General Care Discussion :: um.....i think this is bad. Please Help. ):

[oobie58]

so i have a turtle.....a new 1. i think a 2 inch. i think he has soft shell or shell rot same thing i think. any way can i have some pictures of what it looks like. mostly images of the top of the shell.

[Tenodera]

have you tried googling "turtle shell rot" ?

[oobie58]

no, but thank u so much. ill do it now

[SpotsMama]

There are a lot of different things that can go wrong with a turtle's shell. If you could post a pic of your turtle's shell it would be helpful. It's really hard to say what's wrong - or even whether something's wrong or not - without pictures.

[megcornell]

Don't forget that hatchlings have softer shells than adults, so some flexibility is OK. However if the shell has spots or has an odor then you need to research what it is and possibly set up a vet visit.

[oobie58]

ill take some pictures but im gonna wait till he is basking so u can see it better.

[oobie58]

hey can i ask all of u a question. have any of you had this problem and ended up saving your turtle.




johnny

[SpotsMama]

Hard to say for sure without knowing what's wrong with your turtle's shell! My turtle had a rather severe case of what I believe to have been shell fungus and he's finally cured. It took almost a year to get it fixed. If I had to do it again I think I could do it a lot faster because I know some things about how to treat it that i didn't know before.

[marisa]

How long have you had your turtle? What's his set-up like?

Pictures (of the shell dry), please...

[oobie58]

k tomorrow

[oobie58]

[N4784N R4613]

[oobie58]

oops sorry i did that. but heres the picture. im just not sure what it is?

[Mr. Grimsly]

It looks like some sort of fungus.
Here: http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10839
Spotsmama made a nice thread about turtle's shell problems, also read this:
http://www.redearslider.com/shell_conditions.html
It talks about different types of shell problems and conditions.
It looks like it may require veterinary assistance, so you may want to call different vets and ask how much it is for a consultation. Make sure you keep the tank VERY clean.

[SpotsMama]

What I learned dealing with my turtle's shell problems is that the whole setup has to be right to keep a turtle's shell healthy. Number one, the turtle has to be able to dry off completely at frequent intervals. This means they have to bask. In addition, they have to have good UVB light, a good diet with plenty of calcium (a cuttlebone is good), and their water must be very clean. You're probably taking care of all these things now, but shell problems develop slowly over time so if conditions were poor where he was before you got him then you've inherited a problem.

How do you rate your setup - in terms of light, diet, basking, and cleanliness?

I assume you're talking about the bigger turtle at the forefront in the photo? Though it looks like both turtles may have similar shell situations - maybe it's just a trick of the light. It looks to me like there may be some algae on the shell. Have you tried gently scrubbing it off with a soft toothbrush?

Looks also like the shell(s) may be overdue for a good shed. What do they get to eat? Do they bask regularly in a place where they can completely dry off?

On the soft shell - if your turtle is less than a year old - and if he's only 2" long then he probably is under a year old - then it's normal for the shell to be somewhat flexible, especially towards the back by their tails. Over the first year the shell gradually hardens until it is no longer flexible. Do you think that's what's going on with your turtle?

You probably need to do some serious dry docking and clean the shell with a good antiseptic wash like Betadine, Hibiclense or Novalsan. If there is a fungus or some other infection - and it looks like there might be - then there's nothing like Silver Sulfadiazine in my opinion for curing it but you can only get it from a vet. Zoo med sells a sulfa dip over the counter that's supposed to be good for a mild fungus infection. If it were me I'd take him to a good herp vet and see about getting some of the stronger stuff.

Shell problems, except for very mild ones, are very slow to clear up. Good luck. Let us know what you do.