so my leopard tortoise who is almost 4 months gained 2 grams in a week, is this a good weight progression? How does he/she look overall? I have an appointment at the vet, my very first time going to a vet since I got my tortoise just to make sure he/she is healthy and thriving. How does his/her shell look? Pyramided or showing signs or normal? His eyes? Hes in a 70% humidity room, eats grassland tortoise pellets for now until i finish growing my carolina pet supply grassland tortoise seed mix.
Tortoise weight
- Thread starter Dave Dela Rosa
- Start date
Hello,
gaining 2 grams a week is normal for a tort of 4 months. Do you only feed the grassland tortoise pellets ? No fresh greens yet ? They need fresh greens every day.
Mayby with fresh greens your tort will eat more and gain more weight.
The carapax shows a slighty pyramiding. You must keep an eye on this.The plastron is looking good and healthy.
Do you soak your tort ? Babies at that age should be soaked daily for a good hydration.
His eyes are looking good.
Please don`t let your tortoise give any calcium or vitamin shots by the VET. These shots can harm tortoises, but some VET`s don`t know this.
When your tort eats a good variety of food, have accsess to crushed cuttlebone pieces ( for calcium ) and a good UVB source ( bulb or natural sunlight ) he don`t need any other treatment to get enough vitamins or calcium.
Can you show us some pics of the enclosure of your tort too ?
gaining 2 grams a week is normal for a tort of 4 months. Do you only feed the grassland tortoise pellets ? No fresh greens yet ? They need fresh greens every day.
Mayby with fresh greens your tort will eat more and gain more weight.
The carapax shows a slighty pyramiding. You must keep an eye on this.The plastron is looking good and healthy.
Do you soak your tort ? Babies at that age should be soaked daily for a good hydration.
His eyes are looking good.
Please don`t let your tortoise give any calcium or vitamin shots by the VET. These shots can harm tortoises, but some VET`s don`t know this.
When your tort eats a good variety of food, have accsess to crushed cuttlebone pieces ( for calcium ) and a good UVB source ( bulb or natural sunlight ) he don`t need any other treatment to get enough vitamins or calcium.
Can you show us some pics of the enclosure of your tort too ?
Hey thanks for the response! A few question, do I need to supplemenet my tortoise calcium ? If so how many times a week. I do have a cuttlebone but he never eats it. Do you think the pyramiding is severe? He does eat leafy greens, but i thought it was suppose to be supplements only about 3x a week. Im currently growing grass seed mix for him so im very excited for that.
Some torts don`t like the whole cuttlebones. I feed my torts cuttlebones that are crushed in small pieces and these pieces they eat like sugar drops.
When yout tortoise don`t want to eat it, sprinkle the food once or twice a week with a little bit calcium powder. Not too much and not too often.
The pyramiding isn`t severe yet but it should be stopped with good hydration. To soak daily and have high humidity in the tort enclosure is the best way to prevent or stop pyramiding.
Leafy greens are not wrong to feed.
Read this thread and you will know what your tort should eat:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sulcata-diet-sheet.64290/
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Are you supplying a UVB source?
That an an assortment of suitable foods are very important. So is the correct temperature.
Going to a vet that is not specifically a reptile vet is not a good idea.
That an an assortment of suitable foods are very important. So is the correct temperature.
Going to a vet that is not specifically a reptile vet is not a good idea.
Dave, you didn't seem to like what I had to say previously. I'm happy to help and I have answers to your questions, but no sense in giving advice if its unwanted. Would you prefer me to back off and let others reply?
hey sorry i was never read your final replies, i didnt even know you replied to be honest. with the other threads but this thread advices are welcome!
hey so the silicon valley tortoise club has a bunch of list on reptile vets. unfortunately there isnt a specific doctor that treats tortoise here but there are a couple who specializes on reptiles and have seen some tortoises some im hoping that is ok
I think the thing to realize is that there is no semester on tortoise care and husbandry in vet school. Unless the vet is a tortoise keeper themselves, like many of the people here, with many years of practical hard earned knowledge of what needs to be done, most of them refer to handbooks and websites that will recommend the wrong conditions and wrong treatments. For example, many vets will recommend a "vitamin injection" every time they see a baby. These can be harmful or fatal in some cases, and they are not necessary or helpful in any case. Its just what the handbook in the back room says for them to do.
I guess the point is: Unless there is some underlying medical problem that requires prescription medicine or surgery, there is not a lot of point to going to a vet. They aren't going to see anything that we don't see looking at the outside of your tortoise. There are two good reason for you to go at this point: 1. You can get your name and account on file and meet them. Then, if there ever is a medical problem, you are already in their system and they've seen you before. This wins favor over someone cold calling for the first time with a major problem. 2. The vet can run a fecal check for parasites if you bring a fresh stool sample. Never a bad Idea to check and its totally harmless for the tortoise since you are just checking the deviously excreted waste. Non-invasive, in other words.
57 grams at 4 months old is a fine weight. It is an indicator that this baby has functioning kidneys, despite the dry start, and will probably survive.
The shell has a distinct pattern of pyramiding already starting with a steep angle on the new growth. This is an indication of a very dry start. The solution is monsoon like conditions. Keep the tortoise warm and humid day and night. Soak daily and spray the carapace with water several times a day. Also understand that stopping pyramiding in progress is much harder than preventing pyramiding in the first place. This being the case, you will need to go overboard with the moisture and humidity if you don't want your tortoise to look like a medieval weapon in another year or two.
70% room humidity in an open topped enclosure is not going to do it. If its 70% in the room, its probably 20% under the necessary heat lamps. Don't take my word for it. Put the remote probe for your hygrometer under the basking light and see.
Hey thanks so much for the reply! Yeah i was planning to do a fecal test mostly. I will wet his shell as much as I can, and no worries hes in a vivarium right now, trying to build a tortoise table made of wood but im not very handy with my hands so still trying to learn but thank you!
He'll end up like mine or worse if you don't follow @Tom and others advice. Mine is so pyramided he top heavy. When he gets overturned he can't right hself so I have to make his outside enclosure as flat as possible. An ENCLOSED vivarium to trap humidity (but keep heat above 80f in ALL corners) is the way to go.
