Russian Rescue

[TsarRescue]

Hi and thank you for such a great, informative site! I am the new owner of a male Russian Tortoise, whom I've named Tsar.

Tsar has had a rough time of it. When he came to me his underside was flaking, his appetite was poor to nonexistant (according to previous owner), and he was not using his hind legs. A trip to an experienced vet showed normal bloodwork, but xrays revealed MBD. Given the conditions he was living in for the past many years, that was not surprising. The vet was actually surprised that he wasn't in worse condition! She sent us home with instructions to soak him 2x/day in lukewarm water for 15 minutes, and get him eating.

In just two weeks, he has perked up considerably though he has a long way to go. He started eating just a few days after the vet visit and has been eating every other day ever since (I've offered food every day but he's settled into the every other day pattern so that's what I'll do going forward). He is ga-ga over sweet potato! I mix in greens that I get from the organic CSA I belong to. So far I've tried dandelion, mustard, collard, romaine, and radicchio and he'll eat them all. My Rose of Sharon just came into bloom so that's on tomorrow's menu. I have purchased TNT from Carolina Pet Supply and have a Ca+D3 supplement to dust his food with a couple times a week.

He is housed in a 54 gallon Rubbermaid container with coconut coir substrate. He has a half-log hide and also a place under a plant. He has a ZooMed Daylight bulb, a Reptisun 5.0 CF, and a ceramic heat lamp. At the moment it's a little tricky because he isn't able to get around as well without the use of his back legs and is only using about 1/2 the enclosure. However, he is able to get under his hides and able to position himself under the basking lamp. I have also been closely monitoring the temps and adjusting use of the heat emitting bulbs accordingly.

I am wondering if anyone here has had experience with a tortoise that has lost use of limbs because of MBD, and whether it is possible for him to regain use of his back legs. Also, if there's any other feedback or advice I'd love to hear it!

Kerr

(I *think* I did this right... : )
1.0 Russian Tortoise, Tsar
0.1 America Box Turtle, Lily
0.1 American shorthair cat, Iboni
1.0 American shorthair cat, Mystery
0.1 Morgan horse, Jubilee
1.0 tolerant husband

 

[Jacqui]

Hi and welcome! Things are sounding promising for the Russian. ... and yes, it looks like you did it right. As to the hind feet it would be hard to tell. Some do get them back with proper diet and exercise.

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. You said you are using a CFL, they have been known to cause eye problems, I would get rid of it ASAP. Good luck with the rehab and good for you for helping the little one out.

 

[Yvonne G]

Put some calcium powder on the food three or so times a week (but not too much or he won't eat). And be sure to get him some real sunshine as often as possible.

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello and welcome to the TFO

 

[TsarRescue]

Thanks for the welcome and the encouragment! I'll keep my fingers crossed that he's one of the ones who can get his legs back under him... : )

Hi and welcome! Things are sounding promising for the Russian. ... and yes, it looks like you did it right. As to the hind feet it would be hard to tell. Some do get them back with proper diet and exercise.

 

[TsarRescue]

Hello and Welcome. You said you are using a CFL, they have been known to cause eye problems, I would get rid of it ASAP. Good luck with the rehab and good for you for helping the little one out.

Thanks for the welcome and the well wishes!

I have a question about the CFL & eye trouble. And I want to be very clear that I'm not trying to start a debate nor stir up trouble. I am honestly curious about what kinds of problems people have had and under what circumstances (i.e., what fixture the bulb is in, was there a burn-in period, how close to the turtle was the bulb, etc.)

I ask because my box turtle, Lily, has gotten her UVB from the Retisun 5.0 CF for 9 years and has never had any problems. If there's already a thread and/or article on this somewhere and you could point me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it!

 

[TsarRescue]

Put some calcium powder on the food three or so times a week (but not too much or he won't eat). And be sure to get him some real sunshine as often as possible.

Welcome to the Forum!

Thanks for the welcome and the advice! I am definitely planning to give him some "real sun" time. : )

 

[TsarRescue]

Hello and welcome to the TFO

Thanks! : )

 

[wellington]

It doesn't happen to every tortoise/turtle or lizard for that matter. However, we have had it happen to members on here, other members have seen it happen to other people's torts and it is talked about happening to lizards on other forums. We just don't advise using them and taking the chance. If your boxie is fine with it, then you might be safe using it for him. I just wouldn't take a chance on your other one.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Has your Boxie had the exact same CFL bulb for all 9 years? Or has it ever been replaced?

The issue has been the way a strong beam of UV is emitted from the tip of the bulb. It has caused some reptiles to go blind. A tube or spot light type of UV source is better for more even coverage and easier on the eyes.
Some will mount the coil bulb horizontal so the beam hits the side of the enclosure and a more even distribution of UV goes down toward the tort.

Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app

 

[wellington]

Sorry, I just realized I didn't answer all your questions. As Heather said, can cause them to go blind. When the light is taken away, they usually are able to see again after a few days or weeks. They will get red and /or puffy eyes, keep eyes closed, even their actions won't be the same. If you searched red puffy eyes, or won't open eyes, you should find some threads where the person was using this type of bulb.

 

[TsarRescue]

Has your Boxie had the exact same CFL bulb for all 9 years? Or has it ever been replaced?

The issue has been the way a strong beam of UV is emitted from the tip of the bulb. It has caused some reptiles to go blind. A tube or spot light type of UV source is better for more even coverage and easier on the eyes.
Some will mount the coil bulb horizontal so the beam hits the side of the enclosure and a more even distribution of UV goes down toward the tort.

Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app

Not to worry, Lily's CFL is replaced faithfully every 6 months. : )

Perhaps the reason she has never had a problem is because the mounting is horizontal, thus she has never been exposed to UV emitted directly from the tip... Tsar's lighting set-up is the same (horizontal), but it sounds like it would be worthwhile to look into other options.

Thanks for the info!

---

Sorry, I just realized I didn't answer all your questions. As Heather said, can cause them to go blind. When the light is taken away, they usually are able to see again after a few days or weeks. They will get red and /or puffy eyes, keep eyes closed, even their actions won't be the same. If you searched red puffy eyes, or won't open eyes, you should find some threads where the person was using this type of bulb.

Thanks so much for the search tips! This site is wonderfully informative, but it can also be a little overwhelming trying to find stuff... : )

I will check out those threads and look into other lighting options.