Please Help!! Pardalis with Soft Shell & Lethargy

[Katamaran]

Hey everyone!!

I have 4 baby leopard tortoises, and one is not doing well at all. It has had a soft shell for about a month now, I reached to the breeder who said it was probably a calcium deficiency and I supplemented calcium with cuttlebone and offering mazuri along with mixed spring greens. They are all living together in a large outdoor enclosure (Houston TX) that gets about half sun, half shade and there is lots of natural forage in there. I soak all of them every day for about half an hour.

Everyone else has been gaining weight appropriately, are showing good appetite, and have nice hard shells. The one I’m worried about has lost 2 grams in the past month (38g 6/28/25 now 36g 8/9/25). The shell is soft around the sides and has started to spread to the top of his shell, there are also no new growth lines. I have already reached out to his breeder about what to do. I read some other threads here and think it may be septicemia? If so, I am very concerned about him. I have scheduled an appointment for the vet tomorrow but I’d love some input from everyone (especially about asking the vet to run specific tests, if necessary). I will post pictures shortly. Thank you everyone!

 

[Chefdenoel10]

Hey everyone!!

I have 4 baby leopard tortoises, and one is not doing well at all. It has had a soft shell for about a month now, I reached to the breeder who said it was probably a calcium deficiency and I supplemented calcium with cuttlebone and offering mazuri along with mixed spring greens. They are all living together in a large outdoor enclosure (Houston TX) that gets about half sun, half shade and there is lots of natural forage in there. I soak all of them every day for about half an hour.

Everyone else has been gaining weight appropriately, are showing good appetite, and have nice hard shells. The one I’m worried about has lost 2 grams in the past month (38g 6/28/25 now 36g 8/9/25). The shell is soft around the sides and has started to spread to the top of his shell, there are also no new growth lines. I have already reached out to his breeder about what to do. I read some other threads here and think it may be septicemia? If so, I am very concerned about him. I have scheduled an appointment for the vet tomorrow but I’d love some input from everyone (especially about asking the vet to run specific tests, if necessary). I will post pictures shortly. Thank you everyone!

So sorry to be so late.
Welcome and let’s get you the right people to talk to.
@Tom
@Yvonne G
@Maggie3fan
@Toddrickfl1
@zovick
@…????

Did you check her belly?
Is it pink???
I am no expert so please keep checking back for answers. I have called everybody that I think has Sulcata.
Good luck
Good vibes
And good prayers for you!!!!

 

[RandyTortoise]

Hey everyone!!

I have 4 baby leopard tortoises, and one is not doing well at all. It has had a soft shell for about a month now, I reached to the breeder who said it was probably a calcium deficiency and I supplemented calcium with cuttlebone and offering mazuri along with mixed spring greens. They are all living together in a large outdoor enclosure (Houston TX) that gets about half sun, half shade and there is lots of natural forage in there. I soak all of them every day for about half an hour.

Everyone else has been gaining weight appropriately, are showing good appetite, and have nice hard shells. The one I’m worried about has lost 2 grams in the past month (38g 6/28/25 now 36g 8/9/25). The shell is soft around the sides and has started to spread to the top of his shell, there are also no new growth lines. I have already reached out to his breeder about what to do. I read some other threads here and think it may be septicemia? If so, I am very concerned about him. I have scheduled an appointment for the vet tomorrow but I’d love some input from everyone (especially about asking the vet to run specific tests, if necessary). I will post pictures shortly. Thank you everyone!

Photo?

 

[Tom]

Hey everyone!!

I have 4 baby leopard tortoises, and one is not doing well at all. It has had a soft shell for about a month now, I reached to the breeder who said it was probably a calcium deficiency and I supplemented calcium with cuttlebone and offering mazuri along with mixed spring greens. They are all living together in a large outdoor enclosure (Houston TX) that gets about half sun, half shade and there is lots of natural forage in there. I soak all of them every day for about half an hour.

