Hello Everyone!
I am new to Tortoise Forum!
This has been my go to site for so many questions, so I decided to join.
I have a 1 ½ year old female Red foot (Little Foot) with chronic shell rot problems. Her tank is never wet, but in order to keep her at the prober humidity her hide is moist with moss. She spends most of her time in her hide. The shell rot is never anything major, I handle her every day so I notice it before it ever gets to anything major. When I notice the shell rot starting I clean it with a baby’s toothbrush and surgical scrub solution. Then I add a triple antibiotic ointment and let her dry before I allow her back into her home. It heals up completely but she always seems to “break out†with another one somewhere else. I have tried many different substrates and three types of moss with her thinking that was the cause. I refuse to keep her tank completely dry due to her “needsâ€. Most of it is completely dry with a UVA/UVB heat bulb above a few flat rocks so she can bask and her belly can dry. She is currently on cedar but I have used aspen, eco earth, clean dirt, and many many other things. The cedar just seems to be the best choice for me because its not so dusty and doesn’t get tracked into her water constantly. She is allowed to go outside for a walk at least a hour every afternoon once it cools off a bit. ( The temp here has been in the 100’s here daily )
As for food, she LOVES Rep-Cal Tortoise food, but she also gets a “tossed salad†daily. About once a week I add a calcium powder to the leaves. She has a cuddle bone in her tank at all times. She gets a different fruit every other day.
Let me also add we have moved to Yuma AZ. It is super dry here all year long. We were in Southern Louisiana for the first year of her life and the air there is always humid so I never had any shell problems because I never had to do much to ADD humidity. I feel like im not doing all I can for her and I am open to any and all suggestions and please let me know if I am doing anything wrong. If I cant get the shell rot under control I am going to have to find her a place to live in Louisiana with family until my husband is done with the military and we can move home. I really love my girl and would hate to do this, but at the moment I feel that may be what is best for HER.
I am new to Tortoise Forum!
This has been my go to site for so many questions, so I decided to join.
I have a 1 ½ year old female Red foot (Little Foot) with chronic shell rot problems. Her tank is never wet, but in order to keep her at the prober humidity her hide is moist with moss. She spends most of her time in her hide. The shell rot is never anything major, I handle her every day so I notice it before it ever gets to anything major. When I notice the shell rot starting I clean it with a baby’s toothbrush and surgical scrub solution. Then I add a triple antibiotic ointment and let her dry before I allow her back into her home. It heals up completely but she always seems to “break out†with another one somewhere else. I have tried many different substrates and three types of moss with her thinking that was the cause. I refuse to keep her tank completely dry due to her “needsâ€. Most of it is completely dry with a UVA/UVB heat bulb above a few flat rocks so she can bask and her belly can dry. She is currently on cedar but I have used aspen, eco earth, clean dirt, and many many other things. The cedar just seems to be the best choice for me because its not so dusty and doesn’t get tracked into her water constantly. She is allowed to go outside for a walk at least a hour every afternoon once it cools off a bit. ( The temp here has been in the 100’s here daily )
As for food, she LOVES Rep-Cal Tortoise food, but she also gets a “tossed salad†daily. About once a week I add a calcium powder to the leaves. She has a cuddle bone in her tank at all times. She gets a different fruit every other day.
Let me also add we have moved to Yuma AZ. It is super dry here all year long. We were in Southern Louisiana for the first year of her life and the air there is always humid so I never had any shell problems because I never had to do much to ADD humidity. I feel like im not doing all I can for her and I am open to any and all suggestions and please let me know if I am doing anything wrong. If I cant get the shell rot under control I am going to have to find her a place to live in Louisiana with family until my husband is done with the military and we can move home. I really love my girl and would hate to do this, but at the moment I feel that may be what is best for HER.
