General Care Discussion :: Ok, Sinking or Rising?

[crackerlady2007]

Hi everyone! Since you all already know both my turtles, I'll not reintroduce them, but just get right in on the problem. Recently, Mrs. Turtle started having this weird situation with her shell. At first I thought the front was sinking, but now I think the back is just rising! Here are pictures. What do you think?




Thanks in advance!

[imderanged]

I'm no expert but that looks like pictures I've seen of calcium deficencies. maybe a stronger UVB bulb is needed? Calcium supliments?

[megcornell]

How long has this change in shell shape taken? It looks pretty drastic to me. It also looks more like the front end is "deflating."

Remind me of what their set up is like, and what you're feeding them.
Are you giving calcium supplements and access to UVB light?

[Reel Girl]

Goodness! That doesn't look so good! I am a brand new RES owner, so look forward to reading all the posts from our resident "experts"!

[RESnTX]

Is the "dip" in the center soft? For some reason it looks like it would be.

[hdaisog]

You should take it to the vet. Having the shell change like that could cause serious internal issues. It looks like the shell is collapsing

[industrial_girl_2000]

That looks like a SEVERE calcium deficiency to me. A vet visit is in order ASAP (if not SOONER!!!).

A turtles skeleton is what keeps the shell's round shape. The green shell that we see is actually a very thin layer of color (kinda like skin) over the skeleton, which has the "shell shape."

How long have you had this turtle? What do you feed him (pellet brand? calcium supplement?). What kind of basking light does he have?

Again, take him to the vet ASAP. This is a SERIOUS problem.

[crackerlady2007]

How long has this change in shell shape taken? It looks pretty drastic to me. It also looks more like the front end is "deflating."

Remind me of what their set up is like, and what you're feeding them.
Are you giving calcium supplements and access to UVB light?

It has just been recently. They have a 60 gallon tank with 2 basking floats. I feed them Wardley brand reptile premium sticks. They sometimes have fish food, but not very often. I also give them lettuce on occasion. They don't eat it very well, so I don't try often. It makes the water murky from floating around not getting eaten. Every so often she eats one of our baby chiclids as well, but her main food is the reptile sticks.

I have not been giving them calcium supplements, but the food says it has fortified calcium in it. The light over their basking area is a halogen one, but I don't know if its UVB. There's also a fluorescent light in there. My boss put that in so I don't know if it's UVB either.

Is the "dip" in the center soft? For some reason it looks like it would be.

It is not. I thought it would be too, but it's hard as can be. She eats like a hog, so I don't think it's affected her overall health. That's one reason I thought perhaps the back was actually rising, because she eats so much.

[mikee]

Cracker -- This is my first. I am inclined to think it is a calcium deficiency also. Check and see if the shell is soft. It could be MBD which is caused by the lack of calcium and the lack of uvb lighting. Pellets are a good source of food but I have not found any that have enought calcium to do the job. I would suggest a vet visit to confirm any diagnosis that you may get here. VET VET!!

[crackerlady2007]

I really wouldn't mind taking her to the vet but there's not a herp vet within 400 miles. Does anyone have a suggestion about calcium supplements? I've seen people calcium, but I never even considered that turtles would need them! If you could send me some links, I'd sure appreciate the help. I really like my turtles, but a vet visit, at the present time, really isn't an option. She doesn't act the least bit sick and is as active as ever. The only thing is that she eats like a hog.

[Nettle]

Calcium would be cuttlebone which is found in the bird aisle in a pet store (or any store). It's super cheap ($1 for a whole box).

Having a UVB light turns the calcium into vitamin D which fortifies the skeleton system. The most used brand is the Exo Terra Repti-Glo 5.0 26watt bulb (around $16) If you can't go and get one now, you can put him in direct sunlight for a few hours a day.

[TheComputerGremlin]

I would get some cuttlebone and replace the bulb. Even if the bulb is still shining, the UVB decreases over time, becoming almost none by 6-8 months after the bulb is used. Where do you live? 400 miles seems a lot. There may be a regular vet that you can go to that would be able to talk to a herp vet (after all, I think any animal doctor would look at that turtle and be concerned). At least they could run X-rays to make sure the shell isn't damaged and run blood tests/stool samples to make sure there isn't anything weird.

[mikee]

Cracker -- I missed that about your light. The uvb wears out of diminishes in about 6 months to a year. I replace mine every 6 months to make sure. Cuttlebone or a turtle block will help with your turtle. I would suggest that you contact a vet and email him this picture and see if he can diagnose over the photo since you live that far away.

[RESnTX]

Other great sources of calcium that you can get at your local market are red cabbage and turnip greens. Both of these are a great source of vitamin A too. Not sure it will help at this point but it's something to keep in mind.

[mikee]

Craker -- I give mine as much calcium as they can/will eat. They will cut back on their own when they get enough. Good Luck!!