Sulcata Soft Plastron ~ Update and Pics

[onarock]

Those of you that have been fallowing the original soft plastron post know that I started with 7 and now I'm down to 5. The 5 remaining seem to be doing better. I have liquid calcium from my vet visit yesterday and I continue to soak them and keep them in the sun all day. Yes they have hides to get out of the sun. They all still have soft plastrons. It the request of a few I am finally posting pics. One pic actually shows the plastron sunken in around the pectoral scute area. One shows the scutes on the carapace with the reverse pyramiding occuring. Thanks again for all your support and advice

 

[yagyujubei]

They all look ok to me.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

If you keep doing what we have suggested with the addition of the liquid calcium they are gonna make it, I just feel very strong about that. But you have to do what we've told you, don't slack off on that..daily soaks and lots of calcium on the food sunlight and your strong will....they are looking good...

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

They look good.

 

[Kristina]

They don't look too bad.

It takes a bit of time for them to harden back up, keep up the good work!

 

[kbaker]

Yes, they look good (a little dark) and you can't always tell with pictures. I might sound like a downer, but I am sure you can feel how soft they are and they do not harden up quickly. Of course we all hope for the best, but they are not out of the woods, yet. Until they harden and start to show growth, they can crash at anytime.

Don't give up!

 

[onarock]

Thanks All, I am actually into a routine with them right now so its getting easier. And yeah they are darker. All their past siblings are way lighter. Dad is an Ivory and all these are Hets.

 

[Neal]

The darkness (on the plastron) just looks like dirt, have you tried scrubbing them a little?

 

[onarock]

The darkness (on the plastron) just looks like dirt, have you tried scrubbing them a little?

No. the plastron is way to soft to scrub. What do you think of the blotchy carapace?

 

[moswen]

wow what an unusually colored group of sullies! i think the carapace is just a coloring situation. i found a picture online (facebook maybe?) once with a sulcata that was almost black, head to toe, with the same look of coloring as your babies, only more intense. even his head and feet were that same blackish color. just a coloring! you can tell by looking at their little heads, in the cracks they are the same color so you know it's not dirt. they look neat!

 

[Neal]

Do you have a soft bristle toothbrush, even that shouldn't be too bad against a soft shell tortoise. I don't know, the plastron coloration really just looks like dirt to me...Were these hatchlings outside at all? We had someone on here who rescued tortoises in Hawaii. He had some sulcatas that were stained from the dirt there. I see the blotches on their carapace. I don't know how to describe what I'm thinking, it just almost looks like malnourishment, like a bruise or sore or something.

---

The tortoise in the last picture has some crazy looking eyes..."like a dolls eyes"

 

[kbaker]

You can't tell just from pictures why they are that color, but considering their health, its because of the thinning of the bone mass in the shell. One thing you can look for are those squiggly white lines in the shell. When the tortoise starts laying down healthier bone mass, these white lines with start to show up. You can look up threads on this. Some have other opions on them then I do.
I would not scrub them, but continue soaking them. Either way, scrubbing them and trying to make them look good will not change their condition.

One thing you can kind of see in the pictures are the seams in the bone under the scutes. The seams do not follow the scute edges.

 

[Neal]

Either way, scrubbing them and trying to make them look good will not change their condition.

Good point, I don't mean to suggest trying to scrub them raw, only that I think it might be dirt just from looking at the picture though I have seen some sulcatas with darker coloration, just not random blotches like I see on this one. I'm sure they're out there though.

 

[laura808]

hmmm they are a odd color. I do see the blotches though. ouch did you slam your finger in a door?

 

[onarock]

hmmm they are a odd color. I do see the blotches though. ouch did you slam your finger in a door?

Ha! hit it with a hammer

 

[Tom]

It sounds like they are doing okay for you. I hope they make it.

 

[onarock]

It sounds like they are doing okay for you. I hope they make it.

Thanks Tom. Today was the first day that I had them that they didnt get any sun. It rained all day. I'll put them out weather permitting and give them their liquid calcium, vitasol soakings and continue on.

 

[laura808]

hmmm they are a odd color. I do see the blotches though. ouch did you slam your finger in a door?

Ha! hit it with a hammer

OH yugh that sounds horrible! how are the torts and could you describe how soft their shells are?

 

[onarock]

Laura, their shells are really soft. Some softer than others. The worst of them feels like its made of paper. When you push on it you dont need to apply any force and its in.

 

[Neal]

How are they doing? Do you still have 5?