Calcium!

[philipgreece]

I ordered new calcium because I didn't see that it was expired 7 months expired! Is this bad! I think they didn't get the vitamins! I can't understand something please! If I they are in sun do I have to give them calcium too?don't they get vitamins from sun?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Don't panic

I guess nothing wrong happens with calcium supplement after the expiry date. It might get excessive moisture from the air and that's it. If it has vitamin D3 added - this one may degrade, but calcium itself won't spoil.

With a proper diet (like opuntia, hibiscus and mulberry leaves, for example) they get enough calcium from their food. Calcium supplements are needed once/twice a week to augment grocery shop foods which usually have low calcium contents or contain high levels of oxalates preventing calcium digestion.

To properly bind and digest calcium tortoises and humans need vitamin D3. One way to produce vitamin D3 is the skin exposure to ultraviolet band B (UVB) from sun or lamps. That's how most tortoises get it.

 

[philipgreece]

Don't panic

I guess nothing wrong happens with calcium supplement after the expiry date. It might get excessive moisture from the air and that's it. If it has vitamin D3 added - this one may degrade, but calcium itself won't spoil.

With a proper diet (like opuntia, hibiscus and mulberry leaves, for example) they get enough calcium from their food. Calcium supplements are needed once/twice a week to augment grocery shop foods which usually have low calcium contents or contain high levels of oxalates preventing calcium digestion.

To properly bind and digest calcium tortoises and humans need vitamin D3. One way to produce vitamin D3 is the skin exposure to ultraviolet band B (UVB) from sun or lamps. That's how most tortoises get it.

Thank you for your reply! I use arcadia calcium pro! To be honest I had out in summer in a shady place! I don't know if with heat had lost the vitamins! Yes I feed them good foods now because when I first took them I didn't have idea! I exposed them in sun too! Do you please know if I'm gonna see improvement with my male? In belly and in back shell is a little bit flexible! Not soft! I feel so bad for him! He eats like a horse! He pees with that white stuff and I can't see any deformation in shell! I have given him too much sun this year and good food! I wonder why is still flexible!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

1. Unfortunately, I'm not an experienced keeper to comment about his shell. If you keep him in proper conditions, I hope he will be fine.

2. White stuff in pee is called "urates" and a small amount of soft, toothpaste-like urates is normal. If urates become gritty (like sand) - that's a sign of dehydration and should be addressed.

Tortoises need fresh water always available to them. Some of them drink only when soaking - so try to use larger bowl, so he could get inside and soak by himself. Of course, soak him in warm water regularly.

Another factor is high protein content in diet (e.g. too much Mazuri). It can be addressed with more high-fiber foods like grasses or grass-based pellets like ZooMed Grassland. Most tortoises don't like them, so it takes time to introduce.

 

[philipgreece]

1. Unfortunately, I'm not an experienced keeper to comment about his shell. If you keep him in proper conditions, I hope he will be fine.

2. White stuff in pee is called "urates" and a small amount of soft, toothpaste-like urates is normal. If urates become gritty (like sand) - that's a sign of dehydration and should be addressed.

Tortoises need fresh water always available to them. Some of them drink only when soaking - so try to use larger bowl, so he could get inside and soak by himself. Of course, soak him in warm water regularly.

Another factor is high protein content in diet (e.g. too much Mazuri). It can be addressed with more high-fiber foods like grasses or grass-based pellets like ZooMed Grassland. Most tortoises don't like them, so it takes time to introduce.

Yes the white stuff urate is like toothpaste! I soak them every 2 days because they don't drink from their bowls and I always wet their food! I don't feed them mazuri! From vegetables I feed them only lamps lettuce and a little bit cucumber!