Help! Worried about my pancake!

[tortadise]

I hope you don't feed to much kale, kale has to much goitrogens in and to much can cause problems.

Not all the time but yeah they get it here and there.

 

[tortadise]

Goitrogens are not as they seem though. Most thyroid goiters are more defiantly linked to poor health of animal. The closets relation in diagnosis however is always pointed at foods.

Here's a nice breakdown of it.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=250

 

[tortadise]

I also did an article on it mainly in the giant tortoises way back when. I didn't get any responses. But I have spoken to my vet friends and colleges about it. It seems to definitely be a misdiagnosed issue, always most times primarily linked to food. Which is not really most cases upon gross necropsy and biopsy of other adrenal organs. However I do agree. Feeding a staple of let's say kale should be avoided. Variety is best indeed.

Here's the thread I did a while back.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...id-gland-in-giant-species-of-tortoises.75214/

 

[taza]

I buy broken slate tiles at home depot for 50 cents each. They always have a few in the flooring dept broken as they are fragile.

 

[CourtneyG]

I buy broken slate tiles at home depot for 50 cents each. They always have a few in the flooring dept broken as they are fragile.

I checked them out, and the tiles are way to smooth on both sides. My one Pancakes nails grow really long very fast, so I really want to get raw slate to help trim her claws down.

 

[Chef]

Hello all,
It's been a couple of weeks since I posted about this and problem is still occurring, almost worse now. I turned off the Metal Halide light thinking that could be the issue.
Today I gave a waterbath/bird vitamin soak and the eyes softened up and opened again but already I can see he is having trouble opening them. It looks like there is a layer of skin flaking off, and the skin looks very dry. There are also these masses on either side of the mouth.
I redid the tank though hoping it will help him heal. I put a layer of coco coir/sand/sphagnum peat moss down, and put the humid hide box back in place.
I think it could either be the Metal Halide lighting or some kind of disease. I haven't seen much info about the mercury vapor lighting online in regards to effects on tortoises as it is a fairly new product, so I'm kind of leaning there. It's just so frustrating having a sick pet.

 

[CourtneyG]

Hello all,
It's been a couple of weeks since I posted about this and problem is still occurring, almost worse now. I turned off the Metal Halide light thinking that could be the issue.
Today I gave a waterbath/bird vitamin soak and the eyes softened up and opened again but already I can see he is having trouble opening them. It looks like there is a layer of skin flaking off, and the skin looks very dry. There are also these masses on either side of the mouth.
I redid the tank though hoping it will help him heal. I put a layer of coco coir/sand/sphagnum peat moss down, and put the humid hide box back in place.
I think it could either be the Metal Halide lighting or some kind of disease. I haven't seen much info about the mercury vapor lighting online in regards to effects on tortoises as it is a fairly new product, so I'm kind of leaning there. It's just so frustrating having a sick pet.

Do you not have a vet in your area, it might be time for a vet trip with this issue continuing and the masses now developing around his mouth. Updated pictures of him will also help.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

With my cakes, I've a shallow hide for them. This hide is all of 2" tall with my top soil/peat moss substrate as a filler. They burrow into this and snuggle in. The way I figure things, every rock I've ever flipped over has moisture/condensation on the underside. This is the microclimate I recon they'd be in and so I try to mimic that. Not only do I have a fogger that kicks on for 45 mins daily at 4:00am, (morning dew) also probably 3-4 days a week I spray down the enclosure and direct spray under their hide area trying to help mimic that condensation zone.
I've said it before and I say it now, this is what I do and it works for me. I'm not saying it's right, left, liberal or conservative.