Over Weight Sulcata

[romoa99]

Hey Everyone,

My sulcata just turned 1 and he was super normal and healthy. Then all of a sudden, within like a week or two he got a really fat neck kind of like a double chin, and his bottom seemed fatter. The only difference in his diet was we started giving him Rep-Cal tortoise food, as a little snack, so only a couple pebbles every now and then.

We used to feed him a little bit everyday and when he turned 1 we started feeding him every other day or every two days (because we read maybe we were over feeding him). We stopped giving him those rep-cal pebbles because we think thats what got him looking like that. It's been like a month or two that we haven't been feeding him those pebbles and feeding him less times during the week, but he's still a little chunky. The days we don't feed him he goes to his feeding area like he's hungry and wants us to feed him.

Im not sure if its him being over weight or if it's a medical reason. He gets plenty of exercise and outside sunlight everyday. He still acts completely normal, nothing has changed besides his neck size.

Im not sure it its just apart of him growing and getting bigger, but I am really concerned and scared. Can any body tell me if this is normal or if i'm doing something wrong.


The first and second pictures are of him completely normal. The forth and fifth pictures are from maybe two or three weeks after the first two were taken. The last photo is from January 16.

 

[wellington]

You need to feed him every day! They should be fed enough that they can graze off and on all day
The Rep-cal is not meant for sulcata as sulcata should not be fed fruit. Stop feeding it.
A tortoise can not get over weight if fed a proper diet and has a proper size enclosure.

 

[wellington]

@Tom @Yvonne G the neck does look different then normal. It's not from over eating. All tortoises need to have food available to eat every day, specially young ones. Like I said, feed every day!

 

[wellington]

Your tortoise looks perfect. Keep humid and feed. How much exercise does s/he get? My sulcata almost at month 12 is a little over 3 lbs (1387g) and exercises between 1/4 and 1/2 mile in an outing. Eats like a pig but is strong and lean.

Did you notice the one pic of the neck? Doesn't look perfect.

 

[romoa99]

@Tom @Yvonne G the neck does look different then normal. It's not from over eating. All tortoises need to have food available to eat every day, specially young ones. Like I said, feed every day!

So if its not from overfeeding do you think a trip to the vet is needed?

 

[Turtulas-Len]

So if its not from overfeeding do you think a trip to the vet is needed?

No you can not over feed a sulcata. I personally don't see a problem with your sulcata except maybe for it's small size at a year old. But given they do grow at different rates that may not be abnormal either.

 

[romoa99]

No you can not over feed a sulcata. I personally don't see a problem with your sulcata except maybe for it's small size at a year old. But given they do grow at different rates that may not be abnormal either.

Hes about 4.5 inches in length and 3.5 inches in width

 

[Tom]

Hes about 4.5 inches in length and 3.5 inches in width

That is on the small side. They should normally reach 800-1000 grams after a year, and some exceptionally well started and well care for individuals are even larger, but almost no breeder starts them correctly. This poor start makes them grow much slower. Keeping them too dry, or outdoors too much also slows their growth tremendously.

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I would not feed the RepCal pellets, but I don't see anything "wrong" with your tortoise. The skin has to grow for the tortoise to get bigger.

 

[wellington]

That is on the small side. They should normally reach 800-1000 grams after a year, and some exceptionally well started and well care for individuals are even larger, but almost no breeder starts them correctly. This poor start makes them grow much slower. Keeping them too dry, or outdoors too much also slows their growth tremendously.

Give these a read:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? 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. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

I would not feed the RepCal pellets, but I don't see anything "wrong" with your tortoise. The skin has to grow for the tortoise to get bigger.

You don't think the bottom of the neck area looks swollen? Looks puffier then normal?

 

[Tom]

You don't think the bottom of the neck area looks swollen? Looks puffier then normal?

Not from I can see. Looks within the realm of normal.

 

[enchilada]

whats wrong with rep-cal pellets?

 

[Tom]

whats wrong with rep-cal pellets?

Lots of fruits in the ingredients. Poor track record.

 

[Markw84]

whats wrong with rep-cal pellets?

disagree with @Tom on this one. I've been using Rep Cal for over 35 years now. In the early 90's I did a study with them providing the food raising sulcatas with one group on their food as 90% of their diet the first year. They did great and were my strongest, biggest group. I still had one of them until 2 years ago when I gave it to a friend.

They have an excellent track record and are known for the scientific research they put into their foods and vitamins. I still use it as a supplement added on top of the food mix for the day a few times a week. The fruits they use are an extremely small part of the total ingredients and add a great amount of nutrients not easily found in many diets. I prefer it over Mazuri for smaller/baby tortoises.

 

[Yvonne G]

No one brought this up - looks like edema to me. To help his kidneys get rid of the fluid, soak the tortoise daily for about 30 minutes in a container he can't climb out of. the water should come up to the middle of his sides.

 

[romoa99]

No one brought this up - looks like edema to me. To help his kidneys get rid of the fluid, soak the tortoise daily for about 30 minutes in a comtainer he can't climb out of. the water should come up to the middle of his sides.

Hello Yvonne,

I looked up pictures of tortoise edema and it does look like this.... Is there a particular reason you think he got this?

 

[Tom]

disagree with @Tom on this one. I've been using Rep Cal for over 35 years now. In the early 90's I did a study with them providing the food raising sulcatas with one group on their food as 90% of their diet the first year. They did great and were my strongest, biggest group. I still had one of them until 2 years ago when I gave it to a friend.

They have an excellent track record and are known for the scientific research they put into their foods and vitamins. I still use it as a supplement added on top of the food mix for the day a few times a week. The fruits they use are an extremely small part of the total ingredients and add a great amount of nutrients not easily found in many diets. I prefer it over Mazuri for smaller/baby tortoises.

I can recall you telling me about that now that you mention it...