Russian Tortoise Shell Problems.

[FlashBang]

In April, I took my tortoise Flash Bang to the vet. The vet said that he has craters, white spots,and fading edges because I was over feeding him and he was growing to rapidly for his shell to keep up. I'm only 15 and Flash Bang is my first tortoise so I fed him every day. The vet recommended that I cut down to feedings twice a week. So I did what I was told and have seen no difference. In July, I cut down to 1 feeding a week with cuttle bone calcium powder and still see no difference as of today. Flash Bang's next appointment is in November and I just want to help the little guy. Is there any supplements or dietary needs to help his shell catch up with the growing rate. Please help. His life span could be shortened if I dont fix this and I wouldnt be able to live with myself if I knew it was my fault. Thanks
- Jon.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Jon:

I think its time for you to find a new vet. The one you took Flash Bang to doesn't seem to know very much about tortoises.

First of all, let me say...

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know where you are?

Next, Russian tortoises are hard wired to eat a lot and quickly because in the wild their "eating" season is quite short. They sometimes hibernate for a half the year or more. So the only way you can overfeed a Russian tortoise is if you have them in too small an area and they aren't getting enough exercise. Then, you will see a FAT tortoise, not a pitted shell.

Its hard to say from the pictures, but I'm leaning more towards old shell rot or fungus.

Please start feeding Flash Bang daily once again.

Can you tell us a bit about how you have him set up? Can he go outside?

 

[ascott]

Yvonne said it perfectly....your little one has character in his shell....

 

[Claireabbo]

yes please strt feeding him every day. and soak him (about every other day) and let him get exercise. is your vet a rep vet? or just a normal vet?

 

[dmmj]

Welcome
I would try and find a hep vet at the very least, they may cost a little more, but it is worth it to have someone who knows what he/she is talking about.

 

[FlashBang]

Shell rot?! Oh no. Is there a way to fix it?
What should I feed him? He hates collard greens, broccoli, celery. I was told to stay away from iceberg and romaine. Is the vet wrong about those lettuces?

 

[FlashBang]

Also I'm in Florida but Ill be moving soon to Georgia. He goes outside everyday. He digs, climbs on rocks, when he goes into a puddle or I soak him he headbutts the water to make splashes and runs constantly. The vet is a reptile vet. I have him in a 20 gallon tank with a log cave. Reptile bark, a small water bowl and food dish with a light on the top. Is there any thing I need to get for Flash Bang? Or any home improvements?

 

[Yvonne G]

Russian tortoises mainly eat broad-leaf weeds and plants. He should be interested in dandelion, collards, turnip greens, endive, escarole, raddiccio, etc. I use Spring Mix (a packaged lettuce mixture sold in the produce section of the store), and to that I'll add grape leaves, mullberry leaves, hollyhock leaves, dichondra, clover, rose of sharon...whatever I can find growing at this time of the year.

Don't worry about the spots on his shell. Its old and only cosmetic. It will always look like that.

 

[FlashBang]

Thanks. How can I find out how old he is?

 

[ChiKat]

I would definitely increase the size of his enclosure. I wouldn't even keep a hatchling in a 20 gallon tank!
Since you live in Florida (soon to be Georgia) he should live outside in a secure pen. Check out the enclosure section for ideas!

If you post pictures and can tell us when/where you got him, someone should be able to give a ROUGH estimate of his age.

 

[Claireabbo]

well actually broccoli is bad and toxic. celery does nothing but give them water (which isnt bad all the time) but stay away from iceberg. your vet was right about that. and when he is in an indoor enclosure it should probably be a 50 gallon rubbermaid plastic tote or a cement mixing bin and i have never found out how old my little dude is either... haha im just guessing. post a pic and we can all put our opinions on im glad you are trying your hardest to make him comfortable and asking question!

 

[FlashBang]

Oh good thing he didn't eat it. I think that the tank is a little bigger then 20 gal. I'll post a pic once I take some and you tell me how big you think it is. How much is a 50 gal. Rubbermaid plastic tote and where can I get it?? I'm selling a lot of things to buy stuff for Flash Bang.

 

[Claireabbo]

i am using one that i got from lowes for like $15-$20

 

[FlashBang]

Here are some pictures to guess age and the tank size. Im getting a new housing for him either way just want to know the tank size.

 

[ChiKat]

Your tortoise is gorgeous! Where did you get him from?
Just to give you an idea of an ideal size, this was the enclosure I moved my hatchling into when he outgrew his bin. It's 4x2:

He's 2 years old now and I feel it's too small for him When spring comes I will be building an outdoor enclosure for him.
You can always convert an old bookcase into an enclosure for a cheaper option!

Here is more info on diet: http://www.russiantortoise.org/russiantortoisediet.htm

I feed my tortoise spring mix, collard greens, turnip greens, escarole, curly endive, radicchio, etc. These greens are easily found in a grocery store (or Walmart, etc.) He also gets grape leaves, weeds such as dandelion greens, plantain, and clover. Also cactus and flowers such as squash blossoms and rose petals

 

[FlashBang]

Thanks! so is yours. I got Flash Bang at petsmart about 2 years ago. Where did you get your lamp from? I use an old fish tank lid as his light.

 

[Claireabbo]

i feel like he is three or four but you never know for sure unless you ask or get him from a breeder. some stores dont know how old their torts are depending on the circumstances. but i dont think he should be in a tank anyway. torts dont get the concept of glass so it will stress him out trying to walk through it all the time. so a bin would work. but yeah when he gets older you can make him a bigger enclosure. but it still should be ok for when he is older too. its the size for an adult. so yeah! 50 gallons should work fine!