Danielle.55
New Member
He can lift his shell when walking at the front, is back legs move when he walks, I will see if I can upload a video
Do my tortoise shell look healthy
- Thread starter Danielle.55
- Start date
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
You would need to post the video somewhere else, like YouTube and then send us a link.
Danielle.55
New Member
Danielle.55
New Member
Danielle.55
New Member
Please let me know if you have any issues opening this, fiest time I've uploaded anything to you tube
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
It opens up just well. It does seem like he is struggling to properly lift the back of his shell of the ground. If you are taking him to the vet for MBD, a x-ray to measure bone density will show for certain whether of not this is caused by MBD, but it is most likely. A lack of roaming space can also attribute to walking troubles.
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
They do yes but would definitely be worth the wait for him to have a lifetime set up
unfortunately this happens to a lot of people. Just to clear any confusion, UVA light isn’t the same as UVB light, UVA is more about a day/nice cycle that helps activity, eating habits etc, that’s what a incandescent basking floodlight is emitting. UVB helps them synthesise vitamin d3, which them helps them absorb calcium, this goes a long way in preventing MBD, so if he’s not been getting it, it could be one of the contributing factors to his shell.Stay clear of any compact screw in bulbs that say they emit UVB, you want a incandescent floodlight(not a spot bulb)for basking and a t5 tube fluorescent light for uvb, I’d recommend the Arcadia prot5 kit 12%, it’s s all covered in the links I added.
Thanks for the photos, for the time being, some immediate suggestions would be getting some orchid bark instead of the coco husk chips, then I’d change the water dish for a shallow terracotta saucer, it’ll be much safer and easier for him to use.
Ultimately moving forward he does need a much bigger set up(again hopefully the links help) with the correct lighting, better diet etc, hopefully we can help each step of the way
Danielle.55
New Member
Does it look so bad he could not make it or do you think going forward we could save him?
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
They’re very hardy creatures despite hardships, there shouldn’t be any reason he can’t live a long life with the right improvements to his living conditions, though I of course can’t speak to if has any other health problems going on.
Just don’t let the vet offer vitamin injections off the bat, improvements should come first and foremost, no injections of any kind without proper tests/calculations. A X-ray would definitely be a good start
Danielle.55
New Member
So the arcadia uva basking bulb mentioned earlier is OK but he also needs aArcadia prot5 kit 12, is that correct?
Danielle.55
New Member
Danielle.55
New Member
And can it just be added to his tortoise table until his new one arrives?
Danielle.55
New Member
Yes, this is the correct lamp. It should be installed at roughly 18-21" above substrate. Please, check new vivarium's height - if it's less than 24", this lamp would be problematic to use. I would provide good UVB source as soon as possible, no need to wait for the new viv.
Danielle.55
New Member
That's an issue as his tortoise table is only 10inchs high
No worries, ask as many questions as you need to.
This looks like coarse orchid bark (large pieces), fine grade orchid bark is preferred. Perhaps this one:
https://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/komodo-forest-terrain-fine#forest-terrain-fine-24ltr (I haven't used this one, but from description that's the right kind).
You can use lamp stands and any sort of DIY frames to mount UVB lamp over the table. But with a vivarium you are limited by ceiling height.
Danielle.55
New Member
As UVB tubes are long it's better to have two such stands. Or you can attach fixture straight to the horizontal rod: Arcadia fixtures come with two mounting brackets and you can use plastic ties to attach these brackets to the stand.
