GOLDEN GREEK TORTOISE SANDY. VERY SICK!

Question
QUESTION: I have a small golden greek tortoise. it is about 5 b months old. it is very sick right now. shell is soft, it refuses to eat or to move, body is swollen.  I soak it in a water it seems to enjoy it, opens the eyes and drinks it.I can't do it too often though either.
all the necessary conditions for its well-being were provided by me from the beginning: UVB light, special reptile bedding, heating pads (the tempr. is always between 86 - 75), variety of foods (primarily salad greens ), daily vitamins: calcium, fiber, protein. the place i live in doesn't have any good vet for the exotic reptiles. HELP! PLEASE!!!!!!!! I'M TAKING IT TO A VET IN AN HOUR, JUST BECAUSE I START TO LOSE MY HOPE ON SAVING IT. WHAT CAN I DO???!!! IT WOULDN'T OPEN THE MOUTH!

ANSWER: You have probably been to the vet by now, but soft shell is a sign of poor calcium metabolism.

Tortoises need several things to build strong bones.
1.) Calcium is the main thing, but not the only thing. It has to be mixed with other things and made available to the body.

2.) By itself, calcium makes brittle bones, so we want to mix it with phosphorus, at a ratio of about 2 to 4 parts calcium (Ca) to 1 part phosphorous (P). A little P makes bones tough and resilient. Too much softens bones- soft shell or other diseases. Most salad greens have a LOT of phosphorous in them. While a good Ca:P is 2 to 4:1, things like Iceberg or Romaine Lettuce have a Ca:P of about 1:1.

3.) Cells need vitamin D to 'unlock' the cell wall so it can absorb the calcium. Without vitamin D, we get soft shell or other problems. Mediterranean tortoises need a decent amount of vitamin D, especially the D3 version. D3 is most easily obtained from sunlight, good brand vitamins with active D3, a good UVB bulb (even the best will fade, however, usually in about 6 months).

4.) Iron, magnesium, etc. mostly obtained by good diet with a little supplementation.

5.) Temps, humidity, etc. play a role as well.

Now, I often get told that a person is doing everything right, but when there are not more details, it is difficult to know where to look. I often find that some of the advice being followed is out of date or erroneous as well.

Salad is not really good Greek Tortoise diet- they need more fiber, grasses, hays, etc. in the diet. Salad is also generally poor in calcium. It may be that the UVB light is too old or the wrong style so there is no vitamin D. The 'special reptile bedding' may be dehydrating it, or causing other problems.

Try http://www.tortoisetrust.org for care info and http://www.tortoiseforum.org to talk to other experts for more ideas. More details about the cares and photos will help.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you so very much for these reply. I got more info from u then form the vet I went to! but basically: the reason the vet goes to is the lack of vitamin D. my UVB lamp is too high above the box  (NOT ANYMORE). we ere told Sandy not gonna survive the weekend, I still keep a hope. it was injected with baytril, reptiles ringer solution together with vit. A, D and calcium. I uploaded videos on you tube so you can see the condition  of the baby. U can also see how my lights were set up before and after.:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuH9GO6JQE8

Answer
Well...

1. If the diet was correct with proper supplementation, the distant light would not be a big issue. Most vitamin supplement and a lot of calcium supplements have D3 in them. On the other hand, it is possible to overdose on D3 and vitamins. Your diet should be solid enough that a weekly pinch of vitamins and calcium is just an insurance policy.

2. Remember, UVB bulbs stop emitting UVB light after a fairly short time. It still emits light, but not the UVB stuff. On average, they stop after 6 months.

3. The substrate you are using looks like rabbit pellets. Because they are so severely dehydrating, it is not recommended to use these or any other dehydrating substrates. Baby tortoises NEED humidity to develop properly. Dehydration affects appetite, defecation, etc. which adds to metabolic bone disorder.

I obviously have no way of knowing what your vet said, but http://www.tortoisetrust.org and similar sites offer good advice.