Help please. (soft plastron)

[alexisalexis]

I have a 4 year old female Russian tortoise, and I've had her for 5 months. Her plastron (I think that's how it was called) is soft, and her carapace is kinda soft too. I don't know why, because she eats daily, she poops and pees, she moves around, and she sleeps a normal amount of time, but she has a crack on her plastron, so please help.I don't know it it's shell rot or something else, and if it is shell rot, I don't really know how to treat it.I also do not have experience with owning a turtle.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Tell us more how & where you keep this guy. Does it live outside during Summer, or always inside?

 

[alexisalexis]

Tell us more how & where you keep this guy. Does it live outside during Summer, or always inside?

I always keep it inside because I live in a apartament, but we do have like a mini park in front of our building. Should I take her outside sometimes? And she has a pretty big enclosure with dirt so she can dig around.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

What are you using for a UVB source?
Tortoises need UVB or something just like you're describing will happen.

 

[alexisalexis]

What are you using for a UVB source?
Tortoises need UVB or something just like you're describing will happen.

I use this https://www.serpentia.co.uk/product/arcadia-reflector-clamp-lamp-with-ceramic-holder/ , is this lamp ok for her?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I use this https://www.serpentia.co.uk/product/arcadia-reflector-clamp-lamp-with-ceramic-holder/ , is this lamp ok for her?

No
That's not a UVB light.
And any "screw in" bulb is not recommended that says its a UVB bulb.
You need a T5 strip florescent UVB tube light.
In the meanwhile. Get him some supervised time outside in actual sunlight. A light sprinkling of CALCIUM with D3 powder every few feedings will also help.
Your tortoise probably has MBD. It's not reversible. But you can stop it with UVB.
MBD is a painful disease. It will eventually cause bones to break and complete loss of mobility.
Handle him with extreme care. And as little as possible is my suggestion.
He needs to see a veterinarian for calcium therapy if a tortoise vet is available.
(X rays to confirm MBD and calcium drop regimen)

 

[alexisalexis]

No
That's not a UVB light.
And any "screw in" bulb is not recommended that says its a UVB bulb.
You need a T5 strip florescent UVB tube light.
In the meanwhile. Get him some supervised time outside in actual sunlight. A light sprinkling of CALCIUM with D3 powder every few feedings will also help.
Your tortoise probably has MBD. It's not reversible. But you can stop it with UVB.
MBD is a painful disease. It will eventually cause bones to break and complete loss of mobility.
Handle him with extreme care. And as little as possible is my suggestion.
He needs to see a veterinarian for calcium therapy if a tortoise vet is available.
(X rays to confirm MBD and calcium drop regimen)

Really? Thank you very much. Can I buy the UVB light from Amazon? Is there an online shop that sells them?

 

[Maro2Bear]

You definitely need to get your tortoise outside during the nice warm Sunny days of Summer. 🌞

 

[alexisalexis]

You definitely need to get your tortoise outside during the nice warm Sunny days of Summer. 🌞

I will! Thank you very much!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Really? Thank you very much. Can I buy the UVB light from Amazon? Is there an online shop that sells them?

As long as its a T5 strip florescent and not a screw in bulb

 

[alexisalexis]

As long as its a T5 strip florescent and not a screw in bulb

Oh, ok! Again, thank you very much

 

[Tom]

I use this https://www.serpentia.co.uk/product/arcadia-reflector-clamp-lamp-with-ceramic-holder/ , is this lamp ok for her?

That is a fixture. What bulb is in that fixture?

Tortoises need a diet that is high in calcium. In order to process that calcium they need vitamin D3. In order to make D3 in their bodies, they need warmth and access to UVB. For an indoor tortoise in a cold climate, you need a high quality reliable source of indoor UBV, and you can also add a calcium supplement to the for a couple of times a week that has added D3 in it.

If they go for long periods of time with inadequate D3, not enough calcium in the diet, or no access to UVB, their body will begin to take calcium from the bones in order to continue living. If calcium doesn't become available, along with D3 to utilize it, this process continues and their bones, including the bones that make up the shell, become softer and softer over time. This is called metabolic bone disease or MBD.

