Calling on indian star owners residing in INDIA

[arotester]

Let's start with diet first .Most importantly the local names for edible veggies for the stars ..here we go...
hibiscus leaves and flowers,rose leaves and flowers,fenugreek(methi),coriander(dhaniya),carrots,spinach(palak)=>sometimes,dill(shepu),banana leaf,prickly pears cactus pads.
grasses=>bermuda grass(regular lawn grass in india),wheat grass(young wheat plant)
hays=>Alfalfa(see my post of plant id),timothy hay(guinea grass in india)

plz add more

 

[Preet917]

I just want to chime in that Pyramiding in and of itself isn't the problem. The problem is that pyramiding is a symptom of metabolic bone disease (MBD) which is VERY bad for tortoises. Pyramiding is our easiest way to tell if MBD is occurring. Some Stars that pyramid do not show any other sings of MBD, which is why it is considered uniquely less problematic in Stars than in other breeds of tortoises. However, that does not mean that Stars do not get MBD, it is just harder to tell.

However, it is vital to give your tortoise proper humidity to prevent MBD. You need humidity, a proper diet, calcium, sunlight and exercise to prevent MBD in your tortoise. If they do not have a proper substrate to keep some humidity for them (especially when they are very young), they are going to get this disease.

Well, I live in Mumbai city which has a hot and humid climate which I believe should cover the weather requirements. Do I still have to use a substrate?
Since the tort area is located in the balcony of my apartment, I have refrained from using a substrate for maintenance reasons.

 

[arotester]

I just want to chime in that Pyramiding in and of itself isn't the problem. The problem is that pyramiding is a symptom of metabolic bone disease (MBD) which is VERY bad for tortoises. Pyramiding is our easiest way to tell if MBD is occurring. Some Stars that pyramid do not show any other sings of MBD, which is why it is considered uniquely less problematic in Stars than in other breeds of tortoises. However, that does not mean that Stars do not get MBD, it is just harder to tell.

However, it is vital to give your tortoise proper humidity to prevent MBD. You need humidity, a proper diet, calcium, sunlight and exercise to prevent MBD in your tortoise. If they do not have a proper substrate to keep some humidity for them (especially when they are very young), they are going to get this disease.

Well, I live in Mumbai city which has a hot and humid climate which I believe should cover the weather requirements. Do I still have to use a substrate?
Since the tort area is located in the balcony of my apartment, I have refrained from using a substrate for maintenance reasons.

To deal with Pyramiding you need to maintain humidity close to the shell and we do it by spraying water on the shell few times a day....weather alone cannot stop the pyramiding

 

[Redari]

Hi Preet917, maybe you could just give them at least a small area with a proper substrate?

You could use the lid to a large storage container or something that is large and shallow, and fill it with dirt. For a house, you can use a cardboard box, a juice container, tupperware, etc. and just cut a doorway for your tort. If your tort can't climb on and off his dirt area you could make a little ramp out of a piece of wood or something.

That would give your tortoise an area with a substrate, which he will enjoy more and it will be good for him. It will be contained so it won't mess up your balcony.

Just an idea! You could also put some plants in pots on the ground, as long as they are safe for your tort to eat (there have been lots of good suggestions).

 

[Preet917]

Hi Preet917, maybe you could just give them at least a small area with a proper substrate?

You could use the lid to a large storage container or something that is large and shallow, and fill it with dirt. For a house, you can use a cardboard box, a juice container, tupperware, etc. and just cut a doorway for your tort. If your tort can't climb on and off his dirt area you could make a little ramp out of a piece of wood or something.

That would give your tortoise an area with a substrate, which he will enjoy more and it will be good for him. It will be contained so it won't mess up your balcony.

Just an idea! You could also put some plants in pots on the ground, as long as they are safe for your tort to eat (there have been lots of good suggestions).

I'm considering that. Thanks for your advice!

Oh and yes, got my second star tort yesterday. :-D
He's a little smaller than the first one with a less bright shell.
He's an active fellow and very inquisitive as most young torts.
Hopefully he should be adjusted within 2 weeks.
I'll be posting pics soon.

 

[patilraosaheb]

seen Very healthy discussions on this chain now great stuff.

