VitaShell???

[Boggy]

So theres this stuff my friend told me about its called vitashell and you put it on your tortoises shell after bathing him/her. It givs your tortoises vitamins that he might be running low on but i dont know which ones.

So do you know if this stuff really works, is it useful,
SHOULD I BUY IT????

 

[wellington]

I think this is the same stuff @Zamric uses. He can fill you in

 

[domalle]

So theres this stuff my friend told me about its called vitashell and you put it on your tortoises shell after bathing him/her. It givs your tortoises vitamins that he might be running low on but i dont know which ones.

So do you know if this stuff really works, is it useful,
SHOULD I BUY IT????

Vitamins and minerals can not be absorbed from the outside. They have to be ingested with food.
Vitashell is a moisturtizing product. Some people discourage its use because it is waxy and seals pores.
It wears off quickly though so if used once in awhile doesn't seem to do any harm.

 

[Boggy]

Vitamins and minerals can not be absorbed from the outside. They have to be ingested with food.
Vitashell is a moisturtizing product. Some people discourage its use because it is waxy and seals pores.
It wears off quickly though so if used once in awhile doesn't seem to do any harm.

what i picked up from that is it really isnt much use to the tortoise?

 

[dmmj]

looks like no harm no foul just waste of money

 

[domalle]

what i picked up from that is it really isnt much use to the tortoise?

Many people complain that their tortoise pet's skin and shell look very dry
probably due to the sometimes inadequate levels of humidity in captivity.
Vitashell was formulated to treat the dryness cosmetically and make the skin and shell look more supple.
This won't hurt but the dryness is probably best treated through provision of appropriate diet and enclosure environment.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

looks like no harm no foul just waste of money

Best answer I've seen !

 

[Zamric]

Vita-Shell is used to condition the growth portion of the shell much like Cutical Conditioner does for your fingernails. My Wife used it on WalkingRock for the 1st 10 years of his life and he is very smooth for a Sulcata his size being raised in dry, arid conditions.


More Recently I have 2 Leopard Torts that I have raised for 3 years from hatchlings and they have Zero % pyramiding. I give Vita-Shell lots of credit it helping prevent pyramiding in all Tortoises.

 

[dmmj]

not to argue but wouldn't you have to raise one. With Vitashell and one without to see if there's actually a difference?

 

[Merrick]

not to argue but wouldn't you have to raise one. With Vitashell and one without to see if there's actually a difference?

I agree

 

[domalle]

Vita-Shell is used to condition the growth portion of the shell much like Cutical Conditioner does for your fingernails. My Wife used it on WalkingRock for the 1st 10 years of his life and he is very smooth for a Sulcata his size being raised in dry, arid conditions.


More Recently I have 2 Leopard Torts that I have raised for 3 years from hatchlings and they have Zero % pyramiding. I give Vita-Shell lots of credit it helping prevent pyramiding in all Tortoises.

I am skeptical on the effects of vitashell on pyramiding but your tortoises are certainly very nice looking
and obviously well-cared for specimens.
Good work.

 

[Boggy]

coool

 

[Zamric]

not to argue but wouldn't you have to raise one. With Vitashell and one without to see if there's actually a difference?

Yes, this is true.... provided both torts came from the same lineage,(that is the only TRUE test! otherwise people could just blame genetics on the pyramiding) or if I wanted to take the chance of raising a lumpy Tortoise.

I don't raise my torts as science experiments. I raise them as pets and want them to have every advantage possible chance to be smooth as possible. All 3 of my PETS come from different breeders, from differing parts of the Country, and 2 of them raised completely different from the other.

All the results are the same! Nice smooth shells.

Raise a Hatchling Sulcata in Dry, Arid conditions. You WILL get a Tortoise with Pyrmiding! Already been proven! WalkingRock was raised in those conditions but also had Vita-Shell treatments every week.... No Pyramiding!

Leopard Tortoise Hatchlings raised in Hot/Humid conditions are often still a little lumpy. Eros and Gaia where raised in a Hot/Humid conditions with Vita-Shell treatments every week.... No Pyramiding!

I endorse Vita-Shell because it is the ONLY commonality in raising my pets and the results speak for themselves.

 

[Alaskamike]

I would prefer to use extra virgin coconut oil.
The properties of EVCO have ( IMO) many benefits Vita Shell does not have.

 

[Boggy]

I would prefer to use extra virgin coconut oil.
The properties of EVCO have ( IMO) many benefits Vita Shell does not have.

just put some on his shell?

 

[Tom]

I did a side by side experiment with VitaShell. I found it did nothing at all to prevent pyramiding. It did no harm, but it did no good either.

It does make the shell look nicer.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/vitashell.27085/page-3

 

[Zamric]

I would prefer to use extra virgin coconut oil.
The properties of EVCO have ( IMO) many benefits Vita Shell does not have.

....and those benefits would be?

 

[Alaskamike]

....and those benefits would be?

Rather than reiterate what has been explained and debated elsewhere - go check out the coconut oil thread in debatable topics.
There you will find extensive information on it as well as valuable information on how shells develop.
The OP on that thread is @glitch.
Then make up your own mind about it.

 

[Zamric]

I did a side by side experiment with VitaShell. I found it did nothing at all to prevent pyramiding. It did no harm, but it did no good either.

It does make the shell look nicer.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/vitashell.27085/page-3

Tom, you know I have lots of respect for your work with Tortoises!

BUT..

You only did your ran your experiment for 3 months. I don't think that is nearly long enough to come to a proper conclusion! I know that the growth rate of Hatchlings can be pretty dramatic but Vita-Shell is not a Quick Fix kinda product.

Now, if you ran it for the 2 years that you think hatchling should be in a Hot/Humid conditions (during the formative years of their inner shell) THEN you would have a solid foundation to claim it makes no difference.

You never gave Vita-Shell a true test. You used one container on several Torts and call your experiment good. Wich is really kinda sad because you do so much good for the Tortoise Community but did a half-assed experiment with this one product. People take your word as "The Standard" when raising torts and when you "poopoo" a product because "You did a side by side experiment", well, it really becomes "LAW" in the eyes of most who raise torts.

That's all I have....

 

[Zamric]

Rather than reiterate what has been explained and debated elsewhere - go check out the coconut oil thread in debatable topics.
There you will find extensive information on it as well as valuable information on how shells develop.
The OP on that thread is @glitch.
Then make up your own mind about it.

That was a very good read! Thanks for the link. But frankly, Vita-Shell does the same thing and cost ALOT less than Virgin Coconut!