Male Horsefield smells fishy!

dae · 24-05-2009, 08:37 PM

Hi All,

Just me again with a very random and maybe silly question. When I took Humphrey to the vets last week (my new rehomed male Horsefield approx 8-10 years old). The vet said his shell was a little pink undernear and that this can sometimes indicate infection and so she put him on Baytril (0.10 once per day) and he is walking better and seem much happier- the thing is when I was inpecting him after bringing him home last week I caught a wif of him and he STINKS. The only way to describe it is like the fish counter in a supermarket. It's very strong and it's his general smell i.e not from one place- just all of his shell. The vets dismissed me telling her this and without having a wif herself said that it is just because he's a boy and that males tend to smell. She a specialist tort vet and is very good so maybe she's right.

Can some of you please just help me out and have a wif of your own boys to tell me if this is true. I'm no vet but I think it is more likely to be a result of the water soaked pellets he has eaten for most of his years and possibly the infection or something?

Thank you,

Dae

Laraine · 24-05-2009, 08:44 PM

I think perhaps you may need to see a specialist reptile vet. We rehomed a tortoise last year and it had a distinctive smell on the shell, turned out that the poor little one had some shell rot going on underneath the outer shell, by a spot that had been injured.

dae · 24-05-2009, 09:28 PM

Thanks for your quick reply, this is what I suspect as it would also explain his problems in walking maybe. But the vet IS a specialist reptile vet, she has an excellent reputation, and from what I've seen she's very knowledgable. I'm in Milton keynes if anyone knows of a good one they use. I just want to help him get better. His shell is lovely and strong but is quite deformed. More domed than pyramid. I just had another smell and it's a little less potent than it was last week. i have been bathing him so maybe that helped.

This is him below- see what I mean about his legs- he just lays spralled out like road kill for hours and won't often make any effort to move towards food, heat etc. He is as I said tho doing much better in the week that I have had him, he was loving the sun today and I saw him eat his weeds.

Thanks for your thoughts- can't wait to get this big guy better!

dae

Kirkie · 24-05-2009, 10:39 PM

Hi Dae,

Did your vet not pick up on the problem with your tortoises legs?

I am aware of a very similar problem raised by an owner on another forum and the vet concluded that the lack of leg movement was caused by calcium deficiency. The tortoise had not been with the new owner that long but is now receiving the regular daily calcium supplimentation and has to undergo a kind of physio therapy daily with the owner. Other issues can also affect the use of the back legs such as kidney problems. I'm suprised the vet did not pick up on this.

dae · 24-05-2009, 11:06 PM

Hi, thanks for reply- I actually took him to the vets partly because he's a rehome and I would always get them checked out but also specifically because I noticed the prob with his legs in the first instance. She didn't give me any physio exercises to do- I would have appreciated that as I support his shell and walk him around each day anyway- he is walking better now after just a week but I think I would like asecond opinion from another vet!

Kirkie · 25-05-2009, 10:04 AM

The physio the other tortoise undergo's is this (please don't laugh, its true and I have seen this method referenced in tortoise books)

This is a small, baby Horsfield and what the owner has to do is place him on a matchbox placed side on so that his legs overhang the matchbox but can't touch the floor. His attempts to move by waggling his legs exercise his muscles. I think this is done for an hour a day but I'd have to check that. I've seen reference to a similar exercise for larger tortoises done using a house brick.

In addition the tortoise is given longer baths than normal so that it can exercise the legs but with the added benefit of the water providing buoyancy for the tortoise.

dae · 25-05-2009, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirkie

The physio the other tortoise undergo's is this (please don't laugh, its true and I have seen this method referenced in tortoise books)

This is a small, baby Horsfield and what the owner has to do is place him on a matchbox placed side on so that his legs overhang the matchbox but can't touch the floor. His attempts to move by waggling his legs exercise his muscles. I think this is done for an hour a day but I'd have to check that. I've seen reference to a similar exercise for larger tortoises done using a house brick.

In addition the tortoise is given longer baths than normal so that it can exercise the legs but with the added benefit of the water providing buoyancy for the tortoise.

hey thanks so much for this- yes I think maybe a brick would be best he would likely squish a match box as he's quite a big guy! It will save me bruising my knees trying to walk him round the floor Lol

**Alan1** · 26-05-2009, 09:36 AM

There was another case of a fishy smell, sadly Fluffy died though I've no idea if that had anything to do with it http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/for...light=broccoli

dae · 26-05-2009, 09:56 AM

Thanks Alan, I have PMd alotofluff to see if they can advise me.