 

[369.ankit]

Greetings Guys...
Very Helpful Discussions In Here..
I Insists you guys to look at my threads as well, if only you ptovide me with helpful ideas..

By the way, its sunday today and m thinking to build my Star a Home..
I have a 24x14 box..
According to you how should deal with the interior..
I mean what all should constitute the box..

Thanking you

 

[shanu303]

Greetings Guys...
Very Helpful Discussions In Here..
I Insists you guys to look at my threads as well, if only you ptovide me with helpful ideas..

By the way, its sunday today and m thinking to build my Star a Home..
I have a 24x14 box..
According to you how should deal with the interior..
I mean what all should constitute the box..

Thanking you

i've posted a reply to this query of yours in your thread

 

[motherofDash]

Hey Shanu.

Just got a Indian Star Tort from a friend who was not able to take care of it. His name is Dash but am not sure how old he is.. he is very small and fits in my palm. (doc estimated him to be around or less than 2)
I desperately need your advice on some things:
I took him to a doc for general check up within 2 days of getting him.. she said his shell was a little soft and advised basking.. she also prescribed him some calcium syrup and multi vitamin... been using a dropper to feed it to him but he seems to HATE it.. yesterday i tricked him into opening his mouth and fed him the syrup but he got really irritated.. started waving his limbs... then when i put him down... he went into the water and passed stool... after that he ate very little and has not been eating since. has just slept a lot... could he be super scared? any other way i can feed him meds?
Do young torts sleep so much? like more than 15 hrs... also tends to find dark corners and sleep.. not very fond of morning sunlight either

FYI: Am in Mumbai and live in an apartment.
attaching a pic too

 

[arotester]

---

Hey Shanu.

Just got a Indian Star Tort from a friend who was not able to take care of it. His name is Dash but am not sure how old he is.. he is very small and fits in my palm. (doc estimated him to be around or less than 2)
I desperately need your advice on some things:
I took him to a doc for general check up within 2 days of getting him.. she said his shell was a little soft and advised basking.. she also prescribed him some calcium syrup and multi vitamin... been using a dropper to feed it to him but he seems to HATE it.. yesterday i tricked him into opening his mouth and fed him the syrup but he got really irritated.. started waving his limbs... then when i put him down... he went into the water and passed stool... after that he ate very little and has not been eating since. has just slept a lot... could he be super scared? any other way i can feed him meds?
Do young torts sleep so much? like more than 15 hrs... also tends to find dark corners and sleep.. not very fond of morning sunlight either

FYI: Am in Mumbai and live in an apartment.
attaching a pic too

Sorry to hijack your question shanu.
Your doc told you right things but i am not sure about the calcium syrup and vitamin things...get it basking more and try some prickly pears and carrots in his diet and that will be it.
Vitamins and artificial cal can cause adverse effects on torts which you won't like and young torts do sleep for long,that helps them avoid predators in the wild.
BTW you got a cuteeee

 

[shanu303]

@arotester no need for apologies because i created this thread for all of us to solve each others problems, queries and issues..... and there could be nothing better than proper advice from such experienced person like you.... and if the question is answered by you or me or anyone experienced its just the same thing....

@motherofDash .... Welcome to TFO .... what name do you want us to call you? as arotester said the calcium syrup and multi vitamin is not really a good advice..... instead you can sprinkle crushed cuttle bone(available in pet shops keeping birds) on the food you feed..... or you can puree carrot and mix it in lukewarm water and soak him for 10-20 minutes..... the torts absorb nutrients through their skin too.....by the way can you give us a thorough rundown of Dash's daily routine.... what do you feed him/her......his/her enclosure...... how many times you soak him..... since your tort is very young, he needs frequent lukewarm water soaks to prevent pyramiding.....

regarding the sleeping behaviour..... as arotester said it is natural for them to sleep for long durations..... and regarding him being shy,,, he is new to all the surrounding....give him some time to acclimate.....

you need to get him out in the sun everyday for at least 12 hours as convention..... but the temps nowadays are exceeding 36 C so what i suggest is you bask him in morning and bring him in from 12pm-4pm.... then again a little bit of sun.....

the food:
hibiscus leaves and flowers
cucumber
lawn grass
mustard greens(rai dana ke patte)
radish greens
carrot greens
fenugreek(methi patta)
bird seed grass
wheat grass
rose leaves and flowers
lettuce (if available)
Dhaniya(cilantro)

if you have any more questions and need any help we're always here to help

And Dash is really Beautiful/Handsome

 

[Preet917]

Hey Shanu.

