Margo is a juvenile Marginated tortoise. She was in a very similar situation to Heidi. Her welfare needs were not met, she did not have access to a UV source so developed MBD along with other illnesses. Luckily, she was saved just in time and immediately received veterinary attention. While she is not out of the woods, the improvement she has made is huge and day by day she is getting stronger.
Margo's severity of MBD meant she had little bone left in her legs and her skull structure was incredibly weak as her body had to use the calcium within her bones to keep her alive. Margo's shell was soft and squidgy, just like Heidi's. A video of Margo at the vets can be found on our Instagram page.
MBD is so easily preventable. By ensuring you provide your tortoise with lump chalk and cuttlefish, dust their food with limestone flour and mineral supplements such as Nutrobal and offer a strong source of UV, MBD can become a thing of the past for tortoises in captivity. No tortoise should suffer from an illness which can be prevented so simply. A severe case of MBD can shorten a tortoises' life.
How can I provide my tortoise with the correct heat and light?
•Tortoises require a heat lamp to raise their body temperature and get their metabolism going.
•An ideal basking temperature is 32 degrees Celsius.
•The two options for heat and light:
•1. A single 100w/160w heat lamp and separate 12% UV tube with reflector •2. A combined heat and UV lamp, such as the Arcadia D3 100w combined bulb.
Replace any UV source every 6-9 months (depending on brand) to ensure the UV output is still strong. UV levels can be monitored using a light reader. Remember that the sun is the best source of UV and is free! Get your tortoise out on warm days, even half an hour outdoors on a cloudy day provides your tortoise with much stronger levels of UV than any light source we can provide in captivity.