Calcium deprived?

[Pheelinestiel]

Hey all! I just recently inherited a tortoise while I have the enclosure, food list and feeding schedule, I know they need calcium too. I have the powder. But how do I give it to her/him? How often? I want to know if she is calcium deprived. Her carapace has little holes in it. Tiny little craters in the center of each segment. I'm gonna take her to a vet but I'm looking for a good one near my home. Help?

 

[Pearly]

Holes???!!! Or just indentations? I just mix tiny pinch of calcium powder with my babies favorite treat that's the only way they'll eat it. I noticed that when calcium is mixed into entire meal they tend eat much kess food

 

[Yvonne G]

The craters you're referring to is the original part of the shell your baby hatched out of the egg with. If you took everything else away and all those craters are now joined up on each side, that's the original baby tortoise. There's nothing wrong with it. Perfectly normal.

Mixing the calcium in with the food like Pearly says is probably the best way, because they don't like the taste of it. Don't use too much...just a tiny pinch.

 

[Pheelinestiel]

Am I supposed to do it with every meal? When do they stop needing it?

 

[Yvonne G]

A pinch of calcium over the food then mixed in real, real good two or three times a week. Once the tortoise is big enough to be set up outside and he's grazing on his own, I just place a cuttlebone on the ground in the tortoises' yards.

 

[Speedy-1]

I have always had cuttlebones in Speedy's tank which he really enjoys munching on . He also gets grape leaves cactus and other high calcium foods , so I don't really dust his food any more .