Health
During the daytime in summer, fit and healthy tortoises should:
- Keep their bodies warm to TOUCH at all times.
- Be alert and curious.
- Walk on the tips of their claws with their plastron well clear of the ground.
- Hold their neck and head above the horizontal so that they can smell the air around them.
- Have a healthy appetite.
- Not to be frightened that they hide regularly in their shells.
Urination
- Tortoises should urinate daily to remove toxins.
- The urine should consist of clear water and may have smooth pure white urates. These should be ejected together but not be mixed together.
- The urine should not be discoloured. If it is, then it can mean problems with the kidneys. You must get this tortoise to a tortoise vet immediately.
- The urates should not be gritty as this can mean that the tortoise is dehydrated. Soaking regularly usually puts this right.
Defecation
- The faeces should be similar to the consistency to human faeces but should be very fibrous, due to all the fibre that they should be eating.
- Green colour indicates lack of complete digestion. A tortoise with this must be taken to a tortoise vet to be checked out.
- Black colour can indicate internal bleeding and a tortoise with this must be taken to a specialist tortoise vet immediately.
- Yellow colour (especially in females) are usually due to broken eggs internally. This tortoise must go to a vet immediately.
Vets List
This is a list of Vets that we are told are suitable as Tortoise Vets. If you find that this is not so then please let us know.
Also let us know if you have a good Tortoise Vet that is not listed.
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- Mr Bruce Maclean, Bird & Exotic Animal Services c/o Iffley Vets, 35 . www.herpvet.co.uk
- Jill Pearson & Marion Ford, Cambridge Veterinary Group, 89A Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge, CB1 4BS 01223329331. www.cambridgevetgroup.co.uk
- Mrs Kilkenny, Milton Keynes Vet Group, 7 Fyfield Barrow, Walnut Tree, Milton Keynes. MK7 7AN. 01908397777. www.mkvetgroup.co.uk
- Gabby Drake, Birch Health Veterinary Clinic, Birch Heath Road, Taporley, Cheshire, CV6 9UU, 01829733777.
- Molly Varga, Cheshire Pet, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, CV4 8AB, 01477544544.
- Mr Noel Walker, The Wayside Veterinary Surgery, 2 Long Lane, Chester, CH2 2PD, 01244570364.
- Iona Hunt, The Veterinary Clinic, George Hunt and Son, Dickens Lane, Poynton, Stockport, SK12 1NU. 01625850086.
- Vicki Temple, Millcroft Veterinary Group, Wakefield Road, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 0HR, 01900826666. ww.millcroftvets.co.uk
- David Holah, Lynwood Veterinary Group, Leanne Business Centre, Sandford Lane, Warham, Dorset, BH20 4DY. 01929552692
- M Lawton & L Stokes, Lawton & Stokes, 8-12 Fitzilian Avenue, Harold Wood, Essex, RM3 0QS, 01708384444, www.vets@exoticvets.org">www.vets@exoticvets.org
- William Lewis, The Wylie Vet Centre, 196 Hall Lane, Upminster, Essex, RM14 1TD, 01708251200, www.wylievets.com.
- Rachel Mowbray, Vale Vets, The Animal Hospital, The Avenue, Stinchcombe, Dursley, GL11 6AJ, 01453542092.
- J Chitty, J Kent, M Guerrero-Mendez, Strathmoore Veterinary Clinic, London Road, Andover, Hants, SP10 2PH, 01264352323, www.strathmoreveterinaryclinic.co.uk.
- A Jones, J Davidson, Alan Jones & Associates, Warren Farm, Main Road, Sundridge, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 6EE, 01959569909, www.birdvet.co.uk
- Ian & Gillian Mostyn, Pennine Vets, 1 Bury Road, Tottington, Bury, BL8 3HD, 01204886655, www.penninevets.co.uk.
- Craig Hunt, Chine House Veterinary Hospital, Sileby Hall, Crossington Road, Sileby, Loughborough, LE12 7RS, 01509812445, www.chinehousevets.co.uk.
- John Thomason, King Richard Vet Centre, 29 Glenfield Road East, Leicester, LE3 5QW, 01162517677.