**Alan1** · 26-05-2009, 10:21 AM

She has been quite upset and hasn't been on much since. There are some threads on the diagnosis by the vet, they will be in the 'health and vets' section I expect but he was originally injured by a child and the vet found another problem which I think was unrelated to the injury. X-rays showed a mass which may have been a bladder stone or something else entirely

24-05-2009, 08:37 PM	#1
dae Member Hatchling Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 548	Male Horsefield smells fishy! Hi All, Just me again with a very random and maybe silly question. When I took Humphrey to the vets last week (my new rehomed male Horsefield approx 8-10 years old). The vet said his shell was a little pink undernear and that this can sometimes indicate infection and so she put him on Baytril (0.10 once per day) and he is walking better and seem much happier- the thing is when I was inpecting him after bringing him home last week I caught a wif of him and he STINKS. The only way to describe it is like the fish counter in a supermarket. It's very strong and it's his general smell i.e not from one place- just all of his shell. The vets dismissed me telling her this and without having a wif herself said that it is just because he's a boy and that males tend to smell. She a specialist tort vet and is very good so maybe she's right. Can some of you please just help me out and have a wif of your own boys to tell me if this is true. I'm no vet but I think it is more likely to be a result of the water soaked pellets he has eaten for most of his years and possibly the infection or something? Thank you, Dae

24-05-2009, 08:44 PM	#2
Laraine Senior Member Adult Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Wirral Posts: 3,622	I think perhaps you may need to see a specialist reptile vet. We rehomed a tortoise last year and it had a distinctive smell on the shell, turned out that the poor little one had some shell rot going on underneath the outer shell, by a spot that had been injured. __________________ Laraine ________________________

24-05-2009, 09:28 PM	#3
dae Member Hatchling Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 548	Thanks for your quick reply, this is what I suspect as it would also explain his problems in walking maybe. But the vet IS a specialist reptile vet, she has an excellent reputation, and from what I've seen she's very knowledgable. I'm in Milton keynes if anyone knows of a good one they use. I just want to help him get better. His shell is lovely and strong but is quite deformed. More domed than pyramid. I just had another smell and it's a little less potent than it was last week. i have been bathing him so maybe that helped. This is him below- see what I mean about his legs- he just lays spralled out like road kill for hours and won't often make any effort to move towards food, heat etc. He is as I said tho doing much better in the week that I have had him, he was loving the sun today and I saw him eat his weeds. Thanks for your thoughts- can't wait to get this big guy better! dae Last edited by dae; 24-05-2009 at 09:57 PM.

24-05-2009, 10:39 PM	#4
Kirkie Senior Member Adult Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 4,887	Hi Dae, Did your vet not pick up on the problem with your tortoises legs? I am aware of a very similar problem raised by an owner on another forum and the vet concluded that the lack of leg movement was caused by calcium deficiency. The tortoise had not been with the new owner that long but is now receiving the regular daily calcium supplimentation and has to undergo a kind of physio therapy daily with the owner. Other issues can also affect the use of the back legs such as kidney problems. I'm suprised the vet did not pick up on this.

24-05-2009, 11:06 PM	#5
dae Member Hatchling Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 548	Hi, thanks for reply- I actually took him to the vets partly because he's a rehome and I would always get them checked out but also specifically because I noticed the prob with his legs in the first instance. She didn't give me any physio exercises to do- I would have appreciated that as I support his shell and walk him around each day anyway- he is walking better now after just a week but I think I would like asecond opinion from another vet!

25-05-2009, 10:04 AM	#6
Kirkie Senior Member Adult Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 4,887	The physio the other tortoise undergo's is this (please don't laugh, its true and I have seen this method referenced in tortoise books) This is a small, baby Horsfield and what the owner has to do is place him on a matchbox placed side on so that his legs overhang the matchbox but can't touch the floor. His attempts to move by waggling his legs exercise his muscles. I think this is done for an hour a day but I'd have to check that. I've seen reference to a similar exercise for larger tortoises done using a house brick. In addition the tortoise is given longer baths than normal so that it can exercise the legs but with the added benefit of the water providing buoyancy for the tortoise.

26-05-2009, 09:36 AM	#8
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	There was another case of a fishy smell, sadly Fluffy died though I've no idea if that had anything to do with it http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/for...light=broccoli

26-05-2009, 09:56 AM	#9
dae Member Hatchling Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 548	Thanks Alan, I have PMd alotofluff to see if they can advise me.

26-05-2009, 10:21 AM	#10
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	She has been quite upset and hasn't been on much since. There are some threads on the diagnosis by the vet, they will be in the 'health and vets' section I expect but he was originally injured by a child and the vet found another problem which I think was unrelated to the injury. X-rays showed a mass which may have been a bladder stone or something else entirely

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