Hermann treated for shell rot... - Page 2

07-08-2006, 12:00 AM

Here is a picture of my tortoise digger, who i have rehomed, he has extensive shell rot and i am still scrubbing it with betadine daily, when the infection is dead, I am going to take him to Hannah and get her to fill the bits in, the same way sue mentioned, because the water makes a little puddle in the hole

(these pics are from before i got him, while he was in a temporary pen with Darren (not piglet darren, another darren)

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jo__ · 07-08-2006, 07:53 AM

Hiya, Terry seems fine, he was up nice and early this morning and is now waiting for the sun to come up

I'll have a few pics on here within the next few days...im waiting to take some with my b.f's phone as the camera is really good, so should show the repair quite well...The vet was one reccomended to me by many tort owners...even in the wating room when I left there was an old female with rns and a girl who had 2 baby spur thighs...
Sue, some of terrys shell was removed, and then covered with fibreglass...Does this mean the infected shell was taken away so it won't spread anymore? Are there any times when fibreglass should be used do you think? I was treating the shell rot with tamodine (very similar to betadine) and was just hoping for a bit of reassurance from the vet really that I was doing the right thing...But he insisted he needed it taken away and fibreglassed over... I may mension this to him when I see him in a few weeks... See if he can explain to me why exactly the fibreglass was needed...
We have been very worried about the little guy... I think he gets checked on every 5 minutes now when i'm at home bless him....
Josh digger looks lovely... hope he recovers soon...
Thanks for all your replies...Have a good monday

Jo x

07-08-2006, 07:25 PM

Hi Jo

I looked after a tort a couple of years ago with shell rot - it came to the Society via Heathrow, an illegal shipment. I took him to the vet as his plastron seemed a little 'hollow' in a couple fo places when I tapped it with my nail - it turned out he had shell rot, farily extensively, but underneath the keratin layer, so ti couldnt be seen from the outside. Treatment included removing a lot of the outer shell and some of the underlying bone as the infection had gone very deep. We had to treat the infected area in this case with daily scrubs, and once the infection was no longer active, the vet applied a fibreglass layer to protect the bone layer. The keratin will gradually grow again under the fibreglass, which will eventually drop off. 'Fibreglass Fred' as he was nicknamed is absolutely fine 2 years later - although he did come to hate me with a vengance when I had to scrub him with tamodine each day!

Arlene

shootinglou79 · 09-08-2006, 12:37 PM

hi jo, how is he? any chance of pics hun

Joanne · 09-08-2006, 03:40 PM

Hello Jo,

Just wanted to try and reassure you that what the vet did was the correct procedure now practiced. In the past, the procedure for shell rot was to clear the infection with various creams/potions and then to fill in the damage with fibreglass. Now, the infection is cut away before it effects any further bone or tissue as treated matter is weakened once free of infection, therefore not the best base to build upon. Sterilisation techniques and medication available to control infection have improved greatly during the last few years and continue to do so. This prevents the wound being open to the elements for as short a time as possible.

I'm hoping this is of some reassurance to you and wishing your tortoise a speedy recovery.

Regards,

Joanne.

09-08-2006, 03:58 PM

Yeuk! - HOpe he was given an anaesthetic.

jo__ · 09-08-2006, 07:06 PM

I've just taken some pics...
Arlene...its great to hear bout fibreglass freds happy ending

Thanks Joanne very reassuring

One thing that still comcerns me tho, is he was not given an anaesthetic...I did say to the vet before he took him into the room that it would hurt him but he laughed

The shell is full of nerve endings right?! would it not have hurt him when they pulled the shell away? Anyways here are the pics....

I don't usually upload them this big so if it doesn't work i'll try 'em bit smaller

Jo x

nina · 09-08-2006, 07:49 PM

Wow, he's a beautiful (and big) tortoise. Glad he seems to have come through this OK. Can we see photos of his other end <g> (I'll bet he's got a lovely face).

Nina

09-08-2006, 08:00 PM

If he has just scraped away the shell rot, it wouldn't hurt because it is dead shell, BUT if it was good shell he scraped away, it would of hurt, I suspect a bit like someone pulling your finer nail off.
Josh

09-08-2006, 09:34 PM

Yes Jo - it would have hurt to do that without an anaesthetic. I know of a vet who did an invasive shell procedure and was apparently investigated by the RSPCA for not using an anaesthetic.
Which vet did you go to? Bye the way that's not fibreglass but the newer stuff which will is much better.

