Baby Sulcata Nails?

[Lindsey28]

I have two tortoises.. both about 8 months old. I haven't really had any issues with them til the other day.. I noticed my smaller one had the "pinky" nail on her front right foot kind of bent up. I was going to wait and ask my friend about it when they were coming over later, but before he came, I noticed a couple hours later that it was not there any more.

I feel like this isn't normal, but I don't know what happened? I am worried that it's going to keep happening.

I took my torts to a local reptile shop to see if I could have their nails trimmed, but they said just to put bricks and stuff in their habitat to wear them down. But it doesn't seem as though it actually does.
I have peat moss as the substrate and I have a brick that they eat off off and tile lined around the perimeter of their box. Also, my friend made a bridge for them to walk over and sleep under that's lined with sandpaper to help wear their nails down.

Like I said, no really big issues before. And my other, bigger tortoise is doing perfectly fine!
Any suggestions or answers?

 

[Yvonne G]

Baby tortoises have fairly long nails right out of the egg. I don't know what happened about the curly nail, but if its gone now, it's all good.

If you look at the nails in an extremely bright light, you can see where the blood line is inside the nail. You can clip up to right before that line if you think the nails are too long.

 

[Lindsey28]

 

[Lindsey28]

Baby tortoises have fairly long nails right out of the egg. I don't know what happened about the curly nail, but if its gone now, it's all good.

If you look at the nails in an extremely bright light, you can see where the blood line is inside the nail. You can clip up to right before that line if you think the nails are too long.

Would I use normal human nail clippers or could I use a nail file, maybe?

 

[JoesMum]

At 8 months it's unlikely the claws are seriously overgrown. Having rocks or slate in the enclosure that your tort has to walk over is the way we recommend you help your tort keep their claws in shape. It's gradual abrasion that gently keeps them the right length. Too much will result in bleeding.

Similarly putting food on a piece of tile or slate helps to keep the beak in good shape and prevent overgrowth.

 

[Lindsey28]

At 8 months it's unlikely the claws are seriously overgrown. Having rocks or slate in the enclosure that your tort has to walk over is the way we recommend you help your tort keep their claws in shape. It's gradual abrasion that gently keeps them the right length. Too much will result in bleeding.

Similarly putting food on a piece of tile or slate helps to keep the beak in good shape and prevent overgrowth.

What would I do if it seems as if her nails are curling?

 

[Lindsey28]

Also, do their nails grow back?

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes, they grow back. If the nails are curling it might be a sign of metabolic bone disease. Do you give the tortoise calcium-rich greens with a calcium supplement a couple times a week? And all the calcium in the world doesn't help if there's no UVB to make it work inside the body. They need either the sun or a GOOD UVB light.

 

[Lindsey28]

Yes, they grow back. If the nails are curling it might be a sign of metabolic bone disease. Do you give the tortoise calcium-rich greens with a calcium supplement a couple times a week? And all the calcium in the world doesn't help if there's no UVB to make it work inside the body. They need either the sun or a GOOD UVB light.

I feed them mostly organic Romaine lettuce with Calcium powder every day. I do have a full spectrum light bulb, but maybe I should invest in another one?

They've lived in the same conditions for the last 7 months and this is the first sign of anything unusual. I was thinking it could also be because I had to many hard surfaces with the tiles surrounding the perimeter (those are fairly new).

Any thoughts?

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Romaine is not a sufficient diet alone. You need a much greater variety to provide all the nutrients you need.

How old is your uvb bulb? How high is it mounted? Many bulbs stop producing uvb after 6 months. Without a uv meter, it's actually very hard to know if you are getting the correct amount of UVB at the surface.

 

[Lindsey28]

Romaine is not a sufficient diet alone. You need a much greater variety to provide all the nutrients you need.

How old is your uvb bulb? How high is it mounted? Many bulbs stop producing uvb after 6 months. Without a uv meter, it's actually very hard to know if you are getting the correct amount of UVB at the surface.

I'm just ordering an Exo Terra Full Spectrum 10.0!
As far as diet, I do also have these which I have to soak so that they're easier for them to eat.. but they are filled with mixed grasses and such.

 

[JoesMum]

I'm just ordering an Exo Terra Full Spectrum 10.0!
As far as diet, I do also have these which I have to soak so that they're easier for them to eat.. but they are filled with mixed grasses and such.

You don't need a variety every day. One time buy a romaine and feed that. Next time buy spring mix or collards and feed those. If your yard is overrun with dandelions feed those

Go to your grocery store and make a note of all the greens you can buy.

Look in your yard at all the pesticide-free plants you have.

Use the following to help you decide what else you can get to supplement the diet.:

The Tortoise Table Plant Database
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

The Tortoise Table Plant ID Booklet (pdf)
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_booklet_8595_40.asp

Android App for The Tortoise Table, but sadly no iOS App

 

[Lindsey28]

Awesome!

Ok, so just to check.. she has a nail that's loose today.. it's almost off but still kind of connected.. like a loose tooth. This is the second nail and from the same foot within a couple of days. But she doesn't seemed to be bothered by it or having any pain from it. She's going on about her normal daily walks and eats perfectly fine.

I live in an apartmeny currently, but I have a sliding glass door where the sun comes in. I left it open all day and placed them in front of the direct sunlight.
Just put some food in there where the sun hit's directly and she's happily chowing down

But you think her nails are falling off because of insufficient lighting? Her other feet are perfectly fine.. just this one foot with the now two missing nails.

 

[Tom]

You got some serious issues there the nails are just the outward evidence of what is happening inside. I'm saying this stuff to help you understand, not to make you feel bad.

Romaine is not sufficient and there is really no good reason to ever feed it. Read this for proper diet info:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

They should not get calcium every day. It interferes with the absorption of other nutrients and trace elements. These deficiencies, coupled with the lack of proper nutrition, are the likely cause of the nails falling off.

What type of UV bulb are you getting? The cfl coil types can damage their eyes, and should not be used or sold. The tube types are fine, but must be used correctly for them to be effective UV sources. Lack of UV is a likely contributing factor to your nail issue too.

Please read these for more care info and to learn what not to do.
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/