tortoise skin slough

Re: tortoise skin slough

Mark Rowland — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 18:15:44 GMT

Hope tort is doing OK

You need to crank up the tx. Hosp for supportive care and lots of abs. Give the baytril daily and add ceftazidime 20mg/kg q 72 hrs

Fluids also

It sounds as if for whatever reason this tort has developed an overwhelming septicaemia which will need aggressive tx.

Goodluck

Re: tortoise skin slough

Gareth C. — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 10:42:18 GMT

hi x rays horiziontal beam NAD I will try to get them on here. We havent inj any vitamins. He came in yesterday ( I was off) and the sloughing skin was starting to smell. we have started on eod baytril injections. There was no smell or sign of infection initially so poss secondary infection?? I did check his walking re shell and is between dragging shell and normal .

Re: tortoise skin slough

Mark Rowland — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 22:41:52 GMT

High AST with normal CK could indicate Liver disease. Can they check bile acids?

My gut feeling here is that there may be some metabolic bone disease with some renal issues secondarily. The rad would be useful here.

Can this tortoise pick up its shell to walk?

I would have this tortoise in for some supportive care (syringe feeding, covering antibiotics, calcium injections( if the rads indicate NSHP)

No ones given this tortoise any vitamin injections have they?

Mark

Re: tortoise skin slough

Sammy82 — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 21:01:17 GMT

Could thermal damage do this? I haven't any first hand experience with it, just sounds a bit like 2nd degree burns- blisters- to me and it seems to be common in reptiles under less than ideal husbandry conditions. How is the pen heated, does it have underfloor heating/lamp?

Although the neck sounds an odd place to get this as they don't tend to sit with their neck streched out.

Re: tortoise skin slough

CatherineThomas — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 20:11:12 GMT

There doesn't seem to be anything exciting on those bloods. Have you got the xrays yet?

Have you tried using a doppler probe to assess heart rate/quality? But beware that the heart rate will be affected by temperature.

I wonder if sending some of the sloughed skin to the lab for histology might be useful.

Re: tortoise skin slough

Gareth C. — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 18:38:01 GMT

hi not a pain! my mistake. thanks for your interest

Re: tortoise skin slough

Gareth C. — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 18:37:29 GMT

BIOCHEMISTRY
>
> Test Result Alert Units Reference Range
>
> Total Protein 35.8 g/L 25.0 - 55.0
> Albumin 15.4 g/L 14.0 - 24.0
> Globulin 20.4 g/L 12.0 - 33.0
> AG Ratio 0.75
> AST (SGOT) 37 C 172.0 High U/L 10.0 - 100.0
>
> CK (CPK) 37 C 38.0 U/L
> LDH 37 C 866.0 U/L 250.0 - 1170.0
> Inorganic phosphorus 1.54 mmol/L 1.30 - 3.00
> Calcium 2.71 mmol/L 2.70 - 3.70
> Uric acid 269 umol/L 50 - 350
> Glucose 5.3 mmol/L
>
> AST is not significantly elevated but may reflect mild
> hepatocellular damage given CK within normal limits
> Further monitoring is recommended
>
> Morag Dunlop BVMS PhD, FRCPath, MRCVS

Re: tortoise skin slough

Mark Rowland — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 16:48:29 GMT

Sorry to be a pain but the biochem too?

Mark

Re: tortoise skin slough

Gareth C. — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 16:31:27 GMT

Date of Sampling: 16/03/2015 Tests Requested:
> REPTILE BASIC PROFILE,
> Thrombocyte Count
>
> HAEMATOLOGY
>
> Test Result Alert Units Reference Range
>
> Full Blood Count
> Classification: TORTOISE
>
> Red cells 0.76 10^12/L 0.50 - 1.20
> Haemoglobin 9.9 g/dL 7.0 - 12.0
> Hct 0.285 l/L 0.150 - 0.360
> MCV 375.0 fL 250.0 - 500.0
> MCH 130.3 pg
>
> MCHC 34.7 g/dL
> White Cells 3.0 10^9/L 1.5 - 8.0
> Heterophils (Absolute) 1.35 10^9/L 0.50 - 5.00
> Heterophils 45 %
> Azurophils (Absolute) 1.38 10^9/L
> Azurophils 46 %
>
> Lymphocytes (Absolute) 0.18 Low 10^9/L 0.50 - 2.50
> Lymphocytes 6 %
> Monocytes (Absolute) 0.00 10^9/L <= 0.50
> Monocytes 0 %
> Eosinophils (Absolute) 0.00 10^9/L <= 0.20
> Eosinophils 0 %
>
> Basophils (Absolute) 0.09 10^9/L <= 0.70
> Basophils 3 %
> Thrombocyte count 2 10^9/L
> Analyser ID ~
>
> Morphological
> Assessment : WHITE CELLS : No abnormal or
>
> Reference No: 1002504616 Date of Receipt: 17/03/2015
> Continuation on next sheet Date of Report: 17/03/2015
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> HAEMATOLOGY
>
> Test Result Alert Units Reference Range
>
> Morphological immature cells seen.
> Assessment :
> RED CELLS : Appear normocytic with no
> significant nuclear irregularity.
> No polychromasia seen.
>
> THROMBOCYTES: Morphology appears normal.
>
> PARASITES : None found on the films
> examined.
>
> Exotic Hb generated by hemocue
> photometer. HCT generated by manual spun
> technique. WBC, differential and
> thrombocyte count generated manually by
> blood film assessment.
>
>

Re: tortoise skin slough

Gareth C. — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 16:09:19 GMT

thanks we are getting the dv views done tomorrow i will paste the blood in when get a minute

Re: tortoise skin slough

Mark Rowland — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 13:24:16 GMT

Hi Can you post all the bloods and the DV?

Mark