General Care Discussion

Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 4:36 am **shell help...**

Hi guys new to the site, but ive been posting on another for awhile...now i rescued my turtle from someone that wasnt taking care of him...so hes been cold had had no UVB light for months...but now hes very active and loves to bask and swim....so i just wanted to post some pics to see if his shell looks good, as it has been slightly changing color now that he is getting light and warmth.

Cheers Danny

Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 4:50 am

No pyramiding or shell deformity that I can see but way overdue for a shed. Lots of piled up layers.

The seams look very black. Have you tried washing him? You can gently wash him in luke warm water, rubbing (not too hard) with a wet paper towel or a very soft toothbrush. Maybe some of the black will come off.

Is the shell somewhat corroded in places, like on the big scute (plate) near the front in the second photo? Are there also areas of corrosion around the edges of some of the scutes?

Are there any areas that are soft or squishy?

Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 6:17 am

gave him a quick wipe a few days ago but will give him a good 1 tomorrow.

is there anyway to "induce" shedding..or just wait for it to take his own time?

can u please post a pic of what "corrosion" is? ( sorry just dont quite know what you mean)...

no soft areas...what drew my attention is the front few scutes have that kind of white black mix where as the back ones dont ( can post another picture if needed)

Thanks heaps for the help..if you see anything i will take him to the vet.

Cheers Danny

Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 12:47 am

I think I see a bit of fungus, mainly here:

The lighter colors could be signs of shedding, though I cannot tell from your pictures.

Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 2:53 am

ahhhhhh thats what i ment by the front few scutes look abit funny..any easy fix or take him to the vet?

Cheers Danny

Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:10 am

Corrosion is deterioration of a surface. Corrosion on a shell would feel rough and sort of indented instead of smooth, like something had eaten into the surface of the shell.

Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:18 am

ok well i dont hink he has any of that...gave him a clean and took some of the black stuff off...might take him to the vet going off what steve said.

Cheers Danny

Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:21 am

I second the recommendation to see a vet. The shell looks very unusual, though it's hard to say what's going on, and probably needs some treatment.

Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:25 am

yeah as i said he wasnt taking care of and ive just spent 1000 bucks NZD..getting him all set up so hopefully the vet wont be to much lol.

General Care Discussion :: shell help...

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