Urgent Care :: Soft shell with bloody veins

[Elliott's Owner]

AH, ok. That makes sense. I was thinking it was for another reason. We were going to wait until this cleared up for sure but that whole quarantine thing is too much to deal with. She'll be ok. Ü

[da sAUCE!]

ok, but besisdes that I don't think you're eqipped to take care of one turtle, much less, two.

[Kallistos]

Plus, two turtles will require a large set-up, much more than 10 gallons. We're looking at over 100 gallons. If your turtle is really sick right now, it wouldn't be beneficial to throw another turtle in with it.

[Elliott's Owner]

Um, not trying to be rude but da sAUCE may want to take a lesson in the proper way to respond to individuals that have questions...

You don't know exactly what I have so who are you to tell me I am not equipped to take care of my turtle. I may not be a vet but I take care of my animals!


Thank you for your help.

[flutterby]

da sauce, there is such a thing as tact. several people have responded to them on why they shouldn't get another turtle. When people come here to learn how to care for their turtles, there is no reason for you to ALWAYS be rude and obnoxious. Maybe you should take a minute or two before you post next time, to think about how/what you say might impact someone else.

Anyway... my two cents...

[marisa]

How long has your turtle been like you've described him? It sounds like the soft shell problem is a combination a few things---no UVB light, not enough basking under it, and last but not least, that diet. Krill is extremely high in protein, and if that's the main food in your turtle's diet, not only will it cause shell/health problems, it will cause your turtle to become seriously deficient in calcium as well (this needs to be increased in the diet and the diet needs to be a balanced one).

You said the shell is no longer yellow in color---are you referring to the plastron (bottom shell)? "Lots of red" under the scutes could mean your turtle has a systemic infection, but a picture of it would give a clearer idea of what's going on...

You say your turtle has "gotten lazy" and sits in one place all the time. From what you wrote, it sounds like there's more going on than just laziness---it sounds to me like he's getting lethargic. Combined with the shell issue, it would be a good idea to have your turtle seen by a herp vet as well as making adjustments to his habitat (that UVB light in addition to the household light for heat) and diet.

Work on getting Elliott healthy before you start thinking of another one. You'd also have to get a much bigger set-up than the 10-gallon tank you now have. If you've had your turtle for almost a year now, the tank is most likely too small for him already...

[industrial_girl_2000]

Um, not trying to be rude but da sAUCE may want to take a lesson in the proper way to respond to individuals that have questions...

You don't know exactly what I have so who are you to tell me I am not equipped to take care of my turtle. I may not be a vet but I take care of my animals!


Thank you for your help.

Sorry to jump in, but I just wanted to be the devil's advocate....I don't mean to speak for DaSauce, but I just wanted to say I don't think he/she meant the comment the way it sounded.....I took their comment to mean "don't get another turtle until you find out what is going on with your current turtle"....not necessarily that you can't take care of your animals. Sometimes when one turt is sick, getting another one & putting them in the same environment can make them both sick, that's all.

My $0.05 on having more than one turt: it can be a very difficult task. I have an adult female RES...she is 11" in length and in a large 90 gallon tank. I once thought as you did....maybe she should have a "friend" but trust me, turtles don't "need" each other the way humans think they do. When Sheba was much smaller/younger (7") I had her in a tank together with a 4" male, and it was nothing but fighting, fighting, fighting from morning to night. He constantly was bothering her by fluttering his long nails on her face, which really aggravated her & he lost more than one long nail with her biting him. One time, she bit him on the tail & sprained it. Another time, he bit her on the arm drawing blood. It was so bad that I would have to take one out of the tank the MINUTE it turned daylight to let him or her walk around my living room for 8 hours....then switch off & the other would walk around. That way they were never in the tank at the same time. At night, they were together, but I turned the lights off immediately so they wouldn't fight. Plus, Sheba started laying eggs which just added to the tension. It was constant mayhem until I finally gave my male away to a friend who wanted a pet.

Do yourself a favor. Only have 1 turtle at a time. It has been peaceful in my house ever since..... YOU are the only friend your turtle needs!