Just got a Indian Star Tort from a friend who was not able to take care of it. His name is Dash but am not sure how old he is.. he is very small and fits in my palm. (doc estimated him to be around or less than 2)
I desperately need your advice on some things:
I took him to a doc for general check up within 2 days of getting him.. she said his shell was a little soft and advised basking.. she also prescribed him some calcium syrup and multi vitamin... been using a dropper to feed it to him but he seems to HATE it.. yesterday i tricked him into opening his mouth and fed him the syrup but he got really irritated.. started waving his limbs... then when i put him down... he went into the water and passed stool... after that he ate very little and has not been eating since. has just slept a lot... could he be super scared? any other way i can feed him meds?
Do young torts sleep so much? like more than 15 hrs... also tends to find dark corners and sleep.. not very fond of morning sunlight either

FYI: Am in Mumbai and live in an apartment.
attaching a pic too

Hello there,

Let me try and answer your queries as best I can.
Make sure you heed the veterinarian's advice. They have a degree in
animal medical care for a reason.
Feed your tortoise it's medicine as prescribed and in the manner suggested by the vet.

Here are a few things you need to know about tort behavior in juveniles.
Juvenile tort's do tend to sleep a lot, so that's normal behavior, nothing to be worried about.
When held, they do tend to move theirs legs around, it's just normal. That cannot be considered a reaction to the medication.
Your main priorities at this point in time are your tort's medication, it's general diet and exposure to natural sunlight in order to improve the rigidity of it's shell.

I live in an apartment too and keep my torts out in the balcony during the day so that they can get their sunlight. You could perhaps do the same or instead keep your tort in a box in a room where natural sunlight falls for at least a couple of hours a day. You can use a normal tubelight in order to cover the remaining requirement of light.
In order to boost your tort's diet, try cluster bean pod and kothmir (fenugreek) Torts absolutely love it not to mention it's good for them. Your tort should gradually pick up on it's eating. Make sure you provide a shallow bowl of clean water for the tort to dip in or drink from.

All the best!

 

[shanu303]

Hey Shanu.

Just got a Indian Star Tort from a friend who was not able to take care of it. His name is Dash but am not sure how old he is.. he is very small and fits in my palm. (doc estimated him to be around or less than 2)
I desperately need your advice on some things:
I took him to a doc for general check up within 2 days of getting him.. she said his shell was a little soft and advised basking.. she also prescribed him some calcium syrup and multi vitamin... been using a dropper to feed it to him but he seems to HATE it.. yesterday i tricked him into opening his mouth and fed him the syrup but he got really irritated.. started waving his limbs... then when i put him down... he went into the water and passed stool... after that he ate very little and has not been eating since. has just slept a lot... could he be super scared? any other way i can feed him meds?
Do young torts sleep so much? like more than 15 hrs... also tends to find dark corners and sleep.. not very fond of morning sunlight either

FYI: Am in Mumbai and live in an apartment.
attaching a pic too

Hello there,

Let me try and answer your queries as best I can.
Make sure you heed the veterinarian's advice. They have a degree in
animal medical care for a reason.
Feed your tortoise it's medicine as prescribed and in the manner suggested by the vet.

Here are a few things you need to know about tort behavior in juveniles.
Juvenile tort's do tend to sleep a lot, so that's normal behavior, nothing to be worried about.
When held, they do tend to move theirs legs around, it's just normal. That cannot be considered a reaction to the medication.
Your main priorities at this point in time are your tort's medication, it's general diet and exposure to natural sunlight in order to improve the rigidity of it's shell.

I live in an apartment too and keep my torts out in the balcony during the day so that they can get their sunlight. You could perhaps do the same or instead keep your tort in a box in a room where natural sunlight falls for at least a couple of hours a day. You can use a normal tubelight in order to cover the remaining requirement of light.
In order to boost your tort's diet, try cluster bean pod and kothmir (fenugreek) Torts absolutely love it not to mention it's good for them. Your tort should gradually pick up on it's eating. Make sure you provide a shallow bowl of clean water for the tort to dip in or drink from.

