EMERGENCY!!! (shell indents & no UV)

PrayPeaceGod

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Naples, Florida
I need some serious help right now. I'm very worried about my Russian tortoise's health.

He is 9 years old.
He lives in about a 50 or 75 gallon glass cage.
He gets a lukewarm bath, about 20 minutes long, every Sunday and Wednesday.
I feed him kale, dandelion greens, squash or carrots, calcium or protein powder every day.
I let him walk around my house and (rarely) outside on my patio every day.


I've been worried about shell indents for quite some time. I didn't have a UV lamp for him for a couple of months and then I realized his hip area was growing inwardly. I've been giving him extra calcium but it hasn't been helping.
I also noticed that his beak keeps getting damaged, most likely from nudging his head against his glass tank. I've been trying to convince my parents to let me get a big tortoise table for him sometime, but they keep holding it off. Any ideas on how I can make his glass tank any more comfortable?
I took him to our pet shop today to get him checked out, but of course it went out of business. So I took him on a twenty minute ride for nothing, so now he's stressed and in bad shape.

Both the attached pictures are from today, after the car ride. please help.

As I write this, he is currently soaking in warm water.


Overall though, I am mostly concerned with the shape and wellness of his shell. Please help.
 

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PrayPeaceGod

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2012
Messages
31
Location (City and/or State)
Naples, Florida
I need some serious help right now. I'm very worried about my Russian tortoise's health.

He is 9 years old.
He lives in about a 50 or 75 gallon glass cage.
He gets a lukewarm bath, about 20 minutes long, every Sunday and Wednesday.
I feed him kale, dandelion greens, squash or carrots, calcium or protein powder every day.
I let him walk around my house and (rarely) outside on my patio every day.


I've been worried about shell indents for quite some time. I didn't have a UV lamp for him for a couple of months and then I realized his hip area was growing inwardly. I've been giving him extra calcium but it hasn't been helping.
I also noticed that his beak keeps getting damaged, most likely from nudging his head against his glass tank. I've been trying to convince my parents to let me get a big tortoise table for him sometime, but they keep holding it off. Any ideas on how I can make his glass tank any more comfortable?
I took him to our pet shop today to get him checked out, but of course it went out of business. So I took him on a twenty minute ride for nothing, so now he's stressed and in bad shape.

Both the attached pictures are from today, after the car ride. please help.

As I write this, he is currently soaking in warm water.


Overall though, I am mostly concerned with the shape and wellness of his shell. Please help.
 

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PrayPeaceGod

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Location (City and/or State)
Naples, Florida
Also, the bottom part of his shell (near his tail) kind of sinks downwards. I haven't noticed this before.
 

tortadise

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In the first picture is that a drop of water on his head or a gouge of come sort? I don't really see anything of concern in the pics shown. I do have to say. Calcium is not needed daily. The best thing to do is offer a cuddle bone and let them give themselves the calcium when they feel they need it. UV is very important, and living in Naples Florida did say he needs to go outside. He's probably going stir crazy in the aquarium. Fresh grass and weeds he would appreciate too and needs. Along with good exercise. Russians are a very wired species. They are active naturally very little out of the year in the wild then hibernate for many many months. So they posses a drive in them.
 

Mimirose22

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The glass or seek-through enclosure can be very stressful for them. Torts don't understand the concept of glass and you may notice your tort digging or scratching the glass. Since your parents are putting off a wood enclosure for the time being you could tape some brown construction paper just so he my not see out. This what I did and it took mine RT a little while to stop trying to et through the glass. After all this time she has not tried to dig out anymore. I do NOT recommend painting the glass because I have no idea what the fumes will do to your tort.
 

SunnySideUp

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Calcium cannot be absorbed without Vitamin D3, which is created in the body when triggered by sunlight (UV rays). Did the calcium supplement you were using during the time where the tortoise did not have a UV fixture contain D3? Like what was previously said, you do not need to supplement so frequently.

Has his behavior changed at all? Does his shell feel softer than it did previously? From your pictures I don't see what you're concerned about
 

Yvonne G

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This tortoise needs to have a bigger habitat, preferably outside. And, like SunnySideUp said, calcium doesn't work without either the sun or a UV light.

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johnsonnboswell

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Squash or carrots should not be fed every day. Once a month is plenty. Increase the variety of the diet. There are so many good things growing this season that you can pick locally.
 

WillTort2

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More variety in the diet is essential. For summer add grape leaves, mulberry tree leaves, rose petals, and dozens of different weeds.

For winter add radicchio, endive, Belgian endive, romaine lettuce, collards, mustard greens, bok choy, red leaf lettuce, frisee lettuce, etc.

Good luck.
 

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