Medeterainian Spur Thighed Tortoise attacked by a fox!
Hi,
our spur thighed tortoise has lived in the same garden for 31 years very happily. It has fruit trees and pleanty of dandelions, is completly walled, and has a green house which he uses to shelter in as and when he likes. So he is fully adult, aclimatised and healthy.
I was worried about him after such a long,hard winter followed by patchy weather this spring. Well he emerged from hibination as normal and was feeding fine etc.
One morning we were horrified to find him on his back. On examination he had a slight wound to his leg. It was very superficial and only bled slightly. He was clearly shaken and unusually shy. I have no doubt it was a fox as there are signs they now visit our street.
So firstly I brought him indoors as the weather has been quite cold, I gave him a warm shallow bath then placed him in the dark in an airing cuboard to dry and keep warm. The wound seems to have loosened one of the larger scales on his left front fore arm. At this point it was still very slowly oozing blood. Having gently cleaned the leg I applied a fabric plaster and returned him to the garden. Happily he fed well and every evening I place him in the green house and shut the doors to keep him safe from the fox.
After a few days he became sluggish. I removed the plaster and realised the wound had bled slightly. I decided to bring him back into the warm indoors, and give the wound air. After about half an hour he went to the toilet and was then much brighter and more active. I think he is struggling to digest food due to the poor cold weather this May.
The wound did dry up and he calmed down. However about a week later I could not find him anywhere in the garden and therefore was unable to shut him in the greenhouse overnight. To my horror he turned up again upside down and bleeding from the same place. The damn fox came back the one night I didn't find him and get him locked in.
So the current situation is this. He was initially cold and slow and obviously rather shocked. I brougt him in and again gave him a warm bath and the airing cuboard for a hour or so. He again went to the toilet, brightened up and is eating. His eyes are clear and bright. His nostrels are clear. However as I put him in the greenhouse tonight his wound seems to be weeping Amber coloured clear liquid. It was thin and not blood but not quite puss either. It was warmer today and I saw him tucking into some dandilions. If he eats I am sure it's a good sign, but the weeping wound worries me. I will carefully check in the morning when I open up the greenhouse to let him out. I am trying not to handle or disturb him at all. My worry is as he pushes his way thru undergrowth as he does (like a little tank) he is going to keep opening up his wound further. He gets impatient if kept in a box or pen and tries to claw his way out. This too will prevent it from healing.
One other thing I noticed, when he last went to the toilet there was also bright White mixed in with the stool, a bit like bird droppings. I've not noticed this before.
So thanks for reading all this, I have the following questions -
Should I clean and dress the wound ?
How could one disinfect the wound ?
Could the stool symptoms and clear Amber coloured liquid signify infection?
Should I allow him out to roam around as normal or keep him indoors in a clean environment (this would annoy and confuse him)?
Should I take him to the vet, I have very little funds. I am very fond of him however and determined to do the best by him.
He is a very hardy little trooper and I feel he should pull through, I just wish I could prevent the foxes from living around here!
Thanks very much for reading, I would appreciate and feedback.
Cheers,
Pat
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