The husbandry, especially the diet, must be corrected for treatment to be successful. Home treatment includes careful handling to reduce the risk of fractures, force-feeding as required, provision of an adequate, balanced diet, correct temperature and UV light. If the animal is not eating readily, it may require hospitalisation for stomach tubing or placement of a pharygostomy tube for a short period. Blood should be taken and analysed for calcium and phosphorous levels as well as assessing dehydration, signs of infection, liver or renal disease. Care should be taken when supplementing MBD patients with mixed supplements containing both calcium and phosphorous.
Vitamin D is involved in the body's absorption of calcium from the gut.
This hormone stops calcium being resorbed from bone and it is released naturally in the body when plasma calcium levels are high. If it is used to treat an animal with MBD, the animal must have a normal blood calcium level or this treatment can be fatal. In the UK, this treatment is still quite expensive. Some chelonians have demonstrated the remarkable ability to heal quite severe shell defects without veterinary interference. The author has seen severe defects affecting over a third of the shell resulting from lawnmower and car accidents, yet the healed tortoises were being presented years later for another ailment.