Still struggle with Danny's shell!

[philipgreece]

I repost again because I'm in panic! My Danny's shell still remains the same! Also the belly! It's flexible! He stills eats good and moves too! My vet told me calcium with d3 everyday! I took today cuttlebone and make it dust on his food! I take them out in sun and exercise for 1 hour! Now he is under shadow under a tree! Some sun rays fall on his shell! The temperature with the thermo gun is 35 in shell! I think he has mbd! Please how can is start with the best treatment?also I have a friend with an enormous space with shades and flowers and it's very secured area and fenced! But there are some hermans tortoises there! Is a good idea to leave my tortoises there? I feel that i don't give them the best life and I stress them!

 

[zovick]

I repost again because I'm in panic! My Danny's shell still remains the same! Also the belly! It's flexible! He stills eats good and moves too! My vet told me calcium with d3 everyday! I took today cuttlebone and make it dust on his food! I take them out in sun and exercise for 1 hour! Now he is under shadow under a tree! Some sun rays fall on his shell! The temperature with the thermo gun is 35 in shell! I think he has mbd! Please how can is start with the best treatment?also I have a friend with an enormous space with shades and flowers and it's very secured area and fenced! But there are some hermans tortoises there! Is a good idea to leave my tortoises there? I feel that i don't give them the best life and I stress them!

Your tortoise does not look like it has MBD. The shell actually looks quite healthy from what I can see in your photo. I can see a normally shaped carapace with healthy new growth lines. Tortoises with MBD have depressed backbones and usually are not growing well, plus have trouble using their back legs to walk.

Can you post a side view of your tortoise so I can see its profile? A view of the bottom shell would be good also.

 

[philipgreece]

Your tortoise does not look like it has MBD. The shell actually looks quite healthy from what I can see in your photo. I can see a normally shaped carapace with healthy new growth lines. Tortoises with MBD have depressed backbones and usually are not growing well, plus have trouble using their back legs to walk.

Can you post a side view of your tortoise so I can see its profile? A view of the bottom shell would be good also.

That was my Wilma! Sorry! I will upload Danny! He has some pyramid! He can lift his body!

 

[zovick]

That was my Wilma! Sorry! I will upload Danny!

Danny does not appear to have MBD either. He has some pyramiding, but his backline looks pretty good and he is able to get up on all four legs to walk. I believe you are too worried about this MBD. Just relax and enjoy your tortoises.

 

[philipgreece]

Danny does not appear to have MBD either. He has some pyramiding, but his backline looks good and he is able to get up on all four legs to walk. I believe you are too worried about this MBD. Just relax and enjoy your tortoises.

Thank you! Please can you answer me what's the best? There is a large space well fenced with flowers and shades but there are other tortoises there! Are they going to have a good life if I leave them there?

 

[zovick]

Thank you! Please can you answer me what's the best? There is a large space well fenced with flowers and shades but there are other tortoises there! Are they going to have a good life if I leave them there?

You said there are other tortoises there. Those other tortoises are a different species, correct?

 

[Tom]

I repost again because I'm in panic! My Danny's shell still remains the same! Also the belly! It's flexible! He stills eats good and moves too! My vet told me calcium with d3 everyday! I took today cuttlebone and make it dust on his food! I take them out in sun and exercise for 1 hour! Now he is under shadow under a tree! Some sun rays fall on his shell! The temperature with the thermo gun is 35 in shell! I think he has mbd! Please how can is start with the best treatment?also I have a friend with an enormous space with shades and flowers and it's very secured area and fenced! But there are some hermans tortoises there! Is a good idea to leave my tortoises there? I feel that i don't give them the best life and I stress them!

Species should never be mixed, so no, you should not leave your tortoises in a pen with Herman's tortoises.

As we've said before, you need to separate these two and make a proper temperature controlled night shelter for them.

Calcium every day is not good. Calcium is necessary, but too much too often is bad for them. Calcium interferes with the absorption of other important nutrients and trace elements, like zinc for example. You are going to cause an imbalance if you continue with this routine. A tortoise eating a good weedy diet with daily access to sunshine is not going to be calcium deficient even with no calcium supplementation at all. Twice a week calcium supplementation is plenty.

The plastron is supposed to be flexible. It would only be a problem if the shell felt soft like a sponge, and in that case the tortoise would be lethargic and not wanting to eat much. It would not be up and walking around like yours.

 

[philipgreece]

Yes

You said there are other tortoises there. Those other tortoises are a different species, correct?

Yes Different!

 

[philipgreece]

Species should never be mixed, so no, you should not leave your tortoises in a pen with Herman's tortoises.

As we've said before, you need to separate these two and make a proper temperature controlled night shelter for them.

Calcium every day is not good. Calcium is necessary, but too much too often is bad for them. Calcium interferes with the absorption of other important nutrients and trace elements, like zinc for example. You are going to cause an imbalance if you continue with this routine. A tortoise eating a good weedy diet with daily access to sunshine is not going to be calcium deficient even with no calcium supplementation at all. Twice a week calcium supplementation is plenty.

The plastron is supposed to be flexible. It would only be a problem if the shell felt soft like a sponge, and in that case the tortoise would be lethargic and not wanting to eat much. It would not be up and walking around like yours.

Ok! What about cuttlebone? Can I make it dust on their food? How many times?

 

[Tom]

Ok! What about cuttlebone? Can I make it dust on their food? How many times?

Cuttle bone is calcium carbonate. It's the same as using any other calcium powder. It's good to use some. Its not good to use too much too often.