Carapace give

I brought my Tort to get a checkup and check his eye, and the vet noticed that his carapace might have more give than normal. He is going to call a specialist, but I just wanted your guys' opinions.

The vet isn't sure if it's just because my Tort's age (5) or if it's something else.

i have never noticed a give in my tortoises carapace after about two weeks to a month of age. The plastron, bottom shell will barely give if pushed hard on. But it's so slight, your not sure there even was any give. At least this is what I know with my leopards and Russian.

Tortski said:

I brought my Tort to get a checkup and check his eye, and the vet noticed that his carapace might have more give than normal. He is going to call a specialist, but I just wanted your guys' opinions.

The vet isn't sure if it's just because my Tort's age (5) or if it's something else.

Click to expand...

What is your opinion ? You know your tort better than the VET. Please don`t let the VET give your tort any shots: calcium, vitamins or antibiotics. These shots often do more harm than good.
1. Do you feed your tort calcium and does he eat it ?
2. Do you have a new UVB bulb or natural sunlight for your tort ?
3. What kind of species is your tort ?
4. Is your tort eating well ? What do you feed ?
5. Please upload some pictures of your tort from all sides.

Only a "little" more give is no reason for a VET treatment in my opinion when the torts behaves normal and eats good.

What are your temps , does your tort have red blaches on his belly?

The vet said that if the specialist said that something was up we should try to get him to a specialist. So I don't think he will, but I will make sure he won't.
1. I have a calcium block, but I've only seen him eat it when I'm late at feeding him. He also gets cuttle bone every once in awhile and that's usually gone in a couple of days.
2. I think his night light (purple) is UVB, but the day light I'm not sure. I am trying to get him an outdoor cage.
3. Sulcata
4. Yes. Lettuce (not iceberg) fruit (tomatoes, peppers, apples) and squash. I've been adding Bermuda grass to his peppers to get him to eat grass instead.
5. I will try to upload in a bit.

Temps: 81 on his shell (under the day lamp) and 74 on the other side of the cage. I will have to check his night lamp during the night.

As for the red blaches, I'm not quite sure what you are talking about, but I will look when I get those pictures. The vet didn't say that anything looked odd on his plastron.

Hello @ Tortski

1. Cuttlebones should be always available for your tort. You can feed the shell of cooked eggs too. Try it, I think your tort will like it. Calcium is the main thing for a hard shell.
2. Please don`t use a purple night light because torts should sleep in the dark. It is much better for your tort when you`ll use a Ceramic Heat Emitter for the warmth at night.
A purple night light produces no UVB ! You need urgent a UVB producing bulb for the day. Something like this:
https://www.petsexpert.de/products/...MIzNfswfr41gIV4bftCh3XJQ-NEAYYBiABEgIY3PD_BwE
Without UVB rays your tort will get sick. Calcium and UVB are both needed for a healthy shell.
4. Sulcatas are grazers. That means they should eat gras and weeds. Fruits are not good for them because fruits are too high in sugar. Sugar can`t be well digested and often causes diarrhea.

Your temps should be a little bit higher: 100 F under the basking light and 80 at the "colder" side. Never let night temps drop under 80 F.

Red spots on the carapax of a tort are often a sign for a sepsis. In that case the tort is in danger and a VET visit should be asap.

How long do you own your tort ?
How high is the humidity in the enclosure of your tort ?

Bee62 said:

Hello @ Tortski

1. Cuttlebones should be always available for your tort. You can feed the shell of cooked eggs too. Try it, I think your tort will like it. Calcium is the main thing for a hard shell.
2. Please don`t use a purple night light because torts should sleep in the dark. It is much better for your tort when you`ll use a Ceramic Heat Emitter for the warmth at night.
A purple night light produces no UVB ! You need urgent a UVB producing bulb for the day. Something like this:
https://www.petsexpert.de/products/...MIzNfswfr41gIV4bftCh3XJQ-NEAYYBiABEgIY3PD_BwE
Without UVB rays your tort will get sick. Calcium and UVB are both needed for a healthy shell.
4. Sulcatas are grazers. That means they should eat gras and weeds. Fruits are not good for them because fruits are too high in sugar. Sugar can`t be well digested and often causes diarrhea.

