HELP PLEASE! SHELL ILLNESS

[Steve&May]

Something is wrong with his shell. I suppose it is because he eats too much. What should I do? Have anyone had such kind of problem?

 

[Ink]

@Yvonne G @maggie3fan might be able to help. Is that blood on the one side?

 

[Steve&May]

@Yvonne G @maggie3fan might be able to help. Is that blood on the one side?

Yes. This thin skin on the shell peels off and those little wounds appear.

 

[Ink]

Hopefully an expert will be able to help you soon for now just keep the wound clean. @zovick

 

[Lyn W]

I doubt it's because of what he's eaten.
I think more information will be needed -
What species is he, age, how long have you had him?
A picture of his enclosure and the lamps and substrate you use may also help.
What do you feed him and does he have any supplements?
Sorry for all the questions but it will help members help you.

 

[Steve&May]

I doubt it's because of what he's eaten.
I think more information will be needed -
What species is he, age, how long have you had him?
A picture of his enclosure and the lamps and substrate you use may also help.
What do you feed him and does he have any supplements?
Sorry for all the questions but it will help members help you.

He is a russian tortoise, 4 years old. I have had him almost for 1,5 year. Mostly he eats lettuce, arugula, beet leaves, dried dandelion, beijing cabbage. Rarely he eats pumpkin, zucchini, and bananas. Once in a week I add calcium.

 

[Ink]

The coil bulb should be removed. An expert will be able to help

 

[Yvonne G]

Looks like your baby Russian is growing too fast. As to the blood on one side, the new growth seams are tender. He probably just bumped it on something.

Please tell us your feeding regimen - what, how much, how often, etc.

 

[Lyn W]

You need to make a few changes to give him the environment he needs.
He needs a bigger enclosure - torts are roaming creatures which they need to do for bone health and digestion Russians like moist substrate deep enough to dig in.
There is a risk that coil bulbs can damage tort eyes, and spot bulbs can be too intense so flood bulbs are recommended now. Many of us use T5 HO tube kits for uvb, flood basking bulbs and che run through a thermostat for night and extra heat.
This is he caresheet you need to help you put things right

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org