All the best!

THE VETS IN INDIA DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH KNOWLEDGE EXPERIENCE WITH REPTILES!!!!!! ESPECIALLY NOT WITH TORTOISES!!!!!! WHAT IF HER TORTOISE GETS AFFECTED.....WHO WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE??? YOU OR THAT VET????

and there was NO MEDICATION prescribed as such......it is only CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT..... which can easily be replaced by known and used stuff like CUTTLE BONE....... read properly before replying..... the doc prescribed supplementation and not medication like baytril which cannot be substituted by any other thing most probably.....

and try this thing..... you go to your nearest VET and ask Him/Her that how many tortoise patients or even reptiles does he/she receives and treats in a day.... or even a month or even 1/2 year...... well hardly any........ and ask one more thing... that the advice that he/she would give for the tortoise is specifically for the tortoise or GENERAL ANIMAL TREATMENT........... tortoises aren't domestic pets....... can't be treated same as a dog or a cat............!!! the only place you will ever find a vet that has experience with reptiles specifically tortoises is a ZOO, or a wildlife conservation department...... and if the vet tells that he/she knows how to treat reptiles.. then you should verify some kind of document ..... that states that they have knowledge in treating reptiles............

i'm not saying that due to this we should never even give it a try or never visit a vet but soft shell can be treated by cuttle bone,sunlight and proper diet..... and NATURAL IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN MAN MADE Medication.... and i definitely don't trust animal medication MADE IN INDIA.......... and it's sure that the doc won't import certified medication for a TORTOISE or REPTILE from abroad..... we have experts here on this forum who have lots of experience and who can help us treat far more severe tort issues than this..... and i recommend it's better to follow their advice than to risk the lives of our torts in the hands of UNKOWN vets...

---

Hey Shanu.

Just got a Indian Star Tort from a friend who was not able to take care of it. His name is Dash but am not sure how old he is.. he is very small and fits in my palm. (doc estimated him to be around or less than 2)
I desperately need your advice on some things:
I took him to a doc for general check up within 2 days of getting him.. she said his shell was a little soft and advised basking.. she also prescribed him some calcium syrup and multi vitamin... been using a dropper to feed it to him but he seems to HATE it.. yesterday i tricked him into opening his mouth and fed him the syrup but he got really irritated.. started waving his limbs... then when i put him down... he went into the water and passed stool... after that he ate very little and has not been eating since. has just slept a lot... could he be super scared? any other way i can feed him meds?
Do young torts sleep so much? like more than 15 hrs... also tends to find dark corners and sleep.. not very fond of morning sunlight either

FYI: Am in Mumbai and live in an apartment.
attaching a pic too

Hello there,

Let me try and answer your queries as best I can.
Make sure you heed the veterinarian's advice. They have a degree in
animal medical care for a reason.
Feed your tortoise it's medicine as prescribed and in the manner suggested by the vet.

Here are a few things you need to know about tort behavior in juveniles.
Juvenile tort's do tend to sleep a lot, so that's normal behavior, nothing to be worried about.
When held, they do tend to move theirs legs around, it's just normal. That cannot be considered a reaction to the medication.
Your main priorities at this point in time are your tort's medication, it's general diet and exposure to natural sunlight in order to improve the rigidity of it's shell.

I live in an apartment too and keep my torts out in the balcony during the day so that they can get their sunlight. You could perhaps do the same or instead keep your tort in a box in a room where natural sunlight falls for at least a couple of hours a day. You can use a normal tubelight in order to cover the remaining requirement of light.
In order to boost your tort's diet, try cluster bean pod and kothmir (fenugreek) Torts absolutely love it not to mention it's good for them. Your tort should gradually pick up on it's eating. Make sure you provide a shallow bowl of clean water for the tort to dip in or drink from.

All the best!

