What does it mean when a tortoise shell is squishy?
metabolic bone disease
Most likely, your turtle’s shell is soft because it has metabolic bone disease. Metabolic bone disease is often caused by poor diet or poor lighting, both of which prevent the turtle from properly absorbing calcium within the blood. Without calcium, turtles develop metabolic bone disease, leading to a soft shell.
What does shell rot look like on a sulcata tortoise?
Symptoms of Shell Rot Unpleasant discharge or a smell from the shell. Your tortoise’s shell should be dry and clean! Visible fluid underneath the scutes of the shell. The scutes appear to be flaking or lifting away from each other.
How do I give my tortoise calcium?
Well, the best way is to add a light dusting of calcium powder to the tortoise’s food and to ensure that they are eating dark, leafy green vegetables which are also fairly rich in calcium. Calcium is essential to your tortoise’s health.
How do I know if my sulcata tortoise shell is healthy?
The top of the shell (the carapace) should be smooth, feel firm to touch and have no obvious bumps or signs of injury. A healthy tortoise will have signs of a growth ring, which appears as a palish band in between the bony plates (scutes) and above the lower, marginal scutes.
How do I know if my tortoise is stressed?
A stressed tortoise will spend most of its time hiding. It will withdraw into its shell and not protrude its legs or head. It may tuck itself deep within a burrow and refuse to come out, even in warm conditions.
How do you treat a soft shell turtle?
If the condition is not too advanced it can be corrected by increasing the Calcium and Vitamin D in the turtles diet. This can be done by adding a supplement to their diet. The other cause of a soft shell is shell rot which is usually caused by an infection, most commonly a bacterial infection.
Do sulcata tortoises need calcium powder?
Unfortunately, in the captive environment, it is difficult for them to obtain all the calcium they need from their diet alone. It is recommended that you occasionally sprinkle their food with a calcium supplement, preferably formulated for tortoises.
What foods are high in calcium for tortoises?
In short tortoises obtain calcium from a number of sources in the wild, including vegetation rich in calcium, such as certain leafy green vegetables like collard greens or kale. They may also obtain calcium from discarded bird eggs and snail shells, and naturally occuring chalk or limestone outcrops.
What does an unhealthy sulcata tortoise look like?
Their skin often looks wrinkly and dry. If your tortoise looks wet or moist, there could be a problem. But if his skin is overly dry and causing cracks and sores, it’s equally alarming, so don’t delay a vet trip.
How can you tell if a tortoise is dehydrated?
How To Tell If Your Tortoise Is Dehydrated And What To Do To Help Them
- Reduced, thickened, or whitish urine.
- Dry faeces.
- Dry, loose and flaky skin.
- Sunken or watery eyes.
- Loss of appetite.
- Weight loss.
- Lethargy, depression, lack of activity.
- Thick, ropey mouth mucus.