Tortoise with elevated ionized calcium.

[Wrobela]

Hello everyone! Recently took my leopard tortoise into the vet for a general check up. His stool checked out fine, as well as most everything else. The vet did show an large increase in weight from his last visit, but made no other comment regarding it. I was told his blood work showed an elevated iodine calcium level, which the vet voiced it could be from early reproductive activities or early renal hyperparathyroidism. It was recommended I bring him in an about 2-3 months. Also noted that his calcium supplement is with vitamin D3 and he is about 10 years old. The vet told me not to use any calcium supplement with D3, which I thought was good for them. Anyone else have this problem.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

I am not sure what "iodine calcium' level means. Maybe iodine and calcium, two separate things in the blood are elevated?

Most of the commercial tortoise foods have D3 in them, have been tortoise specific designed, and been in use for quite a long time. Calcium with D3 is used by many including myself. The amount is the question not well sorted out, but that would seem to go for calcium as well. I covered both these topics to some extent in my blog www.kapidolofarms.com It would seem there is variation for species as to how much is okay.

It is my understanding that oral, or consumed D3, is avaiable in the tortoise without 'temperature' activation. D3 generated in the skin requires the tortoise to be heated as well, warmer to an extent provides better conversion of pre-D3 to actual D3. It is also my understanding that there is a re-conversion of D3 to another form of the molecular pathway of which D3 is one part, that is not the actual D3.

Too much calcium and soft tissue can be hardened, but again this is dependent on many other factors. It's not at all a well sorted out part of the nutrient requirements for tortoises in general, let alone for individual species.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperparathyroidism
://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Nutritional-Secondary-Hyperparathyroidism-In-Reptiles/

 

[ascott]

Hello everyone! Recently took my leopard tortoise into the vet for a general check up. His stool checked out fine, as well as most everything else. The vet did show an large increase in weight from his last visit, but made no other comment regarding it. I was told his blood work showed an elevated iodine calcium level, which the vet voiced it could be from early reproductive activities or early renal hyperparathyroidism. It was recommended I bring him in an about 2-3 months. Also noted that his calcium supplement is with vitamin D3 and he is about 10 years old. The vet told me not to use any calcium supplement with D3, which I thought was good for them. Anyone else have this problem.

What is the diet you are offering? Perhaps you do not need to supplement?

 

[Olddog]

Hello everyone! Recently took my leopard tortoise into the vet for a general check up. His stool checked out fine, as well as most everything else. The vet did show an large increase in weight from his last visit, but made no other comment regarding it. I was told his blood work showed an elevated iodine calcium level, which the vet voiced it could be from early reproductive activities or early renal hyperparathyroidism. It was recommended I bring him in an about 2-3 months. Also noted that his calcium supplement is with vitamin D3 and he is about 10 years old. The vet told me not to use any calcium supplement with D3, which I thought was good for them. Anyone else have this problem.

The total calcium and the ionized calcium is usually initially interpreted together. Much of the total calcium may be bound to albumen, other proteins and immunoglobulins and to interpret, one may need to know albumen levels, hormonal staus, etc.. The ionized calcium may be thought of as the free or unbound Calcium and is usually measured by an ionized electrode. Usually the total Calcium level and the ionized Calcioum are measured together and used to determine the pathology, establishing a differential diagnsis for futher study. Absent other pathology, an elevated ionized Ca (especially with low total calcium) would suggest iatrogenicc D3 toxicity if D3 supplementation was being given. (Hyperparathyroidism (primary or secondary) can also cause elevated ionized Calcium and may be accompanied with a low, normal, or elevated total calcium).

 

[Ray--Opo]

I was always with the understanding that D3 was only needed if your tort didn't get enough sunlight.