- Alan Humphries, Village Vets Centre Ltd, 65 Quarry Street, Woolton, Liverpool, L25 6EZ, 01514288600.
- C Hall, Z Szabo, C J Hall Veterinary Surgeons, 15 Temple Sheen Road, Sheen, London, SW14 7PY, 02088769696, www.cjhall-vets.co.uk.
- W Wildgoose, B Stenson, Midland Veterinary Surgery, 655 High Road, Leyton, London, E10 6RA, 02085585828, www.midlandvetsurgery.co.uk
- J Hedley, W Justice, Barrier Animal Care Clinic LLP, 32 Hardens Manor Way, Eastmoor Place, Charlton, London, SE7 8LP, 02082936580, www.wellpetclinic.co.uk
- D Cuffe, David Cuffe and Associates, 52 Abbeville Road, Clapham, London, SW4 9NF, 02087729922, www.cuffevets.com
- A Young, Young Vet Partnership, 43 The Mall, Ealing, London, W5 3TJ, 02085672724, www.youngvets.co.uk
- A Raftery, S Pellet, Avian & Exotic Animal Veterinary Clinic, 221 Upper Chorlton Road, Manchester, M16 0DE, 01618816868
- L Rayment-Dyble, All Creatures Healthcare Ltd, Brackenwood, Sandy Lane, Horsford, Norwich, NR10 3EB, 01603898984
- Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital, Albion Street, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, OX7 5BN, 01608642547
- Kevin Eatwell, Exotic Animal & Wildlife Services, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Services, University of Edinburgh Hosp for small pets, Easter Bush Vet Centre, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, 01316507650, www.vet.ed.ac.uk/services/exotics.htm
- Alistair Lawrie, Lawrie Veterinary Group, 25 Griffiths Street, Falkirk, Central Scotland, FK1 5QY, 01324624361
- Chris Marshall, Taylor & Marshall, 45 High Street, Shifnal, TF11 8BL, 01952460781
- S Redrode, C Blakey, Dept of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, North Somerset, BS40 5DU, 01934852422
- Rob Reynolds, Seers Croft Veterinary Surgery, Tower Road, Faygate, West Sussex, RH12 4SD, 01293851122, www.seerscroft.co.uk
- M Evans, J Colas, K Zylan, Valley Vets Ltd, Gabalfa Vet Surgery, 180 Merthy Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff, CF14 1DL, 02920529444, www.valletvets.net
- Noel Walker, Gatehouse Veterinary Centre, Chester Road, Lavister, Rossett, Wrexham, Clewyd, LL12 7TE, 01244570364
- Mike Jessop, Ash Veterinary Surgery, Aberdare Road, Georgetown, Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan, 01685722895
- Lance Jepson, Fenton Veterinary Practice, 21 Portfield, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 1BN, 01437762806
- Lance Jepson, Carmarthan Veterinary Centre, Llysonnan, Llamlwch, Carmarthen, SA31 3SA, 01267220404
- Neil Forbes, Great Western Exotic Vets, Unit 10 Berkshire House, Country Park Estate, Shrivenham Road, Swindon, SN1 2NR, 01793603800
- J Waine, A Lloyd-Lucas, Southcrest Veterinary Centre, 97 Mount Pleasant, Redditch, Worcestershire, B97 4JD, 01527550111
- Stuart McArthur, The Tortoise Clinic, Holly House Veterinary Surgery, 468 Street Lane, Moortown, Leeds, LS17 6HA 01132369030, wwwhollyhousevets.co.uk
- Johanna Storm, International Zoo Veterinary Group, c/o Shearbridge Veterinary Centre, 2 Legrams Lane, Bradford, BD7 1ND, 01535605033. www.izvg.co.uk
- Mark Taylor, Avonvale Veterinary Centre, 4 The Cobalt Centre, Kineton Road, Southam, CV47 0FD, 01926812826
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BATK cannot be held responsible for any advice given or for actions taken by the above vets.
We recommend that you make enquiries about your nearest vets and then make you own decisions whether to use them or not.