Your temps should be a little bit higher: 100 F under the basking light and 80 at the "colder" side. Never let night temps drop under 80 F.

Red spots on the carapax of a tort are often a sign for a sepsis. In that case the tort is in danger and a VET visit should be asap.

How long do you own your tort ?
How high is the humidity in the enclosure of your tort ?

Click to expand...

Okay, I will try to fix all of that stuff. Would a heat pad work (with other stuff of course)? We got one when he was a baby, but we removed it when he got a cage upgrade. I am trying to get him to grass, but so far the only way he eats it is if I stuff a pepper with it.

I've had him for 5 years and the humidity we nfourtanatly don't have a way to tell, only one of the humidity/temp things that apperantly aren't very accurate. I am going to try to get all of this stuff tonight.

I did see a little reddish tint on his plastron, but I don't know if it is just dirt or not. I don't know exactly what I'm looking for, but I looked at symptoms and that seems to be the only thing he has. The vet said he would call in a couple of days, so if the specialist says anything, I will try to get him to a specialist.

As for the pictures, it seems that I can't post them for some reason.

We are also going to try getting that outdoor cage set up on the weekend

What type of humidity gauge would you recommend?

Tortoises have evolved to take heat from above not below. Heat pads are not suitable

Your tort needs:

1. A basking lamp
This must hang vertically, not at an angle. Basking is essential to raise your tortoise's core temperature so it can digest food. This must be on continuously for 12-14 hours and must not be used with a thermostat.

2. UVB light
Read the instructions for the source to see how close to the substrate it must be. UVB is essential so your tort can process dietary calcium and have healthy bones and shell. This must also be on for 12-14 hours.

Both 1 and 2 are available from the sun for those able to live outside.

UVB does not pass through glass or perspex(plexiglass) - light must be direct to be effective not through a window. Mesh screening can also interfere with UVB.

3. A minimum overnight temperature (see the care sheet for your species) and complete darkness at night to sleep.


Notes

(a) A Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) provides combined UVB and Basking. Alternatively you can use 2 bulbs: a tube UVB and a reflector bulb for basking (a household reflector - not low energy or halogen - from a hardware store will do the job; it's the wattage that counts) It must not be used with a thermostat, rheostat or dimmer.

(b) Ignore any references to UVA you may read - it's misleading marketing speak.

(c) Compact coil UVB harms tortoise eyes and must not be used.

(d) Basking and UVB should be on a timer so the light(s) are on for 12 hours a day. Temperature under the basking is regulated by its height above the substrate.

(e) Overnight, depending on your home, you may need additional heat. You get this from a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) which must be on a thermostat.

(f) Torts have outstanding colour vision and love red and purple food. Coloured heat lamps colour tank decor and torts don't always apply intelligence to what they eat, resulting them in eating tank decor. Coloured bulbs should not be used.


Measurements

There are 4 important temperatures that you must know for an indoor enclosure.
- Directly under the basking lamp
- Warm side
- Cool side
- Overnight Minimum

You will need digital thermometers for accuracy.

A temperature gun thermometer (inexpensive from Amazon) measures temperature accurately in specific places like directly under the basking lamp.

A min/max thermometer so you know the min/max temperatures in your home by day and night.

You should also get a good digital probe hygrometer to measure humidity.

Thermometers and hygrometer that stick to the side of the enclosure tend to be less accurate.

I recommend you read the TFO care guides

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

How to raise a healthy Sulcata
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

There's a useful list of foods in this one
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Thanks.
I decided not to go with a heat pad, I read some where that heat rocks are dangerous so I thought it would be the same way.

I think his day light is just a household bulb, but I'm not sure.
Would compact UVB bulbs work, or would that also harm him?

The thermometer I use is a laser gun thing like you metioned. The gauge that I put in the cart has both the high and low for both temp and humidity. Someone recommended it somewhere on here, I don't know if that is okay or not.

