Having a crappy morning and this literally made me laugh out loud ..



Thanks for the giggle!!

Tamie

I never said i brushed them every time i cleaned them. But if they do have poo around there bum or its just generally looking dirty i do give it a little clean with a VERY SOFT brush. No harm in that.
In the wild no one picks them up but we do!! Yes i keep my tortoises as close to a wild life as possible but we cannot help the fact they are not in the wild.
If by cleaning my dirty tortoise with a SOFT brush makes me a bad keeper then i hold my hands up.

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an i bring everyone attention to this artical in the TT Tortoise Trust Web - Should I give my Tortoise a Bath?

Here is a quote:

Take the toothbrush and gently brush the entire carapace, being particularly attentive to any areas of build up, between the scutes, and beneath the carapace as well, to include all areas above the head, surrounding the legs, and around the tail.
Repeat the same for legs, tail, and neck. Be careful of any areas not covered with scales, as these areas can be more sensitive. Repeat the same procedure with the plastron, paying careful attention that all dirt is removed from between the scutes.

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Not everytime it has a bath but every couple of weeks I use a sponge and clean my tortoises shell top and bottom and clean any poo off as and when required. But thats just me and I know everyonre is different

Have to agree here - there are far too many gimmicky things around for pets. I find on the whole that the more pets are 'coddled' the more likely they are to need a vet. When I sell my babies there are two key things to keep uppermost in your mind at the top of the care sheets, 'hydration hydration hydration' and 'does it happen in the wild'. Scrubbing torts shells with even the softest brush is a great way to let bacteria etc into the sensitive new growth area. The same goes for bums etc. It's a bit like people who buy all this stuff for personal hygiene (and I don't mean a straightforward shower<g> - an open ticket for the docs surgery

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Take care
Sue

www.tortsmad.com
wizzasmum@aol.com

Sorry can't agree with everything that is written by any particular author. I have never done that in 25+years and have no incidences of shell rot etc other than those that came with it.

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Take care
Sue

www.tortsmad.com
wizzasmum@aol.com

I disagree Sue, if my tortoises are dirty i will clean them with a soft brush but not all the time. I have done for 10 years with no problems at all as followed on the Tortoise Trust.

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Everyone does it different, and its great to have different opinnions.
I have had no problem cleaning my tortoises with a brush and you have had no problems cleaning without one. Great.

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Sue is there any evidence of shell rot caused by cleaning? i would be very very interested in this.

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Well thats me yet agin defined as a bad keeper I use a soft nail brush on adults carapaces to remove debris and I use a towel to dry off too,

I love a nice sparkling clean tortoise they look so healthy but looks aren't everything I suppose

D