Shell Rot???

[janiedough]

A few months ago when I gave Percy a bath, I noticed Percy had these ridges on his shell.

It was only a week or so after I got him so I figured it was from his old owner and would get better with calcium, proper diet, etc.

But it hasn't gotten better and it has taken me this long to feel really bad about it - to really worry about it.

Here are pictures of it:

Also - He is getting that white stuff around each section of his shell which I knows means he is growing - is it too much? Is he growing too fast? And is it possible for his pyramiding to get better? Like to flatten out?

 

[Itort]

The shell pyrimiding will not change from it's present condition but with growth it will not be as noticeable. With proper care and diet the new growth will be normal. Rest assured he is not as extreme as alot of sulcattas I've seen. I have a RF with the same problem and her new growth is normal but she'll aways be Pineapple. Remember that growth should be slow and steady, so improvement will be gradual and hardly noticeable to you.

 

[janiedough]

what about the deep ridges on the side?

what is that? is that just a sign of pyramiding?

 

[Itort]

what about the deep ridges on the side?

what is that? is that just a sign of pyramiding?

That would be part of pyrimiding.

 

[Yvonne G]

The new growth shows up as a white outline between the scutes. The individual ridge right next to the white line is what the white line used to be. Each ridge is a growth spurt and used to be a white line.

Yvonne

 

[janiedough]

Thanks! so his ridges won't necessarily heal, but they will be less appearant over time?

 

[Yvonne G]

Thanks! so his ridges won't necessarily heal, but they will be less appearant over time?

There's nothing to heal. Its perfectly normal. You see ridges more in captive tortoises than in wild caught, because in the wild the scuff up their plastrons and carapaces while they are ambling along in the wild. They dig big burrows and scrape their shells on the dirt of the burrow. They fight with other tortoises, scuffing and scraping their shells. Your tortoise looks just fine. You can stop worrying.

Yvonne

 

[aka2tal]

I agree with Yvonne, actually looks pretty good. "Kuna Matada" (Means No Worries)

 

[janiedough]

LOL - thanks

I was proud to see the white new growth on his shell, but I didn't want it to be too extreme.
He eats as much as he likes and whatever he likes in the yard - it has clover, dandelion and crab grass. I also feed him cuttlebone in his enclosure at night, and hibiscus flowers and leaves whenever I feel my hibiscus can use a pruning. I need to buy a prickly pear cactus plant because they are hard to come by in the stores here.

I just wish I could get him to enjoy soaking - he HATES it, and he needs one about once a week because I don't think he drinks enough to get himself hydrated - he gets ashy.

 

[aka2tal]

Mine don't like to be soaked, but it is good for them.

Go to your local grocery store and see if you can arrange picking up their romaine clippings. Usually they will just throw them in a compost pile. See if they will get in the routine of throwing the remains in a box for you to pick up. Our local produce guy at Albertsons saves us the Romaine every Monday. We have given him a picture of the three torts for their bulletin board, eating the pile of romaine.

 

[janiedough]

Mine don't like to be soaked, but it is good for them.

Go to your local grocery store and see if you can arrange picking up their romaine clippings. Usually they will just throw them in a compost pile. See if they will get in the routine of throwing the remains in a box for you to pick up. Our local produce guy at Albertsons saves us the Romaine every Monday. We have given him a picture of the three torts for their bulletin board, eating the pile of romaine.

lol - that's a good idea.

 

[aka2tal]

They are more willing to give you more if you show them a picture of what you have.