normal shell growth?

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Konza

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Hey everyone, I'm raising a bit of a runty red-footed. He's 9 months old (I think it's a male but feel free to correct me), and was underweight when I got him. He's currently around 90 g and recently started eating like a champ (thanks to some great diet advice from Madkins), and I was just hoping that someone could take a look at his photos and let me know if they think his shell growth is normal? Both his carapace and plastron are a bit springy, and I know that can be normal for juveniles, but it makes me nervous. I think that he had a bit of metabolic bone disease when I got him, and the hunger strike didn't help. He also developed very mild shell rot around his umbilicus, which is resolving with topical treatment and a substrate change. So we've been fighting an uphill battle, but I think he's getting better overall.

So here are my questions: are the growth lines on his carapace ok, or are they too wide? The white area near his umbilicus is the old shell rot. What about the paler yellow areas to the outside of that area, is that normal or could that be environmental shell rot? Also, I can easily express his bladder when I push on the center of his plastron, which doesn't seem normal to me (too pliable?).

He currently eats a diet of collard greens, bok choy, carrots, red/yellow bell peppers, mushrooms, squash (all blended together) and some berries/melons as occasional treats, with a pinkie every other week. I sprinkle calcium powder on once a week, but he hates it and eats around it. I've also offered a cuttlebone but he won't touch it. Does anyone have any other tips for getting more calcium into him?

He is a very active little dude with a great appetite, and other than hating calcium he's doing quite well.

Any advice would be great, thanks guys!
-Katie
 

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immayo

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He looks perfectly fine to me. I would have guessed those white lines on his tummy were marbling but I'm not really an expert of any sort. haha
 

Nociti

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Can you go into some detail about his "hunger strike" and how you got him to start eating again? My guy is currently eating very little and lost a significant amount of weight. Trying to figure out what to do.

Wish I could offer some advice on your questions, but I'm a novice.
 

Konza

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Nociti said:
Can you go into some detail about his "hunger strike" and how you got him to start eating again? My guy is currently eating very little and lost a significant amount of weight. Trying to figure out what to do.

Wish I could offer some advice on your questions, but I'm a novice.



I think that my little guy's hunger strike was due to stress and improper husbandry on my part. I completely redid his set-up (I copied what Madkins did in his "happy habitat rebuilding day" post), and he's been a lot more active since then. I also started chopping his food in a cuisinart, so that he has an easier time grabbing mouthfuls (he's really small), and it's easier for him to get the variety he needs. Lastly, I started offering him a pinkie every other week, and I think that protein kick-started his energy, and he really has started chowing down and finally putting on some weight. Hope this helps!
-Katie
 

Redstrike

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At the tortoises current age, there is no way to tell the sex.
Quit pressing on his/her plastron, it ought to be springy at his/her age and pushing it until you express the bladder is not a good idea. Stop doing that! So long as your tortoise is provided calcium supplements, a UVB light when it can't go outside, and plenty of outdoor sunshine when it can everything should be fine.

The growth looks pretty normal, perhaps a bit bumpy but nothing to be concerned about. Just be sure your humidity is at least 70%.
 

Nociti

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I'm going to try that blended up diet you talked about since it worked so well for you. I feel like my guy's habitat is pretty good but I plan on building him a bigger and better one in a couple of weeks during spring break.
 

Konza

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Redstrike said:
At the tortoises current age, there is no way to tell the sex.
Quit pressing on his/her plastron, it ought to be springy at his/her age and pushing it until you express the bladder is not a good idea. Stop doing that! So long as your tortoise is provided calcium supplements, a UVB light when it can't go outside, and plenty of outdoor sunshine when it can everything should be fine.

The growth looks pretty normal, perhaps a bit bumpy but nothing to be concerned about. Just be sure your humidity is at least 70%.

Yeah, I know he's too young to sex I've just gotten used to calling him the little dude. And I didn't push very hard, I swear! Which is why I was so surprised by how easy it was. Ok, I'll stop poking him. :) Thanks for putting my mind at ease!
 
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