Sulcata Rescue Update - 2 Months in

AliciaOro

New Member
Joined
May 15, 2022
Messages
12
Location (City and/or State)
Lynwood
Hello!

So 2 months ago I had my rescue Sulcata Tortoise for about 24-48 hours and there was a rush to learn ALL the information. Juan and I knew nothing about tortoises let alone one who was so badly already pyramiding and not walking properly. These last 2 months and 5 days have been quite an experience to say the least. There has been a lot of progress but still a ways to go, and we are acknowledging that there is a chance that she (we are still like 80% female but wont know for sure 2-3 more years) will ever walk properly or fully recover from the first 2 years of her life.

But on the good news, because there is a lot of things that have changed for the better

  • She has moved from soaking in food to eat (we had to blend up timothy & orchard hay, grass, dandelions and calcium into a baby food like consistency and add it into her daily soaks) to hand eating (same as above but less watery and sometimes we were able to get blades of grass and/or hay down) to eating all on her own the above foods without any blending
  • She has grown to like her every other day soaks. But she especially loves having lukewarm water just run over her by the faucet.
  • When we first got her, she did not walk around. Especially in the enclosure that was too small and was hard surface. Now she is not only moving in the front yard but she is moving with purpose
  • While her pyramiding will never go away and makes it a little harder to see if she is growing in the proper direction. We can confirm that she has not only gained weight (.7 pound in 2 months!) but also that she also expanding out making her a little wider
  • She has gotten a little more tan. We take her out every day for at least 1-2 hours in the sun. During this time she is the most active and eats the most, she also gets her every other day soak on outside as well.

We have an update visit for her to the vet in November. Looking forward to seeing what other changes she can do before then.

I've included a photo from about the 1st week that we had Bowsette. She is on a little dirt pile outside. The 2nd photo is from a few days ago and she has some food in her mouth.
 

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OliveW

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2022
Messages
286
Location (City and/or State)
Branford, FL
She's so adorable! We've had our found tortoise for only three weeks. He has worse pyramiding, but no problem walking.

Love the name! Ours is Tortimer, from the same company. 😊
 

AliciaOro

New Member
Joined
May 15, 2022
Messages
12
Location (City and/or State)
Lynwood
She's so adorable! We've had our found tortoise for only three weeks. He has worse pyramiding, but no problem walking.

Love the name! Ours is Tortimer, from the same company. 😊
Awww We were thinking Tortimer...well I was as I play AC. But it was decided Bowsette or Bowsee for short lol.

But yeah we are thinking it was because the aquarium that they were in and the fact that she wasn't really taken out of there caused her a delay in back leg movement. So it kinda looks like a baby knees, all squishy and fat before they grow to being a toddler and start walking. Not sure if she will always just crawl or if we can get her to a place where her back legs are stretched out and walking normally.
 

OliveW

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2022
Messages
286
Location (City and/or State)
Branford, FL
@AliciaOro I've been playing AC since 2012, so it was a given when we decided it was a boy, although we really don't know for sure.

I sure am glad to hear Bowsette is improving, and hoping for a strong tortoise in time. Did the vet think she could overcome the MBD to a degree, at least as far as developing strength in her back legs as she grows?
 

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