MBD please help

[Minority2]

Looks normal to me. The tortoise is using his or her hind legs to support it's weight.

 

[Tom]

@Tom @Markw84

He looks fine. I see no sign of any MBD. If he's been outside in the sun, then MBD shouldn't be a factor.

Have you already read through this?

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

That sand makes me nervous...

 

[TroyDaTortoiseDude]

He looks fine. I see no sign of any MBD. If he's been outside in the sun, then MBD shouldn't be a factor.

Have you already read through this?

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

That sand makes me nervous...

He has not had any UVB for the past year. The sand is not in his enclosure. Just outside in my backyard.

 

[Markw84]

I see nothing at all that would indicate MBD. Sometimes early signs can be excessively overgrown beak and nails. The classic MBD look is the flattened carapace, especially around the 3-5th vertebrals and where the hip girdle attaches to the spine. I see none of those signs here at all. When walking your tortoise is planting the rear feet well with the legs vertical beneath it. That is what you want to see. The stretching of the back legs and having them press inward is probably just the tortoise's reflex to "search" for ground when lifted. They are uncomfortable when they cannot feel the ground with their feet and can feel for the ground when lifted.

There is pyramiding, but that is from being kept too dry, not an indication of MBD at all.

I would say your tortoise looks great!

 

[Maggie3fan]

If the tort does have mbd then that can be cured by lots of calcium and a very good uvb bulb or even better natural sunlight.

Not true

 

[Golden Greek Tortoise 567]

Not true

Maybe we’ve learned something over the past few years. I was looking back on older posts here at the forum, and someone said that. Thanks for correcting me.

 

[Markw84]

Not true

Maybe we’ve learned something over the past few years. I was looking back on older posts here at the forum, and someone said that. Thanks for correcting me.

MBD can be reversed. The effects of what it's done if it has progressed far enough to deform the tortoise will remain. However, the condition causing the MBD is low calcium availability or usually compounded by cal/phos imbalance and low vitamin D levels. This causes an inability to ossify bones properly, or in older tortoises, the body to rob calcium stored from the bones and can also lead to osteoporosis. This underlying issue which is the cause, can be corrected, and the calcium/phosphorus levels optimized as well as vitamin D supply in the blood and tissue. The bones will start to rebuild and the "disease" is cured. Ongoing, the tortoise is otherwise healthy and metabolizing calcium and bone development properly. However, the deformity caused by severe MBD will remain, even though the tortoise is now metabolizing calcium and regrowing strong bones.

 

[TroyDaTortoiseDude]

What about my other tortoise.

 

[TroyDaTortoiseDude]

He also eats dirt and sand. I stop him but he still try’s. Could this be a sign of MBD too?

 

[Golden Greek Tortoise 567]

He also eats dirt and sand. I stop him but he still try’s. Could this be a sign of MBD too?

The dirt and sand outside? Or the dirt and sand outside? Sand and dirt should not be substrate in an enclosure as they are impaction risks. I’ve never heard of eating dirt and sand being a sign of mbd.

 

[TroyDaTortoiseDude]

Do you think my other tortoise has MBD?

 

[Golden Greek Tortoise 567]

Looks good to me.

 

[Golden Greek Tortoise 567]

Do you think my other tortoise has MBD?

Do you use dirt and sand as substrate?

 

[zovick]

The gait doesn't look too bad. I think the tortoise just needs more exercise and maybe more calcium in his diet. Does he get outside to walk a lot or no? Do you give him any calcium supplements? If so, what and how often?

 

[TroyDaTortoiseDude]

Do you use dirt and sand as substrate?

No that is just my backyard not his enclosure.

 

[TroyDaTortoiseDude]

The gait doesn't look too bad. I think the tortoise just needs more exercise and maybe more calcium in his diet. Does he get outside to walk a lot or no? Do you give him any calcium supplements? If so, what and how often?

He does’nt get much exercise besides when soaking. I put a pinch of miner-all on his food everyday.

 

[William Lee Kohler]

The dirt and sand outside? Or the dirt and sand outside? Sand and dirt should not be substrate in an enclosure as they are impaction risks. I’ve never heard of eating dirt and sand being a sign of mbd.

Honestly? I see it as a sign he isn't getting needed minerals in his diet just like tortoises eating cuttlebone for calcium. However sand is always bad.

 

[TroyDaTortoiseDude]

Does my other tortoise have MBD?

 

[Golden Greek Tortoise 567]

Does my other tortoise have MBD?

We have already answered that question

 

[TroyDaTortoiseDude]

Looks good to me.

Oh did see it. Me bad