My mom's tortoise seems unhappy to me

[Laine]

My mom went away on a work conference and asked me to care for her pets for those few days.

I checked on her tortoise and noticed her shell is very misshapen. I decided to give her a little bath while I did some research. From what I've gathered... My mom is not taking proper care. I would kind of like to take over slightly but I am not very experienced and don't know if I would be doing more harm.

Background info:
She is a red foot tortoise. Approximately 10 years old I believe. We live in Alberta, Canada.
My mom mainly feeds her tomatoes, iceberg lettuce and mushrooms (I've gathered that this is terrible IMO) and also does not give any calcium or vitamin d3. Her substrate is peat moss I believe. She has a large but shallow water dish which my mom empties into the peat moss when she changes the water (is that sanitary?). She has a red lightbulb (not sure anything else about it; I think maybe it is a heat lamp?). She also has a zoo med "tortoise block" in there which she said helped with beak overgrowth a few years ago. The tank is quite large but those are the only things in it. The room she keeps the tortoise in is usually pretty warm because she keeps the door closed (could be dry in there) but from what I can see, the peat moss is really wet and muddy.

The tortoise is at least 10 years old. She isn't THAT big though. However, I don't know how large they're supposed to be at that age. Her shell is very deformed in my opinion there are deep crevices and area where it is sunken and raised. I think it is pyramiding. The shell is hard, not soft. Also her "claws" look long and curled. Her legs are very dry and scaly/rough looking compared to other tortoises I've seen. Is that just her age?

Anyway. I want to help her. Any major changes I should implement now ?

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

The diet may be the biggest problem (although for a redfoot, it isn't quite as problematic as it would be for a Sulcata, for example). There is good redfoot diet suggestions here: https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/nutrition/good-foods-list Variety in greens and fruits will need to be increased, and animal protein should also be added occasionally.

The enclosure potentially is fine, but I didn't see where you mentioned a UVB source. Photos of the tortoise and enclosure can help us help your mom's tortoise.

 

[JoesMum]

Hi Laine

You will find this guide to care of Red Foots useful to you

http://www.tortoiselibrary.com/species-information-2/chelonoidis/

Red Foots are omnivores and do need some protein in their diet. Hard boiled mashed complete with its shell ticks both calcium and protein boxes.

The mis-shapen shell suggests that humidity and UVB may not be correct as well as diet. See the link above for more information.

Well done for trying to do your best for this tortoise

 

[wellington]

Agree with all above. Specially getting the diet much better and getting the UVB bulb in there which is very important. A flourescent UVB is better for RF then a mercury vapor bulb. RF are prone to shell rot which would happen more on the bottom shell and this is caused by living on a wet substrate. They need a high humidity but with the top layer or substrate remain very. This can be done by putting warm water into the corners so it goes down into the bottom substrate more then wetting the top.

 

[crimson_lotus]

I'm not sure how sunken in the shell is, but it sounds like there could possibly be metabolic bone disease. If she continues she may lose the use of her legs, and having MBD can be very painful for them.

You will want to feed fruit as well as protein and vegetables, and please steer away from iceberg lettuce as it has no nutritional value. Try escarole, watercress, romaine, radicchio, endive, chicory, mustard greens, dandelion greens, clover, arugula, etc.

Easy protein can be given through boiled egg, chicken, or shrimp. Mine also likes to eat earthworms.

I would get rid of the red bulb as they are attracted to the color red...this may cause the tortoise to get confused, possibly eat its substrate, and it's really not a good light for day and night cycle. You will want a UVB bulb as everyone instructed above as well as a heat source to keep the temperatures in the 80's. I keep my humidity at 90-100% with a sprinkler system, but please do not add humidity without adding a heat source.

 

[crimson_lotus]

I also want to add that my tortoise is maybe 5 years old (it's a guess, though) and about 10 inches in length, they can get up to 14-16 inches fully grown.

 

[Laine]

Hello! Thank you for the replies. I snapped some quick pictures as best as I could today. Here they are:

 

[bouaboua]

Oh........NO! ! !

