Any feet/nail experts around?! Rescue Leopard yearling.

[LeiiMaa]

Hi everyone!

I'm a newbie to the forum and like I mentioned in my introduction post, I'm a proud owner of 2 beautiful Leopard torts! The second of which arrived last night.

She's a rescue case, And I'm sure is going to present me with a whole world of problems!

Tetleys story:

She's been raised dry, and was living in a 1ftx1ft enclosure, with a coil uv bulb, and a red bulb, kept on herbifloor and soil mix, had no access to any form of water or food other then spinach. I've been told she's a late 2013 hatchling, making her almost a year old. She weighs 70 grams, and is around 2.5 inches in length. When i got her home last night I instantly soaked her, and she soildly drank for 15 minutes .

<a href="http://s1153.photobucket.com/user/L...rf4zd_edit_1417897396512_zpsqdeb44c9.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums...zpsmfrf4zd_edit_1417897396512_zpsqdeb44c9.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 20141206_180626_zpsmfrf4zd_edit_1417897396512_zpsqdeb44c9.jpg"/></a>

The first thing you can instantly see wrong with her is her feet, more so, hee lack of nails. One front foot is missing all but one nail, and the one she does have left seems to have grown at a funny angle. Her back feet have a similar issue where they are almost completely non existent. Will these nails grow back? Is the one at the funny angle going to cause her problems? She still manages to get around fine!

<a href="http://s1153.photobucket.com/user/L... Uploads/20141207_154536_zps5cgm2m4c.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p513/LeiFrances/Mobile Uploads/20141207_154536_zps5cgm2m4c.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 20141207_154536_zps5cgm2m4c.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1153.photobucket.com/user/L... Uploads/20141207_154549_zpsdd2j3gna.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p513/LeiFrances/Mobile Uploads/20141207_154549_zpsdd2j3gna.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 20141207_154549_zpsdd2j3gna.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1153.photobucket.com/user/L... Uploads/20141207_154601_zpsmaho5vuz.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p513/LeiFrances/Mobile Uploads/20141207_154601_zpsmaho5vuz.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 20141207_154601_zpsmaho5vuz.jpg"/></a>

The second thing you can notice wrong with her is her plastron, I don't know how to describe it other then part of it seems very deformed. This hasn't seemed to hinder her either really!

<a href="http://s1153.photobucket.com/user/L... Uploads/20141207_154606_zpslego81ir.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p513/LeiFrances/Mobile Uploads/20141207_154606_zpslego81ir.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 20141207_154606_zpslego81ir.jpg"/></a>

I'm in no way a tortoise expert, so any help would be greatly appriciated! (I hope the photos have worked! Hehe)

 

[LeiiMaa]

Oops, copied the wrong link for the photos!
Lets try again!



Her first soak.



Weight

 

[Yvonne G]

The nails deformity is due to the calcium deficiency. Spinach binds calcium to it, and it is expelled in the waste, so the tortoise hasn't been getting enough calcium to support growing nails. I'm surprised the shell isn't soft too.

The plastron is fine. That little bit of strange look is from where the yolk was attached. It will smooth out in time.

The coil bulb causes eye problems, so most of us here don't use them. Get a good UVB light such as a Mercury Vapor Bulb, or get the baby out into the sunshine as often as possible. Calcium must have UVB in order to work. UVB either from the sun or a good light, causes the tortoise to make vitamin d3, which makes the calcium do its job inside the tortoise.

 

[LeiiMaa]

I should of really commented on the setup I've got her in now!

She's now in a 6ftx2ft custom made enclosure, with an Arcadia D3 bulb and a ceramic heater. A 50/50 mix of top soil and play sand. The enclosure is fully planted, she constantly has access to fresh grass, weeds and we're trying to get her to eat Mazuri and Nutrazu. Unfortunately in England its snowing here today where I am! So it'l be a while before she can get outside!

Do you think her nails will grow back? And thank god for the plastron, I was only worried because I was comparing her to my other yearling leopard, who is quite a bit younger then she is but is completely smooth.

Thanks for the reply Yvonne

 

[phebe121]

Ya that one is small mine about 1 and half maybe a little more and are 4 inch and about 450 grams witch is about a pound when i got them they didnt have good care and where like him except the nails they where about 2 inces now its 5 month later .with you and good care her will become healthy

 

[LeiiMaa]

Thats reassuring to know! Thanks Phebe! What lovely little torts you've got!

 

[Tom]

I would not use sand as a substrate. Its an impaction risk and possible skin and eye irritant.

Here is how to set them up:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

No one can predict what will happen with this baby and whether or not nails will grow back. All you can do is offer good conditions and diet and hope for the best.

And why would someone do what was done to this poor tortoise? That's just despicable.

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, Tom...afterall, spinach makes Popeye stronger, so how's a person to know? I think that if we really knew how most pet tortoises are kept today it would blow our minds.

 

[LeiiMaa]

She's most certainly not being fed anymore spinach by me! She does love clover and dandelions, I was worried that I may have a problem getting her to eat but that doesn't seem to be the case so far

 

[Momof4]

What a great save! This poor thing will hopefully thrive in your care!! Keep us updated, I love reading the progress of rescues! I don't post much but read aaaaalot!

 

[Jodie]

It is surprising the shell is not soft. Great save and best of luck to you.