Shell starting to deform

[Nofx]

Hi guys

Its been a long time since I posted anything on this forum.
As you can recall, I have a Leo tort that wasn't growing and had a bad case of pneumonia. After I switched vet's a couple of times i finally got one that is specialized in exotic animal, and when he saw my little guy he said ''WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU ALL THIS TIME!'' doh, like i wasn't trying. -.-

To put the story short, he got the shots, after a week he started getting better, after a month he started growing.

The problem is, he is not growing the 'right' way. I am add him calcium supplements every day, and all so protein+stuff supplements ( the pet shop sell's it and its for reptiles ) from time to time. He is allso getting a lot of water, baths..
The diet is ok. But its not the best. In Slovenia you can't get mazuri, and allso there are no spineless opuntia..bummer!

Any idea, suggestion, what do you guys think about his shell?

Off to work I go

Thanks!

Niko


Pics before







and now

 

[yagyujubei]

Glad to see that he's better. His shell looks great to me.

 

[Nofx]

He is!
No runny nose since February. He is eating like a tiger.

You think so? To me it looks like its just growing the lower part of the shell and a bit of the upper parts. The other parts aren't.
Like ''the equator'' of his shell is only growing ( i dont know how else to say it ) and a bit above the head and tail.

 

[Neal]

Yeah, the shell looks fine. What are the "other parts" you are talking about? If I understand you right, the lower part of his shell is where you can see the black coming in correct? If so, then that's where a lot of the growth will be is on that lower part of their shells. There won't be as much growth on the sides or top of each scute as will be between the bottom and the marginal scutes...know what I mean?

 

[Nofx]

Bingo!
The top scutes and the lower side scouts under the new black growing shell are not growing.
Maybe I'm just being to much dramatic, but when i was looking other pictures of other growing tortoises the shell was growing all at the same time. Not like mine, that is growing just in one part, and the other parts are not.
Maybe it needs more time?

 

[Neal]

OK, I can see what you're talking about. How long ago did you take the first pictures?

It does look like the scutes on the top are not growing, and the second vertebral scute above the head appears a little crooked. I wouldn't be too concerned about it yet...those parts of the shell don't graw as fast as between the coastal and marginal scutes from what I've seen in my tortoises.

 

[TortieLuver]

Looks great to me!

---

Glad to hear he/she is doing better and eating well!

 

[gmayor]

How old is HE?

 

[Nofx]

Aha, ok then. Thanks!

The first pictures were taken in October +/-
When he was sick he was not growing and he was not eating a lot.
The whole winter I was looking/taking him to vets..they all said that that dont know what to do.
Then in March i found a vet, that gave him the shots, and then he got better and started to grow and still growing

He is to old for his size. When i got him from a guy that got it like a present he was almost 2. He gave him to me because the poor little guy got sick and he didn't quote: ''had the time and nerves to deal with IT'' He allso didn't give him the proper needs. ( light, food, etc )
I guess he will be 3 in September.

 

[DocNezzy]

I am located in Italy, but can get mail from the states very easily. If you can figure out how difficult it would be to mail it to you from here, I would gladly order you some mazuri. Let me know!

 

[River14]

DocNezzy I think you are right bout this. The scutes are concave too and building up in thickness around the edges.

It has to be said that leopards in the wild usualy are slightly to dramatically pyramided. I have seen both, but they are never flat backed and pyramided. So maybe nothing to worry about as Mali seems sufficiently domed. Does he have enough natural sunlight to bask in twice a day? How is he kept because sun shine and sufficient humidity plus low protein diet and no over feeding might make a difference far as I learnt.

If not maybe he just prefers to be slighty pyramided? It makes sense in rocky terrain in my humble opinion.