When you couple a soft tortoise with a blotchy-looking shell, you're actually seeing through the shell. If you move the little guy side to side you might be able to see liquid sloshing back and forth. This is NOT a good sign.
Sulcata advice soft plastron
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Maggie Cummings
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Is there a Vet there that you can get Calcionate from? I've had several like that and I followed Danny's instructions and added the liquid Calcionate and one pulled thru and is now growing like a weed, and I could actually see the liquid inside her sloshing away.
Emys and Maggie, thanks for that. Ive been keeping tortoises for over 20 years and thats the first I've heard of that. See through shell, Wow. I guess I've been lucky in that I've never had to deal with this before. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. Their not my tortoises, but then again I've taken them on. We actually, thankfully, have a good herp vet here on Maui. I'll shoot him a call and I'm going out right now to look at those shells closer. TFO no matter how long or how many species one keeps you can learn something new every day. Thanks to you both. Aloha
Onarock~It is sad that you have to try and clean up this mess and deal with watching the little ones die. Good luck I hope you can save some! You said they are not your torts. Does this guy expect them back?
Angi said:
We havnt gotten that far yet. If I can turn them around and he wants them back I probably wont make an issue of it. I dont keep sulcatas. If I can save a few and he doesnt want them back then I will adopt them out to who ever can take good care of them.
I hope you adopt them out. I know you would find good homes. I get so upset thinking about children and pets in bad homes 
how are they? do you have any pictures? Im so sorry about the two little ones that didnt make it....
What happens along with the soft plastron is an eventual systemic shutdown. The eyes begin to swell, and the internal organs begin to fail. It is pretty sad.
I am with Maggie and Yvonne that once they start to go see through it is hard to bring them back. Don't beat yourself up about it. Just do what you can to pump those little squirts full of calcium and D3. It is the best you can do right now.
I am with Maggie and Yvonne that once they start to go see through it is hard to bring them back. Don't beat yourself up about it. Just do what you can to pump those little squirts full of calcium and D3. It is the best you can do right now.
I'm sorry to hear that the little ones are still struggling. It's really sad when animals suffer due to owner neglect. It is really heartbreaking to be the one delivering care to sick little critters and having to watch them suffer and die. Keep your chin up, and know that we're all hoping you'll have some successes to celebrate!
onarock said:
This, and the fact that two more have succumbed, make me think of septicemia (sp?) deaths in litters of puppies. Very sad, and very difficult to watch. And the Salmonella thread made me think of the NPIP program to make sure chickens in egg production are Salmonella free, because there are strains of Salmonella that colonize the ovaries of chickens and every egg is produced with Salmonella bacteria already inside.
Thought: Could this batch of Sullies already have a bacterial infection? From the get-go?
TortyQueen said:onarock said:
This, and the fact that two more have succumbed, make me think of septicemia (sp?) deaths in litters of puppies. Very sad, and very difficult to watch. And the Salmonella thread made me think of the NPIP program to make sure chickens in egg production are Salmonella free, because there are strains of Salmonella that colonize the ovaries of chickens and every egg is produced with Salmonella bacteria already inside.
Thought: Could this batch of Sullies already have a bacterial infection? From the get-go?
Is septicemia possilbe in tortoises? Ive never heard of this. I'll look into it. I have a vet appointment today, I'll bring it up.
OK. Got the liquid calcium from the vet today. They seem to be doing better. Their activity is up and they are eating more. We'll see. I have been keeping them in a cement mixing tub on peat moss in the sun all day with a couple of hides and a pile of elephant grass. They seem to prefer hiding in the grass. I hope they make it!
ohh good! how are the shells? are they still blotchy? I really hope that they make it!
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