Soft Shell

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FGCinHB

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While soaking my Pardalis Pardalis tortoise today I noticed he was getting soft in the middle of his plastron. He eats fine and is showing growth but has been spending a lot of time in the humid hide lately. My other leopards are fine with hard shells but he is soft. He does not touch the Mazuri or Repcal pellets I put out for them (all 3 of the others do) and only eats lettuce & dandelion green which I sprinkle with calcium & cactus which I sprinkle with tortoise dust vitamins. I see him drink & poop, he is not shy and active most of the day and I soak him once a week. Temps are 100 in the hot spot, 85 in the humid hide and 75 at the cool end. Any ideas on what may be causing this, he is the one eating lettuce on the left side of the picture.

 
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Maggie Cummings

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I would venture a guess, it's got to be diet, and also I will say that soaking once a week is not enough. I see he's eating romaine, if that's all he's eating with dandelion that is not a good enough of a diet. The fact that he's spending a lot of time in the hide says he's getting sick...
 

Millerlite

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off topic: where did you get those tubs. they are simple and look great for young tortoises.
 

FGCinHB

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Millerlite said:
off topic: where did you get those tubs. they are simple and look great for young tortoises.

Walmart, they are storage containers for under the bed, $5.00 each, I painted them gray because they were clear when I got them.
 

FGCinHB

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Well his shell hardened up as of last week, I've been dousing his lettuce & dandelion with calcium everyday so I guess it was just a calcium deficiency. I still can't get him to eat Mazuri, any hints?
 

Crazy1

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Grind it to a powder sprits his greens and the powdered mazuri will stick. I would also start adding additional greens like Endive or Escrole but chop really fine add just a smiggin at first then as he gets a taste add a little more unitl he is eating just like he is his lettuse.
 
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