Help!!! My leopard tortoise's shell is softening!

[Kota62]

My tortoise titan's shell is starting to get soft. He is up moving around and eating with no problems, but I can feel the shell thinning. His basking spot is around 100 degrees, replaced his uv just in case. What else should I do? Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cmacusa3]

My tortoise titan's shell is starting to get soft. He is up moving around and eating with no problems, but I can feel the shell thinning. His basking spot is around 100 degrees, replaced his uv just in case. What else should I do? Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

What's his diet and do you give calcium supplements? Tell us about the enclosure too.

 

[Kota62]

What's his diet and do you give calcium supplements? Tell us about the enclosure too.

I feed him dark leafy greens and provide calcium dust on his food every other day. Also have a cuttlebone that he won't eat that I scrape onto his food. The enclosure I have him in now is a 24" by 12" and am currently building him a bigger one, but he about 6 months old and still fits in my palm so I figured this would be okay until the bigger one is assembled. He has a shallow water dish that he bathes in and drinks from.

 

[cmacusa3]

I feed him dark leafy greens and provide calcium dust on his food every other day. Also have a cuttlebone that he won't eat that I scrape onto his food. The enclosure I have him in now is a 24" by 12" and am currently building him a bigger one, but he about 6 months old and still fits in my palm so I figured this would be okay until the bigger one is assembled. He has a shallow water dish that he bathes in and drinks from.

That all sounds good, how was he started? Dry method or hot and humid? Is your enclosure closed chamber? How about lighting, UVB?

 

[Kota62]

Hot and humid I think... but I'm not 100% and idk what closed chamber means.

 

[cmacusa3]

Hot and humid I think... but I'm not 100% and idk what closed chamber means.

Post a picture of the enclosure, does it have a top on it or is it open.

 

[Kota62]

It has a large slotted metal screen.

 

[cmacusa3]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.78361/

Read this and I will link some others soon

 

[cmacusa3]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/

 

[Kota62]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/

So from what I'm reading everything is what it should be except I should most likely get and enclosure that's bigger with a fine screen top to help hold in the humidity and heat.

 

[cmacusa3]

Yes, you want to make sure you have all the right lighting and proper heat and humidity. Follow that care sheet and that will get you going in the right direction. Look up enclosures on the site and get some other ideas. If you use a screen top you will still be losing some heat and humidity. @Tom I'm sure will be here shortly and can give you some other ideas

 

[dmmj]

is the UVB Source on top of the screen?

 

[Kota62]

Okay cool.... I just don't get how to provide heat and lighting without a screen top of some kind...

 

[Kota62]

is the UVB Source on top of the screen?

Yes, but it's a wide hole metal mesh. Like 3/4" holes.

 

[Kota62]

So he is up moving around and eating fine still... what would cause his shell to get soft but him not be lethargic?

 

[dmmj]

well he may get lethargic still. They had any of this for as long as possible because in the wild sick animals get eaten first.

 

[Kota62]

Okay well I'll keep everyone updated if anything changes, but he is still acting normal just the softening shell issue.

 

[cmacusa3]

What type of lighting are you using?

 

[Kota62]

A 100 watt heat bulb and a zoo med uv coil light.

 

[Tom]

All of the following is intended to help you improve the situation. I'll just spell it out, rather than beat around the bush and sugar coat it.

You've gotten some old outdated care advice. Here is what is see that needs to be fixed:
1. Your enclosure is too small. I start babies in a minimum of 40 gallons which is 36x18". Bigger is better.
2. The open top is letting all your heat and humidity out into the room. 100 watts is a lot of desiccating heat in such a small area. I use a 65 watt flood in my 4x8' closed chambers. Read the closed chamber thread that Craig linked for you in post number 9.
3. Instead of a screen, you need to hang the lamps from over head. Many ways to accomplish this. Do an internet search for ZooMed Lamp Stands.
4. Your tortoise needs a humid hide and daily soaks.
5. Those coil bulbs can sometimes damage tortoise eyes, and they usually are not an effective UV source. There are many types of long florescent tubes that are more effective and safer.

Questions:
1. Where are you and does your tortoise ever get outside for sunshine?
2. Where did you get this tortoise? How it was started as a baby might be the biggest clue of all to solve the mystery of your softening carapace.