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Oh dear. That's quite a deformed tortoise. Does it get outdoor time in good weather? If not regularly, get a brand new UVB emitting bulb asap. The enclosure is also very small for that sized tortoise, but UVB and calcium would be my biggest worry right now.

 

[crimson_lotus]

That substrate is way too wet. Is the plastron ok? Does the tortoise have shell rot?

That is not a nice enclosure and the poor thing is very deformed, if you can help it in any way, please do

 

[MPRC]

Oh my goodness, that poor tortoise. It sounds like she's going to need a lot of help. Maybe when your mom returns you can help her sign up here so we can help get her on the right track.

 

[sibi]

My heart broke looking at those pics of the RF. Please, please, please ask your mom if she would consider giving the tort over to you. Here's the thing, your mom works and doesn't have the time to properly care for this tort. I know how hard it is to juggle work, travel, and family. If kids are involved, that's even less time you can devote to an animal. If this is the result of 10 years of care, chances are she won't change her routine for long. The only hope this tort has is you! You instinctively knew something was not right with the tort. You took the time to look up her aliments. You found this forum and you connected with this poor animal. Now it's up to you to correct the current conditions. The tort is suffering from metabolic bone disease and it shows in her nails and shell. I would bet that the tort is also suffering from shell rot at the bottom shell (the plastron). Cam you take a pic of her bottom shell. From what I can see (which isn't much) there's something not right with her plastron. Like someone already stated, the environment is not good. In fact, it's borderline abusive and/or negligent. I'm sorry to say these things about your mom's care of this animal, but I call it as I see it. But, you can change that. Read and share with your mom all the care sheets provided. You are such a sensitive and smart individual to have the wherewithal to notice the horrible condition this tort is suffering from. Thank you for being you. We need more people like you in this world.

 

[Blakem]

Thank you for creating this thread. On top of what's already been said, I would get that substrate out of that tank as soon as you can.

 

[Laine]

Okay so a few things.

1. I am unable to take the tortoise into my home as I already have quite a bit on my plate with having a full time job as a single mom. Plus I have a few pets of my own (2 dogs, a cat, a gecko, and an axolotl). I would just like to get my mom on the right track with caring for her tortoise. My brother and I have moved out so she has plenty of free time. There is no excuse for this neglect (well put, sibi).

2. My heart also broke when I saw the poor tortoise and all I want is for her to get better. Do you really think that she will be okay after this long of improper care?

3. The main pet store we have here is PetSmart. It might be a bit much to ask but if anyone could find the exact products on the CANADIAN PetSmart website (www.petsmart.ca) that I need to help the tortoise, I will go buy them! I'm completely lost when I look at all the UVB bulb selections. Plus the heat bulb, and how to keep the humidity proper. What kind of substrate would be best at this point and how do I care for the new substrate after I've changed it? Also, what is the proper light cycle I should be using with the UVB and heat bulbs? What is a better tank size? I honestly thought her tank size was the only proper thing my mom had! It looks quite large to me, probably a bit narrow though?

Anywho those are my most pressing questions. If any helpful and knowledgeable tortoise experts want to pick out the best (but also affordable) products I need to buy for the tortoise in order to help her then please pick them from the website I posted above as that way I can buy them right away and not wait for shipping.

-Edit- Thought I would add that I did not notice her bottom shell to have anything wrong, but then again I didn't think to really inspect it, and also, I'm not too sure what a normal bottom shell would look like either. I will take a picture next chance I have. Also, I don't think her substrate has always been that wet. My mom said she just changed it before she left and just made it really wet. I think 70% of the time it is kind of dry actually.

