Calcium bath = white g

Jami

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Hi all! In trying to get HermIt to get some calcium I mixed powdered calcium in his soak water this morning. He seems to have a white haze on his carapace. Just in a few spots. Do you think it's the calcium or should I be thinking shell rot? I'm leaning towards calcium. Plan to get liquid calcium this weekend. It makes logical sense that it's the calcium....but nothing about this tort has been logical yet!

Thanks!
Jami
 

Jami

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Hi all! In trying to get HermIt to get some calcium I mixed powdered calcium in his soak water this morning. He seems to have a white haze on his carapace. Just in a few spots. Do you think it's the calcium or should I be thinking shell rot? I'm leaning towards calcium. Plan to get liquid calcium this weekend. It makes logical sense that it's the calcium....but nothing about this tort has been logical yet!

Thanks!
Jami
Ok - thread title screwed up. But you get the idea....
 

dmmj

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99% sure it is calcium residue.
 

Yvonne G

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Don't worry about adding calcium powder (or liquid) to the soaking water. Tortoises get their calcium from the calcium-rich foods you feed it, plus a small pinch of the powder over the food a couple times a week. That's enough. But he MUST have sunshine or a good UVB light too.
 

Jami

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99% sure it is calcium residue.
I'm thinking that too. He's a little sluggish today but his shell is harder and I think the bleeding/bruising is getting a little better. Could all be wishful thinking I guess.

Thanks!
 

Jami

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Don't worry about adding calcium powder (or liquid) to the soaking water. Tortoises get their calcium from the calcium-rich foods you feed it, plus a small pinch of the powder over the food a couple times a week. That's enough. But he MUST have sunshine or a good UVB light too.
Thanks! It was because his shell seemed softer and he's had the bleeding/bruising under his shell. Doing better with UVB with top off cage and hole in screen when it's on. He's a bit off today but he seems to be growing and could just be tired. I had to work today so I'm not sure how much running around he did.

Thanks for responding!
 

Tom

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Calcium works just fine on the food. I wouldn't try the calcium bath thing any more. Calcium carbonate is very basic and I'm not sure what that sort of high pH will do to their skin or shell over time.
 

Jami

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Calcium works just fine on the food. I wouldn't try the calcium bath thing any more. Calcium carbonate is very basic and I'm not sure what that sort of high pH will do to their skin or shell over time.
Thank you for responding! I will stop them then. Thought it had been recommended as he really doesn't eat it. He's a master at getting around it all. Someone suggested the blueberry flavored calcium. Do you think I should give that a try?

Thanks again...
 

Moozillion

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The greens that they eat have calcium in them. If he's getting a good variety of food and good UVB light whenever he wants it, I don't know if I'd get too worried about a lot of supplementation. Just my opinion.
 

Jami

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The greens that they eat have calcium in them. If he's getting a good variety of food and good UVB light whenever he wants it, I don't know if I'd get too worried about a lot of supplementation. Just my opinion.
Thanks. He didn't eat very well today and was really pretty lethargic. He put himself to bed about an hour early. Hoping he's just having an off day. Thanks for the response!!
 

Moozillion

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My Elsa does that too. She'll be eating well and behaving predictably, then one day she just ignores her food and doesn't eat anything. Or maybe she doesn't dig out of her bed until after noon, then digs in again by 2, (ordinarily she's up by 7 and dug in around 4).
But then the next day she's back to the behaviors I'm used to!
I've learned not to worry too much about ONE DAY of changed behavior. I would worry if there was SEVERAL days of changes from established behaviors OR if it kept coming back frequently. This assumes that the temperatures and humidity in your warm and cool ends are good, as well as his basking temp.
:)
 

tortoisetime565

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I take my hatchlings (size depending, if they are under 4" only get 6-7 outside hours) outside to soak eat and exercise then I bring them in. I also give them I give them calcium powder every other day.
 

Jami

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My Elsa does that too. She'll be eating well and behaving predictably, then one day she just ignores her food and doesn't eat anything. Or maybe she doesn't dig out of her bed until after noon, then digs in again by 2, (ordinarily she's up by 7 and dug in around 4).
But then the next day she's back to the behaviors I'm used to!
I've learned not to worry too much about ONE DAY of changed behavior. I would worry if there was SEVERAL days of changes from established behaviors OR if it kept coming back frequently. This assumes that the temperatures and humidity in your warm and cool ends are good, as well as his basking temp.
:)
Hi again. Thanks! He was still a bit off but seemed happy to soak. Temps are good. I worry enough about everything that I need someone to tell me to be calm! Thanks!!!
 

Jami

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I take my hatchlings (size depending, if they are under 4" only get 6-7 outside hours) outside to soak eat and exercise then I bring them in. I also give them I give them calcium powder every other day.
Ok. Thanks for the info! I appreciate it!!!
 

Jami

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Sounds like you're doing great! :)
I'm trying so hard. He still has the blood pooled around his shell a little bit and some under his plastron. He has been sleeping a lot more and not eating as much the last 3 days and he's been soaking a lot. He seems happy to lay in the warm end all day long. Maybe his body is trying to heal. I refuse to think otherwise for now. I so love him.

Have a great night! Thanks for being so nice!
 

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