In my spare time, I’ve been researching all that I can about Leopards simply because I want to make sure that I understand everything in order to give little Speed Bump the most proper care that I can provide for her. Right now my head is spinning with an overload of information. I’m very meticulous about trying to do things right and researching as much as I can before asking questions to see if I can answer them for myself.
Just recently I came across a topic in the forum about soft bone disease/MBD, so therefore I’ve been reading on it a bit more. Unfortunately, this has also made me even more paranoid than when I first heard about pyramiding in tortoises.
So pretty much from what I understand, pyramiding and MBD are related to deficiencies in UVB/sunlight/d3 absorbtion, calcium, and humidity. Or am I completely missing something?
This leads to my next question: What are the signs that I need to look for when it comes to the onset of pyramiding and MBD in young tortoises?
I’ve googled pyramiding and MBD in tortoises to search for images and I’ve only ever really seen photographs of the extremely exaggerated pyramiding and I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking at on the photographs of the MBD. I did a brief search of the forums, as well, but I didn’t really find an exact answer to that sort of a question. (However, I may have missed the thread entirely!)
Currently I’m working on getting humidity/heat leveled out and am looking at purchasing a couple of thermostats to help regulate the temperatures within the enclosure. I’m starting to hit 75-90% humidity now, but my temperatures are still a little less reliable. Since purchasing the new cage, the hot spot hit pretty high today - about 108* which made me a little nervous - so I raised the MVB in hopes of lowering the basking temp a little more, and the lowest that the temperature has dropped to has been 77* in the corner farthest away from the heat source during the day time, which I added the CHE promptly and bumped up a bit to about 83-85* per the suggestion of a couple of other members in Speed Bump’s Enclosure thread. So I’ve been experimenting with using two CHE’s (different wattages) and will be investing in a thermostat to find a combination which one works best to keep the temperature at approximately 80* for when I go back to school. Night time is a bit of a different story, as I’m using both the 100watt and 50watt CHE’s and it’s keeping the temperatures a bit higher than I’d like to see them.. so that’s where I’m hoping the thermostat will really help me out. (As of right now, I’m waking up about every hour throughout the night to get up and check on the temperatures in her cage and make adjustments!)
I just want to make sure that I am able to identify whether or not I need to change my husbandry in order to attempt the further onset of the disfigurement/illness. Currently I’m providing an organic Spring Mix that I’ve found at the grocery store (minus the spinach - which I think there’s been more spinach in the mix than all the other ingredients!), and I’ve recently raided a friend’s garden for some different vegetables since she raises all her plants by seed and does not use pesticides. I just have to sit down and sort through the bag to identify all the pieces and make sure everything is tortoise safe.
And then I have another question: How much calcium with d3 should I be providing and how often?
I picked up ZooMed’s Repti Calcium w/ D3, as per an acquaintance’s suggestion. Looking at the directions/dosages, it reads: “Add approximately 1/2 teaspoon (2.5cc) to food for every 5 ounces (142 grams) of body weight on a weekly basis.†However, I’ve read that some people give their tortoises supplementation every couple of days, three times a week, etc. etc. (I realize that it varies based on everyone’s opinion.) I’ve also read that some people “sprinkle†some on the food. What is a sprinkle? The few times that I’ve fed it - probably every 5 days or so - I take a 1/2 teaspoon, dump it in a plastic baggie, add in her food and then shake it up really well. I’ve noticed, however, that she doesn’t really eat as much of the food with the calcium on it... so I’m not sure if she’s receiving enough or if I’m even providing her enough.
Below is a photograph that I just snagged of Speed Bump in hopes that some members with more experience might be able to see if there is something that I can’t see. I’m not sure if the angle is right for really being able to tell anything. She just happened to be still for once while she was eating and I took advantage of the moment. As of right now, I see there are a few ridges down the middle - which I’m assuming is the vertebra? And as silly as this question may be - is that normal to see in tortoises?
Thanks,
Mea
Just recently I came across a topic in the forum about soft bone disease/MBD, so therefore I’ve been reading on it a bit more. Unfortunately, this has also made me even more paranoid than when I first heard about pyramiding in tortoises.
So pretty much from what I understand, pyramiding and MBD are related to deficiencies in UVB/sunlight/d3 absorbtion, calcium, and humidity. Or am I completely missing something?
This leads to my next question: What are the signs that I need to look for when it comes to the onset of pyramiding and MBD in young tortoises?
I’ve googled pyramiding and MBD in tortoises to search for images and I’ve only ever really seen photographs of the extremely exaggerated pyramiding and I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking at on the photographs of the MBD. I did a brief search of the forums, as well, but I didn’t really find an exact answer to that sort of a question. (However, I may have missed the thread entirely!)
Currently I’m working on getting humidity/heat leveled out and am looking at purchasing a couple of thermostats to help regulate the temperatures within the enclosure. I’m starting to hit 75-90% humidity now, but my temperatures are still a little less reliable. Since purchasing the new cage, the hot spot hit pretty high today - about 108* which made me a little nervous - so I raised the MVB in hopes of lowering the basking temp a little more, and the lowest that the temperature has dropped to has been 77* in the corner farthest away from the heat source during the day time, which I added the CHE promptly and bumped up a bit to about 83-85* per the suggestion of a couple of other members in Speed Bump’s Enclosure thread. So I’ve been experimenting with using two CHE’s (different wattages) and will be investing in a thermostat to find a combination which one works best to keep the temperature at approximately 80* for when I go back to school. Night time is a bit of a different story, as I’m using both the 100watt and 50watt CHE’s and it’s keeping the temperatures a bit higher than I’d like to see them.. so that’s where I’m hoping the thermostat will really help me out. (As of right now, I’m waking up about every hour throughout the night to get up and check on the temperatures in her cage and make adjustments!)
I just want to make sure that I am able to identify whether or not I need to change my husbandry in order to attempt the further onset of the disfigurement/illness. Currently I’m providing an organic Spring Mix that I’ve found at the grocery store (minus the spinach - which I think there’s been more spinach in the mix than all the other ingredients!), and I’ve recently raided a friend’s garden for some different vegetables since she raises all her plants by seed and does not use pesticides. I just have to sit down and sort through the bag to identify all the pieces and make sure everything is tortoise safe.
And then I have another question: How much calcium with d3 should I be providing and how often?
I picked up ZooMed’s Repti Calcium w/ D3, as per an acquaintance’s suggestion. Looking at the directions/dosages, it reads: “Add approximately 1/2 teaspoon (2.5cc) to food for every 5 ounces (142 grams) of body weight on a weekly basis.†However, I’ve read that some people give their tortoises supplementation every couple of days, three times a week, etc. etc. (I realize that it varies based on everyone’s opinion.) I’ve also read that some people “sprinkle†some on the food. What is a sprinkle? The few times that I’ve fed it - probably every 5 days or so - I take a 1/2 teaspoon, dump it in a plastic baggie, add in her food and then shake it up really well. I’ve noticed, however, that she doesn’t really eat as much of the food with the calcium on it... so I’m not sure if she’s receiving enough or if I’m even providing her enough.
Below is a photograph that I just snagged of Speed Bump in hopes that some members with more experience might be able to see if there is something that I can’t see. I’m not sure if the angle is right for really being able to tell anything. She just happened to be still for once while she was eating and I took advantage of the moment. As of right now, I see there are a few ridges down the middle - which I’m assuming is the vertebra? And as silly as this question may be - is that normal to see in tortoises?
Thanks,
Mea