09-08-2006, 07:49 PM	#18
nina Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Oxford Posts: 2,337	Wow, he's a beautiful (and big) tortoise. Glad he seems to have come through this OK. Can we see photos of his other end <g> (I'll bet he's got a lovely face). Nina __________________ http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk l

07-08-2006, 12:00 AM	#11
tortoise_dude Guest Posts: n/a	Here is a picture of my tortoise digger, who i have rehomed, he has extensive shell rot and i am still scrubbing it with betadine daily, when the infection is dead, I am going to take him to Hannah and get her to fill the bits in, the same way sue mentioned, because the water makes a little puddle in the hole (these pics are from before i got him, while he was in a temporary pen with Darren (not piglet darren, another darren) [/img]

07-08-2006, 07:53 AM	#12
jo__ Member Incubating Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Southampton Posts: 221	Hiya, Terry seems fine, he was up nice and early this morning and is now waiting for the sun to come up I'll have a few pics on here within the next few days...im waiting to take some with my b.f's phone as the camera is really good, so should show the repair quite well...The vet was one reccomended to me by many tort owners...even in the wating room when I left there was an old female with rns and a girl who had 2 baby spur thighs... Sue, some of terrys shell was removed, and then covered with fibreglass...Does this mean the infected shell was taken away so it won't spread anymore? Are there any times when fibreglass should be used do you think? I was treating the shell rot with tamodine (very similar to betadine) and was just hoping for a bit of reassurance from the vet really that I was doing the right thing...But he insisted he needed it taken away and fibreglassed over... I may mension this to him when I see him in a few weeks... See if he can explain to me why exactly the fibreglass was needed... We have been very worried about the little guy... I think he gets checked on every 5 minutes now when i'm at home bless him.... Josh digger looks lovely... hope he recovers soon... Thanks for all your replies...Have a good monday Jo x

07-08-2006, 07:25 PM	#13
arlene Guest Posts: n/a	Hi Jo I looked after a tort a couple of years ago with shell rot - it came to the Society via Heathrow, an illegal shipment. I took him to the vet as his plastron seemed a little 'hollow' in a couple fo places when I tapped it with my nail - it turned out he had shell rot, farily extensively, but underneath the keratin layer, so ti couldnt be seen from the outside. Treatment included removing a lot of the outer shell and some of the underlying bone as the infection had gone very deep. We had to treat the infected area in this case with daily scrubs, and once the infection was no longer active, the vet applied a fibreglass layer to protect the bone layer. The keratin will gradually grow again under the fibreglass, which will eventually drop off. 'Fibreglass Fred' as he was nicknamed is absolutely fine 2 years later - although he did come to hate me with a vengance when I had to scrub him with tamodine each day! Arlene

09-08-2006, 12:37 PM	#14
shootinglou79 Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 1,743	hi jo, how is he? any chance of pics hun

09-08-2006, 03:40 PM	#15
Joanne Junior Member Egg Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 23	Hello Jo, Just wanted to try and reassure you that what the vet did was the correct procedure now practiced. In the past, the procedure for shell rot was to clear the infection with various creams/potions and then to fill in the damage with fibreglass. Now, the infection is cut away before it effects any further bone or tissue as treated matter is weakened once free of infection, therefore not the best base to build upon. Sterilisation techniques and medication available to control infection have improved greatly during the last few years and continue to do so. This prevents the wound being open to the elements for as short a time as possible. I'm hoping this is of some reassurance to you and wishing your tortoise a speedy recovery. Regards, Joanne.

09-08-2006, 03:58 PM	#16
wizzasmum Guest Posts: n/a	Yeuk! - HOpe he was given an anaesthetic.

09-08-2006, 07:06 PM	#17
jo__ Member Incubating Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Southampton Posts: 221	I've just taken some pics... Arlene...its great to hear bout fibreglass freds happy ending Thanks Joanne very reassuring One thing that still comcerns me tho, is he was not given an anaesthetic...I did say to the vet before he took him into the room that it would hurt him but he laughed The shell is full of nerve endings right?! would it not have hurt him when they pulled the shell away? Anyways here are the pics.... I don't usually upload them this big so if it doesn't work i'll try 'em bit smaller Jo x

09-08-2006, 08:00 PM	#19
tortoise_dude Guest Posts: n/a	If he has just scraped away the shell rot, it wouldn't hurt because it is dead shell, BUT if it was good shell he scraped away, it would of hurt, I suspect a bit like someone pulling your finer nail off. Josh

09-08-2006, 09:34 PM	#20
wizzasmum Guest Posts: n/a	Yes Jo - it would have hurt to do that without an anaesthetic. I know of a vet who did an invasive shell procedure and was apparently investigated by the RSPCA for not using an anaesthetic. Which vet did you go to? Bye the way that's not fibreglass but the newer stuff which will is much better.

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