Tortski said:

Thanks.
I decided not to go with a heat pad, I read some where that heat rocks are dangerous so I thought it would be the same way.

I think his day light is just a household bulb, but I'm not sure.
Would compact UVB bulbs work, or would that also harm him?

The thermometer I use is a laser gun thing like you metioned. The gauge that I put in the cart has both the high and low for both temp and humidity. Someone recommended it somewhere on here, I don't know if that is okay or not.

Click to expand...

If you read the lighting summary above properly you will see that compact UVB bulbs are not recommended as they cause eye problems.

A household reflector spotlight bulb is fine for basking - any other type of household bulb will not provide the basking heat needed.

Okay, thanks

Stuff that I have in the cart. Tell me if I need to adjust something please. I realize I'm being a bit annoying (I can't think of a better word to describe it at them moment) but I'm trying my best, and I'm trying to give him the best care I can.

Stuff:
1. Zoo med reptile basking spot lamp. With double reflector. (We do have the reflector dome to go with it)
2. Ceramic heat emitter
3. Acurite Humidity and temperature monitor, with the highs and lows.

As for the timer it would be cheaper if I just have an alarm at 12 hours so I can switch lights

Tortski said:

Stuff that I have in the cart. Tell me if I need to adjust something please. I realize I'm being a bit annoying (I can't think of a better word to describe it at them moment) but I'm trying my best, and I'm trying to give him the best care I can.

Stuff:
1. Zoo med reptile basking spot lamp. With double reflector. (We do have the reflector dome to go with it)
2. Ceramic heat emitter
3. Acurite Humidity and temperature monitor, with the highs and lows.

As for the timer it would be cheaper if I just have an alarm at 12 hours so I can switch lights

Click to expand...

Timers aren't expensive. You can buy them in supermarkets here.

Having a timer means you can have a lie in, or go out in the evening, and not worry about the lights. They're practical for you as well as your tort!

Otherwise looks fine.

It's more that it's not my money to spend, but I suppose I do have some birthday money to make sure I get that stuff

Howdy Tortski,
As mentioned above, use digital readers for everything. There cheap and very accurate. The digital ones often are offered with a base unit which allows you to monitor your temps and humidity from, say your favorite spot on the couch while watching TV. I use those also one that sends to my iPhone with an app. It’s all very convenient and easiest for me.

Tortski said:

Okay, I will try to fix all of that stuff. Would a heat pad work (with other stuff of course)? We got one when he was a baby, but we removed it when he got a cage upgrade. I am trying to get him to grass, but so far the only way he eats it is if I stuff a pepper with it.

I've had him for 5 years and the humidity we nfourtanatly don't have a way to tell, only one of the humidity/temp things that apperantly aren't very accurate. I am going to try to get all of this stuff tonight.

I did see a little reddish tint on his plastron, but I don't know if it is just dirt or not. I don't know exactly what I'm looking for, but I looked at symptoms and that seems to be the only thing he has. The vet said he would call in a couple of days, so if the specialist says anything, I will try to get him to a specialist.

As for the pictures, it seems that I can't post them for some reason.

We are also going to try getting that outdoor cage set up on the weekend

Click to expand...

Why you cannot post pictures ? Technical problems ? All your other questions had been already answered by@JoesMum I think.
When you have more or other questions, feel free to post.

Bee62 said:

Why you cannot post pictures ? Technical problems ? All your other questions had been already answered by@JoesMum I think.
When you have more or other questions, feel free to post.

Click to expand...

Yep, technical problems. I think

Cowboy_Ken said:

Howdy Tortski,
As mentioned above, use digital readers for everything. There cheap and very accurate. The digital ones often are offered with a base unit which allows you to monitor your temps and humidity from, say your favorite spot on the couch while watching TV. I use those also one that sends to my iPhone with an app. It’s all very convenient and easiest for me.

Click to expand...

Is the Acurite not good enough? It has the highs and lows plus the current one.
As for the phone thing, I need to excersise so go back and forth won't be such an issue with me.