I have a little tortoise I think he hasn't completed one year's old yet,
when I got him he was acting great , walking fast like all little tortoises
, eating good and the shell was hard and in good status .

Once he was in the garden and I told my friend to bring it inside so she
went out looking for him and she was moving some rocks to look under and see
if he's there, she couldn't see him when she returned one rock to its place
so that rock hit his nuchal scute , it was a little broken , no parts are
missing just a fracture , I took him home straight away and cleaned the
broken area .. after that incident he remained few days without eating
anything ( around three or 4 days)then he started eating only cucumber ,
anything else I offer he refuses.. he was eating a little only , few bites,
and then he accepted to take some bites from a piece of an apple ..

I was happy he's eating again , but after days ( been now around 10) , he's
not peeing or pooing or anything , nothing there although I see him
sometimes trying to do so but seems he can't and it's obvious he's not
comfortable with this , I feel he's hungry but today he took only 2 bites of
cucumber and stopped eating and started trying to defecate , he's hungry and
he can not eat because of this, his hind legs are not moving also , when he
wants to walk he's using only his front legs and he hardly can move without
using his hind legs , I was afraid he was paralyzes because of that injury
in his nuchal scute , the fracture was on the left side of that scute .

I soak him in warm water and I try to do some massage to his back legs , but
it's not helping ..only when I try to touch his legs after a while he show
some reaction and withdraw the legs but not like before

Could that fracture be the reason he can not use his hind legs and he can
not even pee or poo .. how can I know please it's an urgent case , I'm
feeling sorry for that little tortoise and I'm afraid if he can not pee soon
something bad will happen , what should I do please give me an advise cause
here in my country Syria nobody really knows about tortoises and noone can
help me.

Please I need your urgent advice , what should I do to make him defecate
first and how can I know is it really a paralysis case or no and what to do
in that case , can he be healed

Hi Missa,

As I mentioned before in my email, to you this little tortoise definitely needs to see a vet, can you contact a number of vets in Syria and see if any are knowledgeable in tortoises?

Meanwhile, soak him in a warm bath for about 20 minutes, the warm water just up to his chin, hopefully this will encourage him to wee or poo. 

Keep the fracture to the shell clean, if you can get some iodine solution, diluted in water and bath the affected area.

Keep him warm and if this is indoors he will need access to a basking lamp and uv.

Please keep us informed, sending you good wishes

Regards Vivienne

hi Vivienne.

thanks for the reply , i tried to contact many vets here but nobody could help me really =(

the only one i used to go to and who was a help really died , he's an old man =( 

i keep giving my tortoise warm baths and massage for the back part, but my worry is this paralysis thing if it's the case maybe he won't be able to poo even if i soak him? =(  how can i know what's the case  , he's tryin and keeps pushing but usually they use their hind legs 2 help them to push , and now he's not able to use them =( so i'm afraid even if i soak , it's useless =(

don't know what to do =-( ..i'm so desperate and feeling sorry for him =(

please if anyone knows anything let me know , any help or advice is truly badly needed

Hi
So sorry to hear about your tortoise. As he/she needs to be seen by a vet straight away, I think I would have to look outside my area if there was no-one local,  the TPG have a list of vets with contact details. Hope you get sorted very soon.
Jane

Hi Missa,

I understand you are in Syria. Have you tried googling reptile vets in the hope of finding a vet that may be able to help?

HTH
Darren

yes i tried , i called our vet in qatar and he said i should give my tort some parafin cause he might be constipated
another one i emailed said that the fracture could have resulted in damage to the spine and neurological problems - including paralysis. he said i can only continue with the treatment and feeding that you am doingbut he's afraid that the tortoise may die =( unless it can recover it's neurological function T_T .. others said they cannot do anything =( but i don't wanna hear this
i'll keep trying and looking ..but time is running =( there must be some1 who can help

Hi Missa,

I'm not sure what to advise other than he needs an x-ray to determine whether there is any damage to spine and to check bone density. I'd also advise a blood test to check the true hypocalcaemia where the blood ionised calcium may low leading to hind limb paralysis, weakening of muscles etc.

Does he appear to be struggling passing stools; raising up on his hind legs drawing in his head. If this is the case it could well be a stone. If he is straining, check inside the clocoa for an impassable stone. Are you continuing with bathing?
I know this is easy to say, but you need to insist that you'd like these checks carried out.

Sorry I can't be of more help, it is undoubtedly veterinary assistance that is required. It's extremely poor that there isn’t a vet close by that will help:-(

Darren

Dear Darren

thank you really for your concern , u know i will find some1 to do that x-ray tomorrow nomatter what
blood test , i don't know if they do this here ? i'll ask also about it

yes he's struggling passing stools , he's drawing in his head, but his hind legs are not moving , he can not move the back part and i think this is why he's not able it's been now 2 weeks or more to pass anything stool or urine or whatever ..
i'm keeping him warm as much as i can and i give him warm baths , but should i continue with this as the weather is getting colder and colder here
i'm giving him also one drop of multi vitamin and massage his back part using some parafin oil

i'm trying everything and will keep trying .. and you're right , it's really poor and annoying that we don't have reptiles vets here .this is so bad =(

but thank you for everything i know you're trying to help as much as you can, really appreciate it ..

thank you

Yes you need to continue with the bathing and keeping im warm.

How is he today and any luck with a vet yet?

TC
Darren

Hi Missa,

I've asked our veterinary advisor, Kevin Eatwell for his prognosis.
Obviosuly he can't be sure as he hasn't seen your tortoise, but he says:

"Just read the thread, sounds like damage to the nuchal scute may well be a red herring the spine is further back than that" and goes on to say that he thinks it may well be a calcium deficiency "and the injury is irelevent.
Getting decent x rays and bloods is ideal. If the lady is on email/internet could she email images of the injury and take a digital photo of the radiographs it may help us to give more helpful advice.

She probably could do with an oral calcium supplement/UV as well to cover all bases

Kev"


Hope this helps Missa

Kindest Regards
Darren



Kevin Eatwell
BVSc (hons) DZooMed (Reptilian) Dip ECZM (Herp) MRCVS
RCVS recognised specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
European Recognised Veterinary Specialist in Zoological Medicine (Herpetological)
Lecturer in Exotic Animal and Wildlife Medicine
Advisor to the Ferret Education and Research Trust
British Chelonia Group Veterinary Liaison Officer
Veterinary Advisor to the Tortoise Protection Group
Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
University of Edinburgh
Hospital for Small Animals
Easter Bush Veterinary Centre
Roslin
Midlothian
EH25 9RG

Dear Darren

thank you so much that's so sweet of you all the interest you show to help my tortoise

i'm really so grateful

i'll take some photos to that injury and try to get a digital photo to the radiographs if i could

and i'll send them as soon as i get them

thanks a lot and will talkto you later

p.s: what did he mean by : may well be a red herring the spine is further  back thank that

Hi Missa,

Kevin thinks it may not be realated to the damage from the knock and that it may well be something else.

TC

Darren

Hi Missa

The Nuchal scute is that directly above the head and the spine is further back than this:-

http://www.dewsburycrafts.co.za/Carapace%20diag.gif

HTH
Darren

Hi I just re read this thread, How did things go with tort? Is he better now?

Hi Claire, we havent heard anymore, if you want you can send Missa a message by clicking her name which is highlighted in a reply message this will bring up a reply box for you to write in, and that will go direct to her!

Regards Vivienne