General Care Discussion :: What about pinkish redish skin?

[itiptoe]

Hello, some of you mentioned on this post that pink toned skin has several implications. I just noticed tonight that my RES, Fudge, has skin that is pinkish-reddish in tone at the parts on his limbs and tail that are closest to his shell. Further away from the shell they are white, and near the ends they are regularly colored green. Is this something I should be concerned about? Fudge is not inactive or overly lethargic, and has a regular appetite. Recently I took him twice to the vet: once for a shot of vitamin A (his eyes were swollen, he was keeping them closed and being lethargic, he had bubbles at his nose, poor appetite, and the vet decided he was vitamin A deficient) and once for a shot of antibiotics because he showed no interest in food and was still a little lethargic. However, Fudge has been eating regularly ever since his second visit to the vet a week ago. On the recommendation of the vet I have fed Fudge several small chunks of raw codfish this week along with his regular food sticks to keep his vitamin A level up. Fudge has been under my care for approx. 3 years of his 6 year old life and lives in his tank alone. Today he was shedding skin (top of head, around limbs) more than usual, which I guess might account for the hue of his skin on his limbs if the shedding irritated the skin--but then, why wasn't the top of his head pinkish instead of its normal hue of greens and whites? Sorry about the long post guys...maybe I'm being a bit paranoid. I am aware of possibility of blood poisoning, but as Fudge doesn't show any other symptoms...what do you think? Thanks!

[SpotsMama]

If a turtle has blood poisoning then he's really really sick and would be showing other symptoms - very lethargic and very poor appetite.

When a turtle has been sitting for awhile, blood will pool and his skin will look pinkish, mostly around his legs and where his neck goes into his shell. When he gets to moving again, the pink blush should disappear. Could that be what you're seeing?

Have the water temperatures been warmer than usual? That's a common reason for heavier than normal skin shedding. I thought you might have raised them to stimulate his immune system while he was sick.

I've seen where there has been some heavy skin shedding following treatment for a vitamin deficiency but I don't recall that there was any pinkness to the skin after the shed. I think skin is also susceptible to infection in the presence of a vitamin deficiency. Is his skin slimy to the touch? Does he smell bad?

What kind of light does he bask under (specifically, the brand of bulb, the strength, and how long since the bulb was last changed)? How much does he bask?

Any way you can post a photo of your turtle so we can see what you're looking at?

One more thing. Apparently it worked out for your turtle to have a vitamin a shot. Sometimes, however, turtles have very bad reactions to them so we like to recommend that milder forms of treatment be used when the vet thinks they can be used. If the vet offers to give a vitamin A shot, first make sure the vet is positive your turtle really needs vitamin A and then discuss other alternatives to shots with the vet like eye drops with vitamin A, cod liver oil or food supplements.