MBD,, HELP

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Taminator

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Hello,

My tortoise pudge, came to me in bad condition, he was never looked after properly and now I'm trying to get him back to health.

I believe he has MBD as he was not walking properly and his shell was soft on his belly. So I took him to the vet immediately and he got a calcium injection. I was also given a concentrated calcium liquid that i give him one drop orally a day. Within a week his appetite is starting to come back, he's gradually starting to walk again and he is seeming a lot more alert.

In his tank I changed the UVB bulb and got new calcium powder for his food. And just to be on the safe side, i give his self a quick wash with iodine to stop any shell rot while he is unwell as well as giving his shell a wipe with some flax after rinsing off the iodine. I have also made sure that I have fed him the right diet, such cucumber, dandelion leaves and kale, and never feeding him iceberg lettuce or spinach.

I thought we were on the road to recovery until i noticed today that the top of his shell near his sides is starting to go soft. :( :( :(

Please please please, if anyone has any tips on how to help him, please let me know:(, Thank you so much in advance.


Tortoise type: papers say greek, but having doubts.
Age: 4
Gender: male
Cage: is dry, temps are perfect, changed bedding to coco earth and straw while sick, new uvb bulb and basking bulb. constant access to clean drinking water and bathing water.
Current diet: dandelion leaves and cucumber with calcium powder
Temperament: currently sleeps a lot, is alert when woken to be fed, with slight interest in food.
 

zesty_17

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bump.

From what I can tell, you are doing everything you can for him. MBD as severe as you are describing is going to take a very long time to correct, or at least manage depending on how much internal damage is done. Just be patient and keep doing what you are doing & keep in contact with your vet on his progress.
 

Taminator

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Laura said:
his diet needs some improvement as well.. what do you have access too?

I can get him into the sunshine when its a nice day, like yesterday he was out for a half hour, but because this is Ireland it's still very cold out and there's not a lot of sunshine, just rain. But I have moved him to a window sill , so he can enjoy the sunlight when its there and stay warm.

To be honest, not a whole lot, but if you can give me suggestions on what could help his diet, i'll certainly do everything to get it?
 

dmmj

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Supplement with cuttle bone, with pieces in his enclosure and grated on his food.
 

Taminator

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dmmj said:
Supplement with cuttle bone, with pieces in his enclosure and grated on his food.

I have it in his enclosure, but I haven't put it on his food. i'll certainly give that a try. Thank you
 

Laura

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Sun thru a window wont help.
He needs more variety in his diet. Dark green salad. Do you have Salads in a bag there? Popular here is Spring Mix. Its different types of lettuce mixed in a bag.
Broccoli has calcium in it to.. so try a bit of that.. find out what breed he is and look up thier diet needs.
 

Taminator

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Laura said:
Sun thru a window wont help.
He needs more variety in his diet. Dark green salad. Do you have Salads in a bag there? Popular here is Spring Mix. Its different types of lettuce mixed in a bag.
Broccoli has calcium in it to.. so try a bit of that.. find out what breed he is and look up thier diet needs.

Well unfortunately with Irish weather a UVB bulb, heat lamp, heat mat and sunlight through a window is all he can have until we have some sort of a summer.

yeh, we have something similar to salad bags, and he does eat it but at the moment he just has no interest, the only thing he has any interest in at the moment is cucumber and dandelion leaves. But ill try him on the dark green salad so and some broccoli. Still unsure of what breed he is, but for the moment his sites say greek and I have a book on there diet requirements so i'll have a look for the more calcium and protein rich foods.
cheers
 
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