One thing that really surprised me in Ostin’s bloodwork was his extremely low uric acid level – just 5.3 mg/dL, which is clearly below the normal range for tortoises.
At the beginning of his illness, I even suspected he might be developing gout, because of swelling and pain in his hind legs...
Lately, the temperatures in Berlin haven’t been higher than 22–25°C.
This year, we’ve only had a few really hot days around 30°C.
Apart from that, the weather hasn’t been particularly nice here.
That’s why I even use a heat lamp during the summer.
Until now, I’ve been using the ExoTerra Reptile UVB 100, but I’ve read that this bulb isn’t very effective.
That’s why I recently ordered the Lucky Reptile Bright Sun UV Desert 70 Watt to replace it.
Has anyone here you this bulb before?
He doesn’t want to lie in the sun.
Today I tried again to take him outside onto the terrace so he could sunbathe on a towel — but as soon as he saw the sunlight, he immediately tried to move away.
He actually enjoys resting under the UV and heat lamp indoors, but he seems afraid of natural...
Yes, I’m worried that he might develop resistance to antibiotics, and that so many different antibiotics could damage his liver.
I was wondering if there are any vitamins that could help support his immune system?
Right now, he’s getting calcium three times a week and a reptile multivitamin once...
Ostin is currently lying under a 25-watt heat lamp, which is positioned about 35 cm above him (as shown in the photo).
I specifically chose the 25-watt bulb because 50 watts was too hot. The temperature directly under the lamp is around 30°C, while the room temperature is about 22°C.
We have a...
No, not that I’m aware of. I honestly have no idea how it happened — it’s still a mystery to me. My best guess is that it may have been caused by friction from the shell edges.
Here’s what I’m doing now:
Tomorrow will be his third laser therapy session (10 minutes per leg). I clean the wounds and apply Fucidin ointment twice a day (similar to triple antibiotic ointment). I’m also continuing with Bene-Bac 2–3 times per week.
I’ve recently started to bathe him again...
Thank you for the helpful tips!
Before his legs were stitched, I used to bathe him daily in warm water for about 20–30 minutes. It had always been part of his daily routine.
After the stitches, I reduced bathing to avoid disturbing the healing — but he continued to drink water every day.
In...
Thank you for the feedback! That was my thought as well, originally.
I actually asked the first vet back in early May to smooth down the edges of the shell, and he did lightly file them...
Update – More Background on How It All Started:
At the end of February 2025, I noticed a small wound on Ostin’s left hind leg.
At first, I thought it was just due to shell friction. I treated it with Bepanthen and zinc ointment for about 4 weeks — it improved.
Then in early April, I noticed...