 

[sibi]

Laine, I'm so glad you're willing to help correct the tort's condition and environment. So, first of all, there's no way of telling how bad her health is without taking her to a vet, having x-rays done and blood work. If you can do that, it would be a good start. However, things can be done immediately to improve her health and environment. Get rid of the substrate that's still wet and replace it with dry substrate. I checks the website of the PetSmart there, and they requested a zip code in order to see if your store has the UV bulb in stock. So, I couldn't check that. The product is National Geographic mercury vapor bulb 160 w. For me, given the small enclosure and the distance you'd need to keep it in order not to cause severe burns to your tort, I would only consider a fluorescent uvb reptile light 10.0. It's a cool light but it gives off the uvb the tort needs. Next, make sure there's a heat source like a regular bulb for days, and a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) for nights. This will allow the tort to keep warm w/o disturbing the sleep cycle with a bright light, red or otherwise. Then, I would buy calcium powder and sprinkle it on her food 3 times a week. Since calcium hadn't been provided, I would lightly sprinkle some daily for a couple of weeks; the, 3 times weekly thereafter. Make sure she has access to fresh water for drinking daily. Now she'll be ready for a better diet. The care sheets provided above would help you and your mom to give the tort the food she needs.

The short and the long of it is this. The tort has some major health issues. Some of them can help improve the overall health, like food, environment, and uvb, but a lot of it is permanent. Her shell will never straighten out, so to speak. Without a full vet exam, there's no way of knowing what internal damage was done, but you can bet that there is! There could be digestive issues along with constipation or even some blockages. Who know, but if she survived this long, maybe she'll be okay with the changes that are needed. Certainly her life shelf is reduced, but she still can live out the rest of her life in comfort and happier. Get back with the zip code, and I'll take a pic of the bulb you'll need to get.

 

[JoesMum]

You're going to need a tube UVB like this and the associated light fitting
http://m.petsmart.ca/h5/hub?id=supp...d36-14832/cat-36-catid-500036?var_id=36-14832

You will also need a Ceramic Heat Emitter, a light fitting for it (they're too hot for normal bulb holders) and a thermostat for the heater
http://m.petsmart.ca/h5/hub?id=rept...d36-14777/cat-36-catid-500035?var_id=36-14777

For substrate something like coco coir from a garden store is fine. Anything that holds moisture bur doesn't have bits like rocks or vermiculite in it.

RFs don't really bask so I wouldn't go for the MVB suggested above.

 

[sibi]

The uvb bulb is the one I was going to take a pic of. But, getting the 5.0 or 10.0 depends more on the distance the light is from the tort's shell. A 10.0 will emit uvb up to 20" from the surface of the bulb. Looking at your setup, and it's hard to do with a pic, it appears that there just may be at least 20" from the bulb to the tort's shell, which is why I recommended 10.0. The mercury vapor bulb is too hot(160w) to use in that close quarter. The CHE isn't a light; just a heat source; so, using that along with the cool fluorescent uvb would be all your tort needs. If the tank is a long as you say it is (perhaps you can give us measurement of it) than perhaps the CHE can be put near where the tort sleeps at night while a regular light bulb could be place on the opposite end for day time heat instead of having two CHE placed on each end. Btw, the CHE comes in a couple of wattages: 100 and 160. Depending on the distance of the top tank and the surface, I would use a 100 w rather than a 160 cause of its close quarters. You just don't have enough room for that tortoise to escape the extreme heat a 160 w emits.

 

[Yvonne G]

So glad to see you trying to improve this tortoise's life, Laine. Good job! If I were you, I'd set it up properly, according to the suggestions here, give your mom a copy of a good RF care sheet and maybe a link to our Forum, then just be available for help if she asks for it. I would start by getting rid of that substrate and giving the animal some orchid bark. If you can't find it at a garden store, it may be called "Forest Floor" in the pet shop.

and...

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[Yvonne G]

And show her this picture of what a redfoot tortoise is supposed to look like:

 

[sibi]

Oh, and I would highly recommend getting a temp gun from home depot where you can better regulate the heat temps in the tank. It would be next to impossible to properly set up the tortoise environment without it.

To recap, You'll need:

UVB florescent bulb 10.0
A hood for the tube bulb
100 w CHE
A ceramic socket lamp for the CHE
Orchard bark substrate
Temp gun
Powder calcium

Then follow the care sheets on the variety of foods to feed your tort.