Everyone else has been gaining weight appropriately, are showing good appetite, and have nice hard shells. The one I’m worried about has lost 2 grams in the past month (38g 6/28/25 now 36g 8/9/25). The shell is soft around the sides and has started to spread to the top of his shell, there are also no new growth lines. I have already reached out to his breeder about what to do. I read some other threads here and think it may be septicemia? If so, I am very concerned about him. I have scheduled an appointment for the vet tomorrow but I’d love some input from everyone (especially about asking the vet to run specific tests, if necessary). I will post pictures shortly. Thank you everyone!

You have two problems:
1. Almost no one starts babies correctly and you've got this happening:

"Hatchling Failure Syndrome"

I've heard this term for many years and I don't like it. Its a way to excuse our ignorance and failure. I will agree that an occasional hatchling is born that is just not going to make it no matter what anybody does, but MOST of them, if they make it full term and hatch, SHOULD survive and...

tortoiseforum.org

2. Babies can't be outside all day. It's not good for them. Where are they at night? Living outside full time is great for them once they are about 8 inches long and have the proper heated shelter. for night time. Outside all day for a baby will cause exactly what you are seeing. If you want them to live, you need to bring them indoors into a large humid closed camber enclosure with the proper heating and lighting. The sick one is just the first one to go. Others will likely follow if you don't bring them inside to a proper set up.

 

[zovick]

Hey everyone!!

I have 4 baby leopard tortoises, and one is not doing well at all. It has had a soft shell for about a month now, I reached to the breeder who said it was probably a calcium deficiency and I supplemented calcium with cuttlebone and offering mazuri along with mixed spring greens. They are all living together in a large outdoor enclosure (Houston TX) that gets about half sun, half shade and there is lots of natural forage in there. I soak all of them every day for about half an hour.

Everyone else has been gaining weight appropriately, are showing good appetite, and have nice hard shells. The one I’m worried about has lost 2 grams in the past month (38g 6/28/25 now 36g 8/9/25). The shell is soft around the sides and has started to spread to the top of his shell, there are also no new growth lines. I have already reached out to his breeder about what to do. I read some other threads here and think it may be septicemia? If so, I am very concerned about him. I have scheduled an appointment for the vet tomorrow but I’d love some input from everyone (especially about asking the vet to run specific tests, if necessary). I will post pictures shortly. Thank you everyone!

Pictures of the plastron would be helpful in diagnosing septicemia. Otherwise, it's just a guessing game.

 

[Katamaran]

So sorry to be so late.
Welcome and let’s get you the right people to talk to.
@Tom
@Yvonne G
@Maggie3fan
@Toddrickfl1
@zovick
@…????

Did you check her belly?
Is it pink???
I am no expert so please keep checking back for answers. I have called everybody that I think has Sulcata.
Good luck
Good vibes
And good prayers for you!!!!

Belly is not pink, first thing I checked after reading the sepsis threads!!

 

[Katamaran]

Photos: It doesn’t look good. Baby is a little wet from a soak

 

[RandyTortoise]

It is still hard to tell from photos but it looks ok. Seems like there is a bit of the yolk attachment point still left in the middle. If this is a week or less old, I would wait a few more weeks and I think it will be ok.

 

[Katamaran]

It is still hard to tell from photos but it looks ok. Seems like there is a bit of the yolk attachment point still left in the middle. If this is a week or less old, I would wait a few more weeks and I think it will be ok.

He's at least two months old.

 

[zovick]

He's at least two months old.

Sorry to say this, but the tortoise appears to be at death's door. I don't really know why, though. Probably "failure to thrive syndrome" as Tom intimated.

Maybe your vet could put in a feeding tube as a last ditch effort to save the tortoise. That will mean a lot of work for you to give it the feedings and keep the tube cleaned out, etc. I once had a tortoise who had a feeding tube in place for nearly 6 months. It did survive. Maybe yours will do the same.

Good luck.