Help! (Ill?? soft shell)

[Joswin]

Helo this is joswin
I have a pair of star tortoise of which 1 seems to be ill its shell has become soft bt it is active it eats n moves as well its eveys are perfectly open i give them ladyfinger or coriander leaves to eat please help m worried about its shell

 

[Lyn W]

Helo this is joswin
I have a pair of star tortoise of which 1 seems to be ill its shell has become soft bt it is active it eats n moves as well its eveys are perfectly open i give them ladyfinger or coriander leaves to eat please help m worried about its shell

Hi Joswin and welcome - where are you located?
I don't have stars but sounds like they need a more varied diet. Have you looked at the species specific section to see if there is a caresheet for stars, that will tell you all about correct diet, humidity, temps and substrate etc. The Beginners Mistakes thread (link below) will also teach you some general dos and don'ts for torts.
If you can post a picture of your enclosure members can advise on any changes you can make to improve your torts health.
What are you using for uvb and heat? Do you provide calcium e.g. cuttlefish bone?
It is not recommended to keep most species torts in pairs as one becomes dominant and bullies the other - maybe physically by pushing or trying to flip the other, or more subtly by following and just staring. This could mean the weaker tort doesn't get his/her share of food or the best basking spots etc. and could become stressed and ill so that could be part if the problem and you will need a second enclosure.
Anyway check out the caresheets, post some pics if you can and ask as many questions as you need.

 

[Lyn W]

I can't see a caresheet but I think @Tom has/had stars so I have tagged him to see if he can help, but if you can provide pics and information on how you keep them you will get the best advice possible.

 

[JoesMum]

A soft shell suggests your tort isn't getting enough UVB light.

To get that it needs to be outside for an hour a day, or it needs a UVB lamp.

You may have a UVB lamp, but these bulbs become ineffective between 6 months and a year and must be replaced.

Your tort would also benefit from a calcium supplement - a little ground up cuttlebone on its food three times a week is good.

Please see this thread for suitable foods (with pictures) http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...rtoises-modified-for-indian-residents.139674/

While your tort is sick it must be soaked for a good 20 minutes in warm water twice a day to prevent dehydration.

 

[Joswin]

This my tortoise

 

[Joswin]

And this is the enclosure

 

[Lyn W]

It's quite hard to see with the reflection of the glass. Do you have a picture showing all of the enclosure.- maybe taken from above.
Why the big log in front of the water dish? It would be easier for them to access their water for drinking and self soaking if it was moved.
What about uvb and heat?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

A tortoise's shell becomes soft because he's not getting the correct, calcium-rich diet. And along with that diet, he needs UVB so his body can make vitamin d3. The UVB comes either from a GOOD UVB light or from the sun.

Ladyfinger (we call it okra) is a very good tortoise food, but your tortoise needs more than okra and coriander. Here's a list of foods to choose from:

Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food

But besides a change in diet, get a good UVB light either like this:



or like this:

 

[Tom]

Helo this is joswin
I have a pair of star tortoise of which 1 seems to be ill its shell has become soft bt it is active it eats n moves as well its eveys are perfectly open i give them ladyfinger or coriander leaves to eat please help m worried about its shell

Hello and welcome joswin.

There are two main possibilities for us to eliminate. Possibility #1 is that the tortoise was started too dry and dehydrated before you got it, and this is the cause of your current problem weeks or months later. Tell us where you got this baby and how it was started by the breeder. Read this for more info, and see if it matches your scenario: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

Possibility number two is that something is lacking in the care your tortoise has been receiving since you got it. We need to know:
Your four temps. Warm side, cool side, basking area, and over night low.
What heating and lighting equipment are you using to achieve those temps?
UV? What type?
Calcium supplementation?
What else do you feed it? I mean besides the coriander and ladyfinger?
How long have you have the tortoise?
Are the two living together as a pair?
How often do you soak this little guy?
Where are you?

I typed this care sheet up for sulcatas and leopards, but I raise my stars identically.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

There might be some clues in here too:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

Do not worry. You'll hopefully get the help you need here.