Shell disformation

[Little Texas]

I recently met a lady with a nine year old sulcata who asked me about its shell not growing correctly. From how she explained it I guessed it had bad pyramidding. She sent me a picture and I have now seen it in person and it looks horrible. I urged her to take it to a vet asap and find it a better home. She took it to a vet who told her it was perfectly healthy, just deformed?.... Is this even possible. The shell looks worse in person than in the picture. Am I crazy?

 

[Tom]

That's horrible. Severe MBD and pyramiding. So sad.

 

[Little Texas]

Why in the world would the vet say it was fine?

 

[Tom]

That damage was done long ago, and nothing ca be done about it now. The tortoise will just have to live that way. If it is getting a good diet, temps, and sunshine now, it probably is fine. Someone just did a horrible job of raising it.

 

[Biff Malibu]

I would guess you were either lied to about her actually going to a vet... or the town vet is also the village idiot. Yes - its "fine" technically because its alive and not in any immediate health crises, although looking at its shell with an irregular contour that severe indicates bone disease. Imagine that condition in human terms - you're not going to die right away, but movement (critical to a sulcata) is painful in addition to other health problems. That tortoise unfortunately has a chronic pain disease.

http://africantortoise.com/metabolic_bone_disease.htm

 

[Little Texas]

It is not getting a good life now. The lady has had him his whole life and has let it continue. I was hoping the vet would encourage her to rehome it. However the vet told her it was nothing to worry about. He has been fed solely romain lettuce for years now.

 

[Biff Malibu]

Bad nutrition is a cause for bone disease in sulcatas. you can't feed them just one thing, they also require calcium supplementation.

 

[Little Texas]

I am aware of this. I really believe her about the vet visit. Im just amazed at the stupidity of the vet.

 

[Tom]

If all of this is true, then that vet is suffering from a severe case of ignorance.

 

[Biff Malibu]

Dont be passive about it, Id tell her yourself what's wrong with it because the tort cant, print and provide the information to support your statements for her to read. Id also tell her what it needs for proper care from this point on.