General Care Discussion :: Plastron Health Question

Taking care of your turtle's overall health.

Post Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2020 5:46 pm   Plastron Health Question

I was originally going to post on Urgent Care but upon finding older photos of him with similar coloration I've cut and pasted over to the General Care subforum.

Issue
- Possibly new Pink/Red coloration on plastron (may be some on top, cannot tell accurately)
- New cracks/scrapes on plastron
- Trying to eat dock and decorative plants but very not interested in feeding time. Would rather swim around the tank semi-frantically.

I'm concerned this is the start of something. I could only get an appointment next Wednesday with my normal vet and wanted to check in if this is identifiable. He is generally very healthy the last few years. I found pictures from a few months ago where the red/pink coloration is present, but not as strong. I have never mentally noted the coloration before. The cracks/lines near my thumb and above are new within the last few weeks. He also has far less interest in treats like shrimp, fish, no interest in leafy greens if he can get something else, but still goes crazy for carrots (which I don't want to feed him too much of). He's been attacking his decorations and dock, but leaves extra food in the tank when fed. I moved him to an every other day feeding schedule earlier this year. He was on a daily feeding schedule prior to that as he was still growing but then he stopped getting bigger. Only recently (about when I have the first photo of the pink coloration) did he start trying to bite decor.

Picture (link because it's big)
https://i.imgur.com/WNugpvB.jpg

All help appreciated. :mrgreen:

How big is your turtle? - ~5 Inches, 0.5kg
How long have you had it? - 6 years

What is the water temperature? - 78
Did you use a thermometer? - Laser Thermometer
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? - 50 Gal
Are you using a water conditioner? - Yes, Yellow Tetra Bottle
Are you using any filtration? - Yes, Fluval 406

What is the basking temperature? Between 83 and 90 across the platform
Is there a basking light? - Yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? - It could be easier but he can always do it.
What kind is it or what is it made out of? - Zoo Med Floating Turtle Dock, foam.
Is there a UVB light? - Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? - Pellets, Shrimp, as much leafy stuff as he'll eat (not much), carrots
When was the last time your turtle ate? - Last night.

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? - 75 Gal tank
Is the tank near a window? - across the room no direct sunlight.
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? - yes

Have you read the Basic Care section? - yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? - yes, saw other similar situations but none with the same coloration level

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? - maybe... more active than usual, ignoring food until we leave the room, more fluttering & biting.
Wolfram
 
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Post Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2020 3:00 am   Re: Plastron Health Question

A little pink here and there is normal, but here are some causes for pinkish coloring on a plastron... abrasive basking area, excessively fast growth, diet, bacteria growth, or a septic infection. If it's turning red/spreading, then get it checked as soon as you can.

The "cracks/scrapes" look to be from growth/shedding processes unless there was something you wanted to point out. I don't immediately see any issues there.

Attacking his decorations is usually just a personality trait. Not much you can do, aside from choosing safer decorations in there. I do have cork bark in the tank for a basking area, my turtle will regularly bite it. I had to remove other decorations as he would chip his beak from aggressive biting. I wouldn't leave extra food in there, he probably doesn't need to eat more and it's not great for the tank water.
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steve
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