why is my tortie got skin peeling around her neck & a dry crack on across her face? I soak her every day she has 3 leaf lettuce everyday with Timothy hay I have a 75 watt heat lamp on one side of her home its kept at 80 she is only 5 months old hence i say she as in I hope its a she please what can i do I havent read anything about this condition any where ?
What are you soaking her in ? I mean where are you getting the water from ? Is it tap water from a city source or well water or bottled water ? The reason I am asking is because if it is city water it is usually highly chlorinated. Although you will hydrate the tortoise inside you will severely dry its skin out with the chlorine. If possible post a picture of the affected areas.
Is all your Sulcata is getting to eat Timothy and leaf lettuce? That is very not good Sulcatas need a varied, high fiber low protein diet. There are NO lettuces that are a healthy choice. They need lots of grasses, about 70% of their diet. Another 20 percent should be edible weeds, like dandelion, braodleaf plantain, and shepherds foot. 8% should be leafy green veggies, like kale, corriander, turnip greens, carrot greens, and mustard greens. Only about 2% of the diet, if even that much, should be fruit, but they do need some vitamin C and other nutrients that they get from fruit. I recommend papaya, orange, and cactus pear as the only fruits to feed. Fixing her diet will help make her whole body healthy. I think you may be soaking her too much. Once a week is plenty, as long as she has a humid hide box to get into. What temps is she kept at? What kind of lighting? Could the basking light be too close to her? It could be a lot of things that are causing her problems. Please go to www.sulcata-station.org for more information. Kristina
Thank you I have tried her with the greens you have mentioned but she wont eat them i do try different things but i justendup throwing hem away I will try some other grasses thanks
Hi, I am useing tap water and i live in the mountains of wa spokane so its fresh water but that could be the problem she does look very dry ? what do you reckon mend I use
Try putting your grasses and hay in a coffee grinder and sprinkling it over her other food... That way she cannot eat without getting some. Sometimes we have to play a little tough love to do what is best for them. Use dechlorinated water, or get a dechlorinating product to treat her bath water. I really think you are bathing her too much. Give her a pan that she can free choice bathe in, and only force her to soak once a week, if at all. If she is using her pan regularly it really isn't necessary. Does she have a humid hide? Kristina
I forgot to ask... Are you supplementing Vitamin A? It is very easy to overdose, and no Vitamin A supplements should be given unless under the direction of an experienced reptile vet. Vitamin A poisoning can cause peeling skin. Kristina
Hi kyryah, thank you for your help, I am from england living in WA and my husband is in iraq working I have two step kids here with me and 3 grown up kids in England I miss them lots and i have always wanted a tortiose since I was 10 and would never of had a change to get one in england, so when th echnce came along I got one it a bit frustrating when she wont eat anything i get her i buy the 3 leaf luttuce mix and she loved it I will try what you say and grind up some grass I am only puting a tortoise supplement salad topper on her food now and again but it doesnt have vit a in it i think it could be the water its very dry it even makes me dry thaks again its great talking with you tracey
I am thinking that the water is your problem. With over 30 years experiance with the breeding and raising of sulcatta tortoises I can tell you that it is usually something simple that needs to be corrected. Tap water, no matter where you live is chlorinated and depending on where that water is coming from may be highly chlorinated . If it is causing your skin to chalk or be dry , it will certainly do the same to your tortoise. My advice is to bottle up your tap water and let it sit uncovered for 3-4 days before using. All chlorine will disapate in that amount of time and it can be used for soaking and drinking. You can also purchase spring water but using your own is cheaper. Seeing that dehydration in baby tortoises of all kinds is one of the leading causes of death for hatchling tortoises , I would have to disagree with the soaking to much comment. We soak all of our babies 3 times weekly and actually use a water soluble Vitamin and electrolyte supplement once a week. Vitamin A poisening or the lack of vitamin A will almost always present itself as swollen eyes as the first thing it affects is the conjunctival epithelium. Cracking and peeling skin will come later . If the only symptoms you have are dry cracked skin start with the water and see if it clears up. If there are other symptoms I would advise you to seek qualified veteranary help.
