General Care Discussion :: Pyramidding shell

[Tiny]

Marisa, thank you for taking the time to chat with me on this topic.

The dry picture is impossible for now. She gets excited when i try to get close and jumps in the water and starts to beg and splash. I have to get the camera with zoom lense from my classroom, so i can get her from far away.

I can say though, it does look loose and peeling in cracks between scutes and pyramid effect is more evident when dry. Her skin is shedding again too.

I only fed her pellets 1 time today, and alot less then usual. She did eat a little radiccio and roamain today, along with some carrot shavings. I gave her cuttle done this morning with her sparing amount of pellets. She really seems to be taking the cut back well. No turtle tantrums, yet.

I plan to have her off the daily pellets by saturday.

so- veggies are safe daily, what about cuttle bone??

[mikee]

Ty -- I have one like yours and I dry dock her in a cardboard box with a light for warmth. She is a little excited when she first gets in there but calms down after she warms up. You can set up your tripod and click one off when it calms down.

[Tiny]

Thanks for the tip.I'll give it a try.

[Tiny]

Yeah! I got her-

Here are the dry photos of Tiny.

[SpotsMama]

She's a darling girl. The pyramiding does show more when the shell is dry. You're doing the right thing to cut back on her food.

Lettuce (red or green leaf lettuce) and water plants like anacharis are fine for every day, but some veggies have a fair amount of sugar (like carrots, for instance) and should be limited. A couple of modest servings a week of carrots, berries and sweet potato would be fine but not good for every day.

You can leave cuttlebone in the tank all the time so she can snack on it when she feels like it.

[Tiny]

Thansk you for being supportive. I feel so bad, that my overfeeding her has hurt her in a way. I just love the little creature and want to do what's best, so thanks again.

[marisa]

She's pyramided quite a bit, and the edge of her shell looks like it's turning upward. Cut down on those pellets and improve her diet with more variety---leafy greens are especially good. If you can, get some dandelion greens and see if she'll eat them.

[Tiny]

I gather from your response it's really bad. I didn't realize how much until I reviewed the photos myself. I don't get that dry shell look often. I suck at tutle parenting. I wish i had known sooner. It was that photo and discussion about the "Turtle Stampede" with that one turtle with n ugly shell that clued me in about the pyramid thing.

If she does start to shed scutes, will it improve the shells health?

I am doing everything i can with cutting back on pellets. She is taking it well, but still not buying into the veggies to much.

Do Dandelion greenes do somthing special???

I feel like I ruined my turtle. I feel like a horrible parent. I know she loves me , but I've done her wrong. I just hope I can rectify this situation. She's so young.

[steve]

Dandelion leaves have high calcium content. I've seen worse but this should even out a little over time as she sheds and grows.

Don't be too hard on yourself, I think we've all made some regrettable mistakes.

[marisa]

No, I didn't say it was really bad (sorry if I implied that). There are some areas where it looks as if the edges of the scutes are/will be lifting, and shedding those scutes should help somewhat with her appearance (she is still a very nice-looking RES).

The dandelions would be really healthy for her---some of the benefits are a good calcium/phosphorus ratio (you want a high calcium to low phosphorus proportion) and a good amount of Vit A. Now that spring's coming, you can pick them if the area you take them from hasn't been sprayed with pesticides or otherwise treated. If you can get them in a store, look for greens that are smaller and tender. If your RES won't eat them, try marinading them in the water from canned tuna overnight to get the scent of the tuna on them. Keep trying other veggies/aquatic plants as well.

[ACF&RESLOVER]

She doesn't look bad at all.

Cut back on the protein a little, but IMO you have nothing to worry about. Both my turtles have a tad more pyramiding than yours and they are thriving. I learned what I was doing wrong a little late.

[Tiny]

Thank you agin for being so helpful, attentive and supportive.

We are successfully cutting way back on pellets. She used to get 20 to thirty pelets a day, over a course of 2 feedings. I have made it through 3 days now with 1o a day, AM only.

Tiny really had a breakthrough with veggies today. She at more romain and radiccio then she has ever eaten. I floated 3 pcs. this AM and they were gone when I got home at 5pm. She even at more, along with the cuttle bone.

Since the cutback, I have noticed less disruptive behavior at night, and less tantrums over food. I have to say, she is being so cooperative, well except when she at the snail this morning. Now theirs one less protien buddy in there for her to eat now. She's been picking at the snail since I put it in last weekend, so now I know.

I will be grocery shopping tomorrow. I will not rest without dandelion or aranacharis.

Again- Thank you everyone. I am going to get this baby back on track.

[SpotsMama]

It's great that you love her so much. With your efforts at getting her a good diet I'm sure she'll do well. She really is a sweetie.