Tortoise Health

[IMG]nays camera 101[/IMG] [IMG]nays camera 105[/IMG] these are some pictures of mate when i first got him about a year and a half ago.

Sorry about my previous post it didnt seem to post the pictures corectly. i cant copy and paste so how should i post them

The best way is to open an account at Photobucket (it's free).
Upload your pictures from your computer to your account,
Then click the IMG slot assigned to the picture, IMG slot -that's the last one. (this will automatically copy the image)
Paste in your posting spot..and EREKA!

Hopefully you can follow these directions.

Thank you so much for all of your help. Now hopfully this will work. If this does, these are pictures from when i first got mate 1 and 1/2 years ago!

Now here are some current images.

OK now here are some of the current pictures.

Originally Posted by Drache613

Hello Deb,

How is your tortoise this morning? So, around 5 years old huh?
Did you measure the temps yet, if so, were they pretty good then?
Here is a feeding list.
It will at least give you an idea of feeding anyway. I would definintely start with very low protein, especially since he is an adult, he doesn't need much.

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/webdiet.htm

Is it a Russian Tortoise? If so, here is a good site as well:

http://www.russiantortoise.org/russiantortoisediet.htm

Let me know how he is doing.Tracie

HI!
That's what the sales man at Afishcondos of Baltimore told me at the Chantilly, VA show (he was an impluse purchase) He's a Red-Foot Tortoise. I have visited that site. I promise you I have researched..that site made me sad..those babies with their shells...hopefully more people will research. But honestly, before I got Samwise, I thought turtles were supposed to have lumpy shells! There's not a lot of everyday education on these animals.

Look at his eyes, he's SO intelligent. He comes to the door of his cage when I come home, his eyes follow me around the room, and he eats from my hand and actively comes to me when I open the cage door and not to get out..just to come towards me for a scratch or treat.





I measured his temps with the temp gun and as I thought, because one is large and on a thermosat and the other is smaller the temps are 92/80. There is a red light over head on the cool side to provide basking temps on the shell and there used to be a large hide and a large basking platform (from outside) in there, but really, I felt he was so crowded he didn't even have room to turn. That's one of the reasons that I have the insulate around the tank..to give him a feeling of security.





I am trying to find the mercury vapor bulb but I will more than likely have to order online. His diet exactly is:
ZooMed Natural Forest Tortoise food with which I mix different fruits and veggies from the approved list in the book The Tortoise and Turtle Feeding Manual by A.C. Highfield. This food is fed weekly and sprinkled with Herptivite and Rep-Cal. His shell is rubbed with Turtle Vitashell monthly. So far, I give him 2/3 hours daily under the ZooMed light..*it's either ZooMed or Reptisun...there are no words, and I didn't keep the box.



I know he will live for a long time, my son is going to take over if necessary.

Do you think I should take the dirt out of there and put rocks?

Baybay,

Is Mate a Red-Foot?

Mate is a cherry head red foot otherwise known as a dwarf red foot.

http://www.petco.com/caresheets/turt...ad_Redfoot.pdf

This link directly below has some interesting information in the lower half of the article about tortoise shell diseases.

http://www.peteducation.com/article....articleid=2700

I came across the above link, I am looking for evidence that previous damage can be reversed...and I am waiting for Tracy

In the meantime, I thought it would help us to understand exactly what pryamiding was..and perhaps the answer could be found in there? It is certain that changing a bad diet would be the first step in stopping any further damage.

In another part of fauna..someone was nice enough to copy and paste this information....

22) What is pyramiding?
[Andy Highfield] Excessive quantities of protein can seriously impair the calcium metabolism, and in addition can lead to massively accelerated growth and early sexual maturity. This is readily observed in many captive-bred hatchlings, where 2-year-old specimens raised on high protein diets frequently weigh four to five times the weight which they could reasonably expect to attain in the wild, demonstrate abnormally advanced sexual behavior and, almost invariably, **deformed pyramid-like scutes and grossly distorted carapaces. This latter effect is even seen in cases where otherwise adequate levels of calcium and vitamin D3 have been provided.

**I would need someone else to explain this..some are saying that it can possibly be heditary?

In severe cases the carapace is weak and bulging and the horny shields or scutes are raised and pyramid-like especially along the central vertebral line. Radiological examination reveals gross distortions and separation of the underlying bone as well as poor bone density.

The solution is not to provide excessive quantities of protein and to ensure that mineral and vitamin levels are carefully balanced and are available in sufficient quantities.

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/care/fa...--------------
Too much protein (plant or animal) is the most well documented cause for pyramiding. There are accounts of wild tortoises that exhibit pyramiding because of high protein foods in their diet. High protein diets are also physically stressful and are believed to damage the kidneys in addition to contributing to the stacked look

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/wha...pyramiding.htm