# calcium soaks?



## jojomo (Jun 7, 2013)

my baby redfoots have been off food for a couple weeks. i have been doing the babyfood soaks twice a day for at least a week now. i don't see them drinking but their little orange poops tell me they're absorbing something. i was considering adding some calcium/D3 powder occasionally to their soaks. good idea or bad idea? if so, how much and how often? has anyone tried this?


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## JoesMum (Jun 7, 2013)

Too much D3 can suppress appetite. They should be making it themselves through UVB and not need a supplement. What is your lighting like and what temperatures do you have?


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## jojomo (Jun 7, 2013)

JoesMum said:


> Too much D3 can suppress appetite. They should be making it themselves through UVB and not need a supplement. What is your lighting like and what temperatures do you have?



right...and they have been getting plenty of sun. what if i were to get just calcium in liquid form. i worry only because their shells are soft. also read in this forum to add bird vitamins to their soaks. any thoughts??


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## mctlong (Jun 7, 2013)

Bird vitamins are a good idea -


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## Yvonne G (Jun 7, 2013)

Calcium powder is very hard to mix with water. Probably a waste of your time.

You really need to figure out why they're not eating. The baby food soaks are not a cure, but rather a stop-gap measure. What foods are you offering? What did they eat before you got them? What were they eating before they stopped eating? What are the temperatures in the habitat? 

Sometimes it helps if the food is placed right in front of the hiding place and you are out of their sight.


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## EricIvins (Jun 7, 2013)

Calcium Gluconate or other liquid Calcium forms will work if you were to soak them in it, if the deficiency is fixable. There is a point where the animal will not recover, and that differs between individuals. At this point that would be your only option if you want to fix this. I would recommend a Vet doing this for you as an injection. Orally is never a guaranteed thing. However, I would be inclined to believe this is just a symptom of a bigger problem. I have rehabbed many calcium deficient Chelonians, and they all still ate with no issues...


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## jojomo (Jun 8, 2013)

thanks guys. from what i understand they have "hatchling failure syndrome" or what Tom likes to call "beef-jerky syndrome". my husbandry is bang on. have all my temps and such posted in a previous thread http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-71796.html 
i realize that they seldom recover from this but there have been a few people share their success stories with me. i'm prepared for the worst but hoping for the best and gonna do everything i can. one of the two finally ate yesterday. chowed down on romaine, green leaf and dandelion for more than an hour and a half. they have been to the vet four times...administered injections of calcium and fluids three times. many people on this forum urged me to stop taking them so i cancelled my last appointment. was just curious if i could do something to get a little calcium in them without taking them back to the vet.


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## Madkins007 (Jun 9, 2013)

There are a couple misconceptions floating around that tortoises absorb nutrients through the skin. A reptile's skin is waterproof- that is a primary thing that distinguished reptiles from amphibians. A soaking reptile can absorb some water through the tissues of the cloaca and mouth (even if they do not swallow), but not through the skin itself.

As far as absorbing nutrients- there is not much clinical evidence that they can absorb vitamins and minerals that way- that is why no vet ever recommends it. The main benefit of the baby food soak is that the tortoise usually drinks some of the soak water, and there is a chance that some of the nutrients (the small particle versions, at least) MAY be absorbed. Calcium is a big particle.

You have done a lot, and it is great news that they have started to eat. See if you can encourage them towards high calcium options- collards or turnip greens, dandelion, papaya, figs, cactus pads, etc. Try some yellow and red edible flowers to help stimulate their appetite some more, and see if they will take any juicy fruits that have been dusted with calcium and multi-vitamins (the nice thing about fruit is that it tends to dissolve the powders and cover the taste).

However, a significant calcium problem is really best dealt with by injections or IVs from a vet.


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## Yvonne G (Jun 9, 2013)

I don't have a scientific link to offer, but many years ago I read an article written by Dr. James Jarchow, who was (at that time) the vet for the National Turtle & Tortoise Society. He said in the article that tortoises can absorb nutrients through the thin skin under the neck/throat and around the cloaca. So, even though I can't put my hands on scientific proof, I'm stickin' with my program. It works. I've seen it work many, many times. I have used the baby food soaks for many years, and most times the "soakee" doesn't drink the water. And yet, in three days, there is a marked improvement in the turtle/tortoise's demeanor. Even if you show me proof that they can't absorb through the skin, I'll still continue to use the method and to tell others to use the method. It works.

Sorry to get off track from the original question. You need to figure out why your tortoise isn't eating and fix that problem. Re-check the temperatures in the habitat. Just go over your tortoise-keeping with a fine-toothed comb and make corrections where necessary. Re-read the care sheets. A good place to start is the *Tortoise Library*


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## jojomo (Jun 9, 2013)

Ok thank you. The one that is eating didn't mind the calcium powder on his greens. I have been giving them dandelions and will head out to get some collards. Also think I will book another vet appointment tomorrow as I'm still concerned about my little one who's not eating. Just hard to make decisions as a newbie when half say shots and half say quit the shots. I appreciate the info


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## ascott (Jun 9, 2013)

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Even if you show me proof that they can't absorb through the skin, I'll still continue to use the method and to tell others to use the method. It works.

Click to expand...

_

"Tried and true" sometimes will still kick the *** of "science"....

Yvonne, I too have personally witnessed the benefits of pure soaking without drinking---and there is no amount of scientific mumbo jumbo that can ever convince me otherwise either....and don't even get me started on pure will....


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