Sadly, most pet shops and online sources give terrible incorrect care and housing advice for tortoises. It looks like you've got the wrong type of substrate there too, and there are probably some other issues as well. Here is the recommended UV source, and these are available in Europe too. Arcadia Pro T5 kit. It is a 12% HO bulb with reflector:

More info:
There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

And here is the correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

 

[alexisalexis]

That is a fixture. What bulb is in that fixture?

Tortoises need a diet that is high in calcium. In order to process that calcium they need vitamin D3. In order to make D3 in their bodies, they need warmth and access to UVB. For an indoor tortoise in a cold climate, you need a high quality reliable source of indoor UBV, and you can also add a calcium supplement to the for a couple of times a week that has added D3 in it.

If they go for long periods of time with inadequate D3, not enough calcium in the diet, or no access to UVB, their body will begin to take calcium from the bones in order to continue living. If calcium doesn't become available, along with D3 to utilize it, this process continues and their bones, including the bones that make up the shell, become softer and softer over time. This is called metabolic bone disease or MBD.

Sadly, most pet shops and online sources give terrible incorrect care and housing advice for tortoises. It looks like you've got the wrong type of substrate there too, and there are probably some other issues as well. Here is the recommended UV source, and these are available in Europe too. Arcadia Pro T5 kit. It is a 12% HO bulb with reflector:
View attachment 345641
More info:
There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

And here is the correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

Wow, I can't thank you enough! So, if I use the UVB light, will that kinda stop or slow down the MBD? And I also use D3 vitamins when i'm feeding her, not all the time, maybe 2 or 3 times a week, is that ok? The person who sold me the turtle gave me the vitamins.

 

[Tom]

Wow, I can't thank you enough! So, if I use the UVB light, will that kinda stop or slow down the MBD? And I also use D3 vitamins when i'm feeding her, not all the time, maybe 2 or 3 times a week, is that ok? The person who sold me the turtle gave me the vitamins.

A good UV source, along with a good diet and calcium supplementation should halt the progression of MBD and start to slowly re-calcify the bones.

 

[lynnefay]

Get a good UVB light, like Tom says. They are on Amazon. It will take a couple days to get to you, so, in the meantime, take your tortoise outside. 20 minutes on sunny warm days, even after the bulbs arrive. Your local pet store might carry them too. Calcium on their food a couple times a week.
good luck

 

[Markw84]

You definitely need to get your tortoise outside during the nice warm Sunny days of Summer. 🌞

I will! Thank you very much!

Keep in mind the height of the sun in Sweden right now is almost the same as the height of the sun in Maryland in late September! Not much UVI for a tortoise there mid-summer. It will help for now, but you will definitely need a good UVB lamp for your tortoise. The one Tom linked above is a great choice and should be easily available in Sweden.

 

[alexisalexis]

A good UV source, along with a good diet and calcium supplementation should halt the progression of MBD and start to slowly re-calcify the bones.

Thank you so much!

 

[alexisalexis]

Keep in mind the height of the sun in Sweden right now is almost the same as the height of the sun in Maryland in late September! Not much UVI for a tortoise there mid-summer. It will help for now, but you will definitely need a good UVB lamp for your tortoise. The one Tom linked above is a great choice and should be easily available in Sweden.

Oh really? Thank you so much!

 

[alexisalexis]

Get a good UVB light, like Tom says. They are on Amazon. It will take a couple days to get to you, so, in the meantime, take your tortoise outside. 20 minutes on sunny warm days, even after the bulbs arrive. Your local pet store might carry them too. Calcium on their food a couple times a week.
good luck

Thank you!

 

[Sarah2020]

This will not fix immediately but really importent to address .....UVB and cacium essential for strong shell growth. Can you also buy a cuttle fish bone (great for cacium) normally available in pet shops for pet birds. Keep that in the enclosure 100% of the time. They can ignore for months and then suddenly bite it and consume alot.