Shell health advice please

[carryonsue]

Hi ev1,I have just noticed pebbles shell the last few days has white lines on it,It was when she had a bath it was more noticeable is this normal growth or is it signs of bad health also does her shell seem to be pyramiding ,I see other tortoises with lovely smooth shells but she seems ok she`s eating but will not try new things eg shelled warriors seeds that have grown are lovely she only seems to like lettuce cucumber dandylions etc shes going outside walking round and eyes and lovely and bright, Am i just worrying or is there a problem,Thanks in advance.
Susan and Pebbles.http://s328.photobucket.com/user/car...ml?sort=9&o=11

[sandy]

Originally Posted by carryonsue

Hi ev1,I have just noticed pebbles shell the last few days has white lines on it,It was when she had a bath it was more noticeable is this normal growth or is it signs of bad health also does her shell seem to be pyramiding ,I see other tortoises with lovely smooth shells but she seems ok she`s eating but will not try new things eg shelled warriors seeds that have grown are lovely she only seems to like lettuce cucumber dandylions etc shes going outside walking round and eyes and lovely and bright, Am i just worrying or is there a problem,Thanks in advance.
Susan and Pebbles.http://s328.photobucket.com/user/car...ml?sort=9&o=11

When you can see the white lines around the scutes or around the middle of a tortoise, then its normally being over fed:0)
Tortoise can have growth spurts, but normally its because the keeper is being to kind:0)
Lettuce and cucumber are junk foods for tortoises. They need more fibrous food, such as dandelion, plantains, mallows, and other weeds. Your tortoise is controlling you:0) they know if they wait and don't eat the good foods, you will give in, as you think they will starve:0)
No healthy tortoise will starve when food is around them. But they are stubborn enough to wait until you give in.
Also don't put food in front of them, scatter the food, this way they have to work for it, by finding it. This time of the year they should be outside, feeding from weeds and plants in their enclosure.
This is not easy for some keepers to do, as they do think their tortoise will starve. It took me three months with one adult male, whose diet was tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber. I gave him only weeds and flowers, he is stubborn and still is, but he is now eating a good diet from the garden.

[carryonsue]

Hi,
Thanks for advice i have gave pebbles only weeds out the garden for the last four or five days now and at first she refused them but now she seems to be getting a taste for them,You are right I was worried she would go hungry but she was was controlling me and only eating cucumber and lettuce, so I was strict with her and only let her feed on weeds out the garden and she has not had any junk food since then lol,Hopefully then her shell issues should improve thanks again for advice.
Susan and Pebbles

[egyptiandan64]

The squiggly white lines in the scute material aren't a problem. All tortoises get them, it's just harder to see on some. They will also become less noticeable as your tortoise gets older.
Carapace problems will only occur if your tortoise is deficeint in calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D3 or calories (or any combination of the 4).

Danny