Serum, sap like liquid coming from shell scoots

[paul1882]

Hi all, I have a 16 year old Mediterranean spur thighed tortoise and this week I have notice a sap like resin weeping slightly from three scoots on his Carapace.
I have googled this and cannot find anything relevant. He is eating well and I've bathed him a few times but it's still happening and I wondered if anyone on here had come accross this phenomenum previusly and may be able to offer some advice. There has not been any injury or impact to his shell!
Couple of photos attached.
Thanks in advance, Colinsdad.

[lin]

Hi Colinsdad.
This does seem a little strange and I wonder if you could send in a few more photos so I can get some ideas of what should be going on.

A photo of the whole outdoor area if you can.

A photo the same as the one you sent but with the resin washed off.

A photo the same as the one you sent but with the tortoise tilted so that I can see the plastron clearly in the same area but directly beneath.

Do you have any wildlife that frequents your garden? and are there any building materials laying around?
Is the resin sticky?

Look forward to your reply.

Lin

[paul1882]

Hi Lin and thhank you for your reply,
His outdoor area is our whole back garden with loads of grass and bushes etc and nothing has changed here in the last few years.
As far as wildlife is concerned there is our dog, our cat and a couple of hedghogs as far as I know.
I'll take more photos tomorrow of his shell etc and the garden but up until now he's never had a problem and there's no building materials laying about.
Regards
Paul.

[lin]

It really is strange Paul.
I have blown up these photos looking for a time injury but can’t see anything so wondered what it was like under the sap?
I will wait for the photos and see if I have any more insight.

Lin

[paul1882]

Hi Lin, here are some photos of the garden, his house and close ups of his shell, Its a bit shiny as I've just bathed him. I have looked closely at his shell for damage but cannot find anything. There are a couple of growth cracks around a couple of scoots at the top of his shell but these have been there a few years are are nowhere near where the weep is!
Like i said i have googled this but cannot find anything similar!
Regards
Paul.

[paul1882]

here are the other photos, i can only post three per post.

[lin]

Hi Paul, thanks for sending these photos in.

From what I can see, where I have put the red marker on your photos, the shell seems to be pinkish in colour, where the green marker is indicating is the scoots under the brown side looks to be a chestnut colour with a red hue to it and not an oak colour brown like the healthy shell, and the blue, well that looks like the white shell is sort of opaque.
There looks like some kind of injury at the front, right hand side, on the bottom scutes.
My advice would be to get a tortoise specialist vet look at your tortoise because all of those areas and the redness, although it could just be where he has had a bath and is warm, but it could also be shell rot.
If you know of a reptile specialist that has an interest in tortoises in your area you should make an appointment because if it is then delaying treatment could prove fatal. If you don’t have a vet we could find one in your area if you can let us know your area.

Here is a page from Tortoise Trust giving an outline of what it is and what treatment but it also says consult a vet. You have to scroll down to “shell Rot’
https://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/ ... epticaemia

I hope this is helpful and if we can do anything else for you please do get back to us.
Regards

Lin

[paul1882]

Hi Lin,

Thank you for your advice, he seems to be improving but still have no idea what has caused it!
we will give it another week and if no improvement we'll be contacting our vet.
Once again thank you.