Heidi was a juvenile Spur Thigh tortoise who, for a long time, in her short life, was deprived of the basic husbandry to meet her welfare needs.
She was kept in an under-bed cardboard box, without the correct heat and UV lighting. Heidi was diagnosed with MBD - Metabolic Bone Disease.
Towards the end of Heidi's life she was given the biggest chance of survival and best care possible by her owners but unfortunately it was just too late.
The original owner of Heidi was sadly given incorrect information from the breeder. The breeder told the owner to give the tortoise 15 minutes of heat a day and to hibernate her by putting her in a box under the bed. She wasn't told about how or why you should wind down a tortoise before hibernation so left Heidi under a bed for three months. It was only when she heard scratching that she realised Heidi was awake and was literally starving to death. Heidi also suffered hibernation anorexia. What causes MBD?
Put simply, MBD is caused by a lack of calcium and vitamin D3 in the body. Calcium is an essential mineral that is needed in the reptile body for a number of critical biological functions - these include the transmission of nervous signals to the brain, the contraction and movement of muscles and most importantly, the development and maintenance of the hard skeleton. In order for all of these body systems to work properly, there must be a constant good supply of calcium available in the diet. However, this calcium can only be absorbed by the tortoise if the correct UV lighting is provided. Unfortunately for Heidi, she did not have a source of UV light so could not absorb the vital calcium needed to keep her strong and healthy. Remember that the sun is the strongest source of UV we can provide our tortoises, get them out as much as you can. Plus it's free!
What was noticeable with Heidi was how rubbery and soft her shell was, a tortoises shell, once past the hatchling stage, should not be soft but hard and firm. She had little strength in her bones to support her weight.
Perhaps the saddest thing about this illness is that it is entirely preventable with proper dietary management and correct husbandry practices. I hope, that one day, we do not see cases like this. Using online sources and sharing information at our meetings, we can all become more aware of the basic needs of a tortoise to ensure that we meet its welfare needs in captivity. By doing the vital research before buying any pet, we can prevent cases like this from happening.
Please go on to the next page to read Margo's Story and how she was saved just in time.