Gaining too much weight?

dizzydjc

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2017
Messages
30
Location (City and/or State)
UK
80C94AA6-79DE-4677-A7CD-0AD237ADF884.jpeg Hey.

I am not trying to spam the forum after my earlier post about my friends tortoise, I actually now want advice on my own torts if possible.

First of all, let me introduce you to Sylvie and Morty. Sylvie is the tortoise you see on the left and Morty is the tortoise on the right. They are both spur-thighed tortoises but from a different breeder to my friends. Please see my thread about his tortoise too http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/plastron-caving-in.163629/

Anyway, I am slightly worried about the amount of weight my two torts are putting on and they seem to be growing at an alarming rate. I know it’s only natural for them to grow bigger but at the rate they are going at, I am a little concerned.

Back on Christmas Eve, just over a month ago, Sylvie was 40g and Morty was 38g, I then weighed them on the 9th January and Sylvie was 45g and Morty was 44g. I weighed them today and now Sylvie is 54g and Morty is 52g. I have measured them also and Sylvie is about 58mm and Morty is 56mm. I measured with tape measure on the underside (plastron) from top to bottom. Morty is 7 months old and Sylvie is 8 months old.

I tend to feed them kale and dandelions with occasional “special” plants including spider plant leaves (have one in my room) and thy eat through it all. I put a portion size into a small saucer cup no bigger than what they are in size. I also give Komodo Fruit and Flower supplement tablets o want to say? They were recommended to me by the breeder and you douse them in water before feeding time to moisten them, hoping you guys know what I mean? I also douse the plants in calcium powder twice a week but they also get calcium from the supplement tablets. I only give about 6 tablets a day but I am wondering whether it’s this that needs to be reduced?

Any advice would be greatly welcomed. Am I being paranoid or are they just growing healthily?

Oh they do gnaw on cuttlefish that is also in their enclosure too, it’s always about and they seem to chew on it every day at some point.
 

dizzydjc

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2017
Messages
30
Location (City and/or State)
UK
The weight gain does not seem excessive to me at all.

Thanks Lisa (happy birthday by the way!), even though there is like a 14g gain in only a month?

Just want to make sure my torts are healthy, they are certainly happy anyway which is good.
 

lisa127

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 11, 2012
Messages
4,336
Location (City and/or State)
NE Ohio
Thanks Lisa (happy birthday by the way!), even though there is like a 14g gain in only a month?

Just want to make sure my torts are healthy, they are certainly happy anyway which is good.
I have a juvenile box turtle that had gains like that (and more) during his growth spurt. It slowed down after awhile. The last couple months he' gained only 5 grams per month if I'm remembering correctly.

Thank you for the birthday wishes.
 

lisa127

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 11, 2012
Messages
4,336
Location (City and/or State)
NE Ohio
Thanks Lisa (happy birthday by the way!), even though there is like a 14g gain in only a month?

Just want to make sure my torts are healthy, they are certainly happy anyway which is good.
I just checked on his weight records. Apparently he went through another growth spurt. On December 23 he weighed 132 grams. I just weighed him now and he weighed in at 146 grams. He is a gulf coast box turtle.
 

chemprentice

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2017
Messages
253
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California (OC)
Maybe they're hitting their growth spurt. Mine is only 5 months old and has had a weight gain of nearly 4 grams in January, but only 3 grams last month.
 

dizzydjc

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2017
Messages
30
Location (City and/or State)
UK
Thanks guys, your replies have reassured me. I was just concerned I may be feeding them too much.
 

dizzydjc

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2017
Messages
30
Location (City and/or State)
UK
I want to bump this topic up if I can as I am now deeply concerned about my tortoises growth rate.

They are still growing and as of the 24th Feb their weights are now 65g and 62g. I just thought this is a healthy growth spurt and they’re doing fine, they are approaching 1 year old (they’re about 9months and 8 months now).

My friend took his tortoise to the vet today as has been having problems with soft shell and a cut down the side that is deeply alarming. The vet told him that his tortoise just needs a bit more extra calcium and a change of light bulb and that wound will heal by itself. What alarms me more is that his tortoise (exactly same species as mine) has hardly grown in the months he’s had her. She has only put on like 8g since he got her in September. The vet told him that he (the vet) would be more concerned if the tortoise was gaining weight at an alarming rate.

Which now poses the question, are my tortoises not doing well after all? I don’t want to have to bring them in to the vets but to be told that about my friends tortoise has made me wonder.

The thing is, I was worried about my friends tortoise as it clearly didn’t look well, had a softer shell than normal and the fact it hasn’t grown at all in like 6 months is alarming.

Now I don’t know what is right? Any answers people?
 

chemprentice

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2017
Messages
253
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California (OC)
Every tortoise grows differently depending on conditions, environment, diet, species, etc. Mine reached 42 grams at the 6 month mark, which is a 16 gram gain from when we got him at 2 months old. I've looked at the rate of weight gain for other people's Greeks and Hermanns, and the consensus seemed to be that 50 grams at the 6 month mark is normal. Take it with a grain of salt, however, because each tortoise experiences a different rate of growth. Mine started experiencing a rapid growth pattern starting January of this year, so it took a while before things became noticeable.
 

chemprentice

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2017
Messages
253
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California (OC)
If you're worried, you can look at the Jackson ratio as a way to see if your Greek or Hermanns is at a good weight. It only applies to Greeks and Hermanns and is typically more telling for older Greeks and Hermanns (I remember reading this on the forum somewhere), so again, take it with a grain of salt.

http://www.tortoise-protection-group.org.uk/site/171.asp
 

dizzydjc

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2017
Messages
30
Location (City and/or State)
UK
If you're worried, you can look at the Jackson ratio as a way to see if your Greek or Hermanns is at a good weight. It only applies to Greeks and Hermanns and is typically more telling for older Greeks and Hermanns (I remember reading this on the forum somewhere), so again, take it with a grain of salt.

http://www.tortoise-protection-group.org.uk/site/171.asp

Thanks fo your reassurance, just like in the other thread, the advice given to my friend from the vet has made me doubt what I’m doing with my tortoises but they seem healthy and happy at the end of the day. I’ll give the Jackson Ratio a try when they’re next awake and can measure them.
 

RosemaryDW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
4,144
Location (City and/or State)
Newport Coast, CA
Your friend’s vet doesn’t seem that knowledgeable. I can’t say I’ve ever heard a knowledgeable owner here worry about over fast growth.

Are your tortoises active? Are they eating, pooping, and peeing? If they are, try to relax, whatever the ratio tells you.

I know it’s hard; I’m the biggest fuss budget I know about my tortoise. :)
 

dizzydjc

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2017
Messages
30
Location (City and/or State)
UK
Yeah they seem fine and happy with life, it’s just odd that this vet seems to think growing big quickly is a bad thing. Whereas not growing at all in space of 6 months is supposedly good.
 

New Posts

Top