THE VETS IN INDIA DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH KNOWLEDGE EXPERIENCE WITH REPTILES!!!!!! ESPECIALLY NOT WITH TORTOISES!!!!!! WHAT IF HER TORTOISE GETS AFFECTED.....WHO WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE??? YOU OR THAT VET????

and there was NO MEDICATION prescribed as such......it is only CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT..... which can easily be replaced by known and used stuff like CUTTLE BONE....... read properly before replying..... the doc prescribed supplementation and not medication like baytril which cannot be substituted by any other thing most probably.....

and try this thing..... you go to your nearest VET and ask Him/Her that how many tortoise patients or even reptiles does he/she receives and treats in a day.... or even a month or even 1/2 year...... well hardly any........ and ask one more thing... that the advice that he/she would give for the tortoise is specifically for the tortoise or GENERAL ANIMAL TREATMENT........... tortoises aren't domestic pets....... can't be treated same as a dog or a cat............!!! the only place you will ever find a vet that has experience with reptiles specifically tortoises is a ZOO, or a wildlife conservation department...... and if the vet tells that he/she knows how to treat reptiles.. then you should verify some kind of document ..... that states that they have knowledge in treating reptiles............

i'm not saying that due to this we should never even give it a try or never visit a vet but soft shell can be treated by cuttle bone,sunlight and proper diet..... and NATURAL IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN MAN MADE Medication.... and i definitely don't trust animal medication MADE IN INDIA.......... and it's sure that the doc won't import certified medication for a TORTOISE or REPTILE from abroad..... we have experts here on this forum who have lots of experience and who can help us treat far more severe tort issues than this..... and i recommend it's better to follow their advice than to risk the lives of our torts in the hands of UNKOWN vets...

and NORMAL FLUORESCENT TUBE LIGHT does nothing and does not fulfil the remaining need of light..... it is not FULL SPECTRUM light....... put some effort in researching before you advice such wrong things to other people....... Normal tube light isn't the same as full spectrum fluorescent !

 

[Preet917]

@shanu

Before you advice me on researching before I provide advice, I suggest you get your self some advanced education in reptile care! Because that's the difference between you and a vet!! The latter has an education in animal care and hence is in a better position to diagnose an illness in an animal.
Have you ever treated a sick tortoise? Because even if the vet has cured even one reptile or none at all, he is still in a better position and of the required stature both legal and otherwise to pass diagnosis on a sick reptile!


A normal tubelight will provide a portion of the required spectrum and hence can be used as an alternative for just a few hours. Mumbai's weather and natural light will take care of the rest. You don't have to jump fences in order to provide your Indian star tort with the basic care in Mumbai itself, but when there are serious health issues, a vet is recommended any day over advice procured over the internet by "experts" such as yourself.

 

[shanu303]

well its no use to argue with you.......... you are the expert okay....you go to those vets....and when there is problem just don't regret later and end up crying...... and remember that stars don't BELONG to mumbai.... so the atmosphere there WON'T DO THE REST!!! well you wish to be ignorant and try doing all the fancy stuff on your tort rather than what's right... I NEVER said i am expert..... but i only advised what i have read in the forum..... and PLEASE don't tell me how to research..... if you know how to use google... then type in the search bar "difference between fluorescent and full spectrum"........ THE SPECTRUM that TORTS require is UV A and B which it THE MOST IMPORTANT....... and that "THE MOST IMPORTANT SPECTRUM" is MISSING from the NORMAL TUBE LIGHT.............. other stuff that is in THE TUBE LIGHT is just USELESS to torts..... do you even realise why people put a HEAT SOURCE and UV bulb for reptile??.... Because that is what's REQUIRED.... can you tell me why people don't use other lights...???? why is the minimum requirement of light; UV B and HEAT SOURCE????? well if you think my advice of the cuttle bone is wrong then try seeing the older posts on the thread..... experts recommend natural calcium for cure of squishy shell........ and i based MY ADVICE there..... i am COMPLETELY ACCEPTING THAT I AM NOT AN EXPERT!! but what i advised wasn't wrong!

and lastly if any of my words hurt you I am SORRY..... alright ... i won't argue with you anymore because it's useless since you are the expert....

 

[Redari]

Most Vets really do not know what they are doing with tortoises. Look around the forum, several people have had vets give their tortoises very harmful vitamin A injections, which leads to their skin falling off. This even happens with Vets that are licensed for 'exotic' animals.

