- underside when dry
- Carapace when dry
So I already have an appointment with a vet because I’m worried about the fact that Crush seems to have multiple layers of scutes that failed to shed and they don’t shed in full pieces. I saw a different vet about a year ago when he had the same problem (but not quite as bad) and he said just to use a toothbrush to scrub them off and help him shed. Im seeking another opinion because everything I look up suggests fungus or shell rot, and the problem has slowly been getting worse (before his underside wasn’t as affected).
However, the earliest appointment I could get was in 2 weeks. So based on what this could be
1) Does he need to go to the emergency care or will he be okay to wait 2 weeks?
2) Is there anything I can do in the meantime to help treat this / at least stop it from spreading?
Also can this be caused by nítrate levels? I tested his water to find it was high so I added some live plants and I’m feeding him veggies in a separate container now to try to decrease this since he’s messy with his vegetables. Will it resolve once these levels are returned to normal?
Also while brushing him yesterday I noticed that it almost seemed there is dirt building up under his scutes in a hole of sorts that has formed where the scute edges have shedded but the rest hasn’t. I didn’t want to stick anything in to clean it out because I didn’t know if that was a smart idea.
- Carapace when dry
There are also some dents on his underside, and even an area where it seems a whole edge of the shell wants to break off (i can’t tell if that’s because of extra scute shedding or damage because it’s not fully separated and I don’t want to pull it.) I can add more pictures if that would help because I’ve taken many.
Otherwise he seems completely healthy. His water and basking temperatures are good, pH is good,and I just changed his mercury bulb. I don’t think his swimming is unbalanced, he’s still quite active and eats and poops regularly. His eyes are clear and he’s not sneezing or anything. I’m not home all day because of work so I’m not sure how much time he is spending basking, but I do see him do it, so I don’t think he’s avoiding the behavior? He does jump back in the water anytime someone nears the tank, so maybe he’s not basking enough because he is skittish?