Savannah's Story    

Hi Everyone,

       My name is Savannah. I am a Sulcata Tortoise, and my home range (if I was wild) is in Africa. I weight about 45 pounds, so I am a young girl and I am still growing.  I will be 100 pounds or more when I am an adult.

Right now, I am at TortoiseAid in Southern California. I was involved in a propane explosion two years ago and I was terribly burned.  These pictures were taken before my treatment was started last night.  My New Mom Suzy at Sulcata Sanctuary sent me to Annie because I have not had proper veterinary care for my third degree burns, and what's left of my poor shell is really a mess.  I am eating and drinking well.  Suzy and Annie both say I am a very sweet girl with a good temperment and that I am a real trooper.

I will have Annie post some more photos of me here as we go through treatment.  A big girl like me needs a LOT of Silvadene creme, and it feels REALLY soothing when it is put on the areas where my dead shell and all of the abscesses have been removed.  Presently, I have lost 90% of my carapace, but thank goodness my plastron is OK and was not burned.

I was adopted by a nice man who has 2 male sulcatas. He got me from a chapter of a very large Southern California tortoise club and I was placed with the two males in his backyard.  The nice man did not know any better, but the "tortoise club" should have!!! (SHAME ON THEM!)  He did not know my shell wouldn't heal by itself since he has not had the other tortoises very long.  The 2 males constantly rammed and butted and tried to mount me.  Needless to say, I have been under a lot of stress and I am very happy to be by myself.  The nice man sent me to Suzy and Annie so I can get better and I will live out the rest of my life in sanctuary.

If you would like to help me or other animals like me, please visit HERE.

Thanks!

~Savannah~

Areas of dead shell,  bone, and infection. Beneath these areas are hundreds of small to medium sized abscesses. Anaerobic bacteria thrives in areas like this, and can literally eat a tortoise from the "outside inward."

As you can see here, much of the dead keratin layer of the carapace is trying to slough off, leaving a breeding ground for bacteria. Most of these areas were also caked with dried dirt.

This entire area is necrotic, and all if it is void of any blood supply, was full of abscesses and fuzzy mold, and has been removed to allow proper air circulation and to promote healing.  Being butted, rammed, and mounted by two large male sulcatas certainly did not help my already painful injuries!  But I will get better, just you wait and see.

Hi everyone,

Well, I have had all of the dead shell removed from me, it has been a long process.  Now the long healing process really starts.  As you can see I have lost a lot of my shell, and it won't grow back.  I will eventually develop a very tough layer of skin over the entire area.  It's going to take a couple of years, but that's OK.

I absolutely love getting to sit in the shower with the water on,  and I do NOT want to get out!!  I get to go for little walks outside in the early evening when the sun isn't hot (because that is very painful for me!)

I want to thank everyone who has helped Suzy and Annie get extra medicine for me, it feels soooo good when it gets put on.  At first I got it put all over me, and now  we are concentrating on the areas that are very badly infected with both mold and bacteria.  

These photos of me after all of the dead shell and all of the abscesses were removed.