Is my guy healthy?

Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
31
Location (City and/or State)
Czech Republic
Hi everyone,

Reading this forum has been a huge help for me with my son's tortoise. We really love him as a pet, but I'm always worried that I'm screwing him up. Because we live somewhere that has cold and long winters, he's been an inside tortoise--although with UVB lights, a decent diet of spring mix/kohlrabi greens/dandelions, and vitamin C. I think he has a bit of pyramiding because it was hard to keep the house humid, but I'm terrified of MBD and worry that he may have it and that may be a reason he seems to push with his back legs more than walk with them. Now that it's getting warmer, I'm letting him spend more time on our balcony (big walled in area, with a tub of soil for him to use as a hide), so I'm hoping this will help him strengthen his back legs.

I'll post a pic, if you see any big danger signs, can you all let me know? (For the sake of comparison, I'm posting a pic of him at 10 months and him now at 31 months.)Gregor 8.31.2014.jpg Gregor 2016.jpg
 

Yvonne G

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Oh my, what a pretty tortoise. Well, the area between the scutes on the top of the tortoise should not be sunken in like that, but I'm guessing this is something that happened before the tortoise was 10 months old. I would GUESS that the heat/light was a bit too close to the top of the shell and the new growth got burned. But subsequent growth looks great. He's a beauty.
 
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
31
Location (City and/or State)
Czech Republic
Shoot--I think that is my mistake, I had the light hanging low. I just moved it up, and feel terrible. Hopefully it won't cause too many problems. Tortoises seem to be such a tough pet in some ways because they live so long. If it were a hamster, in two years I could try again having learned from my mistakes. When the pet lives to a hundred, I know I (and my son and his children) will always see my mistake and wish I'd been smarter.

Thank you for the encouragement and kind words.
 
Last edited:

Kasia

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2015
Messages
807
Location (City and/or State)
Poland
Hi everyone,

Reading this forum has been a huge help for me with my son's tortoise. We really love him as a pet, but I'm always worried that I'm screwing him up. Because we live somewhere that has cold and long winters, he's been an inside tortoise--although with UVB lights, a decent diet of spring mix/kohlrabi greens/dandelions, and vitamin C. I think he has a bit of pyramiding because it was hard to keep the house humid, but I'm terrified of MBD and worry that he may have it and that may be a reason he seems to push with his back legs more than walk with them. Now that it's getting warmer, I'm letting him spend more time on our balcony (big walled in area, with a tub of soil for him to use as a hide), so I'm hoping this will help him strengthen his back legs.

I'll post a pic, if you see any big danger signs, can you all let me know? (For the sake of comparison, I'm posting a pic of him at 10 months and him now at 31 months.)View attachment 175430 View attachment 175431
I agree, top of your tortie`s shell looks bit sunken but no worries if you corrected your mistake and his/her skirt looks exceptional:) lots of outdoor time on your balcony should make new growth look better:)
 

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