In my opinion it is better to come to the forum and ask the experts, or search the forum for similar cases (you can always PM someone like Yvonne or Tom as well). You may still need to go to the Vet, but they can give you advice on whether the treatment the Vet advised is okay for your tortoise. People here have raised dozens of tortoises over decades, they know more than the Vets who have probably never treated one before.

 

[arotester]

woohh!!! somebody plz throw in the towel......the thing with vets specially in INDIA is that you just can't find a vet that is good with torts.I have found 2-3 max in mumbai who really understand the torts better and you can count on them,but the rest are livestock vets who have no idea of basic tort care.
Now for the question of soft shell,we all know that tort need calcium and sunshine to develop a good shell and that's a basic thing you can do to cure it,just like we humans don't run to the doc after we catch a mild cold ,it's same here with tort but if the situation isn't improving(it's not gonna go worse by calcium and sun)then you find a good vet who knows about torts(not an ordinary vet).
About the tube light: I haven't tried any artificial source yet as i have an outdoor pen.But i do have a incandescent bulb that can light up the enclosure and also provide heat when needed.
Now plz don't punch me for that

 

[motherofDash]

Thank You Shanu, Preet, Redari and Aroster,

Firstly, Dash is better now, still seems to sleep a lot.

Have been feeding him calcium rich food. i.e cucumber, coriander(kothmir) etc and stopped the supplements for now. I guess it is better to take second opinion than to harm the baby. Found a "reptile specialist" here. Will be going soon.

Secondly, I do agree about the vets not knowing much about torts. The doc who prescribed supplements herself admitted that she dint know much about them. Hence my doubts and hence I asked here.

Thirdly, though the discussions got into somewhat an argument, i hope it is only friendly banter. It's great to be strongly opinionated. After all we all are here for the good and well being of the babies!

 

[motherofDash]

Call me Amy or motherofDash, yes, have stopped the supplements for now. Shall look for cuttle bone thing.
about his schedule, he is in the sun from 7 till 11 everyday. Then he soaks for a while. I always have his food around hi, since he is young, he eats whenever he feels like. He has been with me only for a week and a half. Food has been coriander, cucumber, cookable cucumber(the round yellowish one available mostly in south india), spring onion greens, etc he is not fond of carrots but eats once in a while.Thanks for your list, shall give him those things too!
Acha, I read that pyramiding is normal in Star Torts.. u think i should soak him for more than half hour daily? Do let me know
He does not have an enclosure yet, have to build him one. He lives in one corner of my house and sleeps and in a tub snuggled into a soft cotton cloth.

@arotester no need for apologies because i created this thread for all of us to solve each others problems, queries and issues..... and there could be nothing better than proper advice from such experienced person like you.... and if the question is answered by you or me or anyone experienced its just the same thing....

@motherofDash .... Welcome to TFO .... what name do you want us to call you? as arotester said the calcium syrup and multi vitamin is not really a good advice..... instead you can sprinkle crushed cuttle bone(available in pet shops keeping birds) on the food you feed..... or you can puree carrot and mix it in lukewarm water and soak him for 10-20 minutes..... the torts absorb nutrients through their skin too.....by the way can you give us a thorough rundown of Dash's daily routine.... what do you feed him/her......his/her enclosure...... how many times you soak him..... since your tort is very young, he needs frequent lukewarm water soaks to prevent pyramiding.....

regarding the sleeping behaviour..... as arotester said it is natural for them to sleep for long durations..... and regarding him being shy,,, he is new to all the surrounding....give him some time to acclimate.....

you need to get him out in the sun everyday for at least 12 hours as convention..... but the temps nowadays are exceeding 36 C so what i suggest is you bask him in morning and bring him in from 12pm-4pm.... then again a little bit of sun.....

the food:
hibiscus leaves and flowers
cucumber
lawn grass
mustard greens(rai dana ke patte)
radish greens
carrot greens
fenugreek(methi patta)
bird seed grass
wheat grass
rose leaves and flowers
lettuce (if available)
Dhaniya(cilantro)

if you have any more questions and need any help we're always here to help

And Dash is really Beautiful/Handsome

 

[arotester]

Hi amy, try considering the the diet list mentioned above and one more thing pyramiding is not normal in any tort.Also,add some prickly pears in the diet that would help the shell and keep the hydration and calcium in check.