Calcium deficiency

[Saint Diver]

Hello everyone!

If youd like to skip the backstory you can just skim to the bottom of the paragraph.

I have a Russian Tortoise who goes by the name of turtle the tortoise (we refer to her as turtle) who we have had for 9 years. It was initially my older brothers, but as time moved on so did he. She was left to the care of our mother for several years. As I have gotten older I have started to take better care of her. An now being out of college and home began a process of getting what she needed. She was recently brought to a vet to have her beak an nails trimmed. While there, they began asking about a lot of malnutrition questions and said Turtle was calcium deficient and has "outgrown her shell." They did very little as to explain and educate the signs of why this diagnosis was given. I have taken the time to research as much as possible an there is no sources that have a good explanation.

So, I am uploading some images of Turtle and hoping for some explanation as to why they think this. Any sort of advice or direction would be greatly appreciated

 

[iAmCentrochelys sulcata]

I don't think taking the tortoise to the vet was the best idea. Most of the times they dont even have experience with Tortoises they do more harm Than good. I'm not sure what he meant from "outgrown its shell" but that will never happen. The tortoise looks well taken care of.
What has the diet been consisting of for now?

 

[Saint Diver]

Through the winter she is fed a spring mix. It has lettuce, kale, spinach, arugula chard, mizuna, pak Choi, and tatsoi. Through the summer we will get dandelion greens, grow our own kale, and occasionally the spring mix. We will also bring her outside to roam and feed on weeds, yet monitor her to make sure she isnt getting into stuff she isnt suppose too. They told us that we needed to start feeding her Mazuri Tortoise LS diet. I'm not sure the correct term for the specialist we went too, but she had several tortoises of her own and seemed to know what she was talking about.

 

[MichaelL]

That is better growth than I thought based on reading what the vet said, but it still isn't perfect. I would widen the variety of the diet to mainly weeds, flowers, and some succulents. This is more natural and is healthier than mainly store bought greens. You stated that she would graze on weeds when brought outside, but that could only be a few different types. Like, it may not be getting a variety when brought outside. I would also sprinkle calcium on her food, and offer eggshells and a cuttlebone in her pen. In the winter, she would need some sort of high fiber pellet to make up for the lack of it in the store bought greens, but wouldn't need it in the summer if she has a large variety of weeds. Do you know the names of which weeds she eats and how many different types?

 

[Tom]

As you've just discovered, most vets know little or nothing about tortoise care. There is no semester on tortoise care in vet school. People who have been caring for tortoises for years, raising, breeding and feeding them, are the people who know about tortoise care.

There is nothing wrong with that tortoise and it hasn't "outgrown its shell". The lighter colored band around the sides is new growth, indicating that things are going well for this tortoise.

Here is the correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Your questions and conversation are welcome.

 

[iAmCentrochelys sulcata]

Through the winter she is fed a spring mix. It has lettuce, kale, spinach, arugula chard, mizuna, pak Choi, and tatsoi. Through the summer we will get dandelion greens, grow our own kale, and occasionally the spring mix. We will also bring her outside to roam and feed on weeds, yet monitor her to make sure she isnt getting into stuff she isnt suppose too. They told us that we needed to start feeding her Mazuri Tortoise LS diet. I'm not sure the correct term for the specialist we went too, but she had several tortoises of her own and seemed to know what she was talking about.

You seem to be feeding a Nutritious Diet. Keep doing what your doing.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Your tortoise looks fine to me and even has some growth going on.