Heart disease in tortoises

The heart is a muscle which collects blood full of oxygen from the lungs and pumps it around the body. It also collects blood full of carbon dioxide from the body and pumps it back to the lungs. This cycle goes on continuously.

The heart of a tortoise differs from the heart of a mammal in several ways. It is especially adapted to suit the life of a reptile. It sits between the front legs under the lungs and the pseudodiaphragm. Inside the heart of the tortoise there are three chambers; these are the right atrium, left atrium and ventricle. There is also an extra chamber outside the heart called the sinus venosus which collects blood.

Tortoises can move blood to wherever it is needed in the body. Remember how mammal’s hearts always pumps  blood round the body from right to left? Tortoises can change the direction of the blood so that it can flow backwards.  This is one of the ways that tortoises can survive if they do not have enough oxygen or if they become dehydrated.

Heart disease is not commonly diagnosed in tortoises. Although maintaining good nutrition, temperature and housing can all help further in minimizing the risk of any problems developing.

However, tortoises suffering from a heart condition will be very quiet and may struggle to breathe. If you see laboured breathing this is an emergency and you must take your tortoise to the veterinary practice immediately.

There are parasites that kill the red blood cells, but these are not common in tortoises bred in the UK. These parasites cause symptoms that appear similar to heart failure.

If a tortoise’s housing is too cold it can prevent the heart from beating fast enough to keep the blood pumping to all the vital organs. Ensure you have a good quality thermometer in the vivarium to ensure the temperature is set correctly.

Having a good balanced diet is also essential to ensure the heart is healthy.

During hibernation the heart slows down to a few beats per minute… this is normal!

A tortoise with suspected heart disease needs to visit a veterinarian. Treatment might involve medication to support the heart, but often these cases are very hard to treat.