Health

During the daytime in summer,  fit, healthy tortoises should:-

1. Keep their bodies warm to the touch at all times.
2. Be alert and curious.
3. Walk on the tips of their claws with their plastrons well clear of the ground.
4. Hold their heads and necks above the horizontal so they can smell the air around them.
5. Have a healthy appetite.
6. Not be so frightened that they hide regularly in their shells.

URINATION
Tortoises should urinate daily. The urine should consist of clear water and pure white urates. The two should be ejected together, but should not be mixed. The urates should not be discoloured      and should be the consistency of pouring cream. Any alteration from this, indicates problems in the kidneys (eg when anorexic).

DEFECATION
Faeces should be similar in colour and consistency to human faeces, except that, because the tortoise should be eating a very fibrous diet, it should contain more fibre. Green colour indicates lack of complete digestion; black colour can indicate internal bleeding; yellow inclusions (with females) are often broken eggs.

  Below is a quick list of what to look for and what to do

Walking- If you find that your Tortoise is walking strangely then this really need checking by a Tortoise Vet, it could be a number of things and needs checking.

Breathing- If your Tortoises's breathing is heavy and noisy then you need to get your Tortoise checked over by a Tortoise Vet. This could be the start of pneumonia and you need to get it to a Vet immediately.

Nose- This should be clear and dry. If you have just soaked and washed your Tortoise then it may blow bubbles because of this, so just dry your Tortoise off and see what happens. If your Tortoise has a runny nose or is blowing bubbles and has not been soaked or washed ten you need to get it to a vet immediately, your Tortoise has probably got RNS which needs treatment from a Tortoise Vet. This is very urgent.

Eyes- These when you look at them should be dark in colour and shiny and look alive. If there is any cloudiness you need to get your Tortoise to a Tortoise vet as it may mean that it may have an infection. If your Tortoises's eyes are weeping it may be that they just has dust in them. You can put Hypomelulose drops, available from the chemist, or sterile water and wash the dust out. If you are worried or if this does not solve the problem then you  must take your Tortoise to a Tortoise Vet. If you notice swelling, puss or stickiness then you need to get it to a Tortoise Vet.

Shell- The shell of your Tortoise should not be soft and pliable. If it is then it would be best to take it to a Tortoise Vet to look at. It may be through lack of enough Calcium so adding more Calcium to it's foods could solve the problem, but it will take time. There is no quick fix. The best thing to do is take to a Tortoise Vet and get the correct advise.

Carapace- This is the top shell and should have all of the scutes present. They should not be damaged in any way. If there are any white marks on this area, these are where the Tortoise could have been damaged, usually by a dog, and the shell has sealed itself and repairing itself. Nothing needs to be done apart from keeping an eye on them and keeping them clean. Any loose shell will usually have been caused by a knock which has caused Shell Rot. This can be flicked off when loose with the finger, but not pulled, and then cleaned. We use diluted betadine and a toothbrush for this. This can take a long time to right itself but if this is done and kept clean, it will help to stop it from getting any worse. If in doubt then please take your Tortoise to a Tortoise Vet.

Plastron- This is the bottom shell and you treat exactually the same as the Carapace.

Mouth- This needs checking for Mouth Rot. You need to open the mouth and see if there is any yellow mucus and/or bad smell. This can be done whilst watching your Tortoise eat if you are patient. If you are in any doubt then you must get it to a Tortoise Vet immediately. Sometimes going off their food can also be because of Mouth Rot, so please be aware of this.

Skin- Check the skin around the face, tail and legs. The Scales should be intact and not damaged. All of the toes should be present and should not be too long. If they are, then you need to get someone who knows what they are doing to do this for you or better still a Tortoise Vet. The tail should be clean with no sign of any diarrhoea or damage. The face should have no damage, and there should not be any swelling anywhere. If you find any swelling of any sorts anywhere on your Tortoise then you need to take it to a Tortoise Vet.

Faeces- This should be well formed and digested. If it is undigested, light or diarrhoea then you must get to a Tortoise Vet as it may be infected with worms or something more serious.

Weight & Measure- Keep records of all weights and measures as these are very important and very useful for when a problem occurs. Take these when visiting a Tortoise Vet at all times, it may help them.