I was at Petsmart just browsing and came across a product called Vitashell. It says it conditions the shell and skin and was wondering if anyone had ever used it and if it might help pyramiding.
JHoward, I am no expert, but I am pretty sure that the Vitashell will not do a single thing to prevent pyramiding since the process of that begins from internal functions and processes. Tortoises need humidity around them to support kidney and growth. Again, not an expert. I myself, use extra virgin organic cold pressed coconut oil, not for shiny pretty but to protect my babies a little bit since EVO-CP (the least refined kind) is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral. I use it one day a week, Sunday, before their warm soak, as a preventative of sorts. I wipe it on my little leopards, wait a few minutes, and then pop them in their warm water. When it was summer, I did wipe it on lightly and then let them graze. I figure they will absorb what they need or barrier what they do not need and it comes off on their travels through the grasses. We had a long discussion about coconut oil on this thread if you want to read more and then research further, for your consideration. http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-81518.html
I use vitashell on all my torts. I mostly use it on redfoots. Here in Arizona it is dry, this helps a great deal. There have been many debates on this product. Its a personal preference. It has helped my redfoots.
I looked up the ingredients I could not pronocunce: Diasolidinyl urea is an antimicrobial preservative used in cosmetics. "Works by forming formaldehyde in cosmetics". What da? So it has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer to its highest toxic class ... IARC 1 is a known human carcinogen ... Methylparaben is used in deodorants and parabens are used as preservatives. They are linked to breast cancer. Parabens mimic the action of oestrogen and oestrogen can drive the growth of human breast tumors. Proplyparaben is another paraben, used in cigarettes to keep from spoiling.
I dunno. I say keep it simple. Only products we can pronounce is my rule. These fancy names things, 8 times out of 10, are freaky-zoids.
I suppose the chemicals are in minute amounts and I assume are suppose to work synergistically and some folks say there are results, but I believe that it may stunt growth, or do other things, may be only cosmetically, but never the less. My opinion.
As for the gov, you gotta make people sick to make huge profit "fixing" them. Shameful. Bad karma.
Explain Round Up. Highly toxic, changes DNA and still found at the stores. Deplorable. And now I am off track with the Vitashell. But read this for more "gasp"! It will chap.your.hide.
Thanks Barb ... will do! : )
Oh yes, Walking Rocks's cousins are way awesome! But, I have asked myself this when seeing them and reading the threads: is the slow growth because of those things in Vitashell? It would be so hard to pinpoint of course. I wonder what their siblings look like and even then, how to prove. I also wonder if the siblings have the same blond look about them. I believe that both of these beauties are from different places and yet both have that same high white, no black spots bursting yet. Is this a natural thing based on where they live? what they eat? or is it induced by the Vitashell ingredients? It begs the question. But indeed, they are beauties and quite different than other leopards shell wise!
Vita Shell is an absolute NO from me. It isn't a natural substance and if you couldn't eat it (even if it's for external use) I wouldn't use it.
Tortoises like to soak in their water dishes and it can get into the water and be drank. Not exactly what you want your babies eating.
I did research on this product a long time a go and they used to make a conditioner for humans named Cholesterol and this product has the same smell and consistancy. It is the same thing just manufactured by a different company. The conditioner for humans got discontinued years ago if I'm not mistaken.