, being so bunged up. I really hope that the vets help her to pass everything and in time she'll regain her appetite and make a full recovery. As Vikki says, please let us know how things go.

[hippybean80]

Vet phoned this evening, slightly more positive said they have managed to get a large lump/pellet of gritty/powdery white substance (as large as a thumb nail!) and she passed a small amount in the bath.

They are going to continue as they have been until morning and then they are hoping to get some food down her

Will keep you updated

[Wyannis]

Oh poor little thing, so glad to hear there has been some progress. Hopefully that is the blockage cleared and things will be moving normally again.

[hippybean80]

Well just to give you all an update.. after passing another large pellet and then some poo naturally it was all looking quite positive, so after some tube feeds at the vets, she came home about 3pm and was sat sunning herself in the garden and seemed a little fragile but alert (weighing 30g less than when she went into the vets) but still not interested in eating, thought would leave her rest and took the kids down the road to the park to come home to find she's passed - so gutted.

Have spoken to the vet to let him know and he also sounded genuinely gutted too, he added that unfortunately especially with a tort this small there is no way of knowing what impact this sort of issue has had on the internal organs