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Hi all!

My res is about 7 years old, and around 6 inches long.

She hasn't(to the best of my knowledge) ever shed scutes before, but now she's dropping them like mad- around one per day. It prompted me to check her shell, which has always been rough, and there are a few scutes that look like they may have algae under them, and they're a bit loose.

Also on the underside, she has one off color plastron section.

She has a dry basking area that she goes to for most of the day, uvb light, heat light etc.

Diet hasn't changed much, pellets, mealworms, vegetables.

Any opinions you have would be appreciated.

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Looks like there has been irregular growth/pyramiding. Not much you can do, at this point. That one scute on the plastron looks like it has not shed yet, the other areas of the plastron look good.

The retained scutes on the plsatron look to have caused some other problems. Looks to have been irritating/infecting the seams around the scutes which are not as durable. It might even be soft, but do not dig into it. I would gently help remove any scutes that are loose, then gently give her a nice scrub. Algae is usually very easy to get rid of. I would consider using diluted Betadine or Hibiclens during a scrub (do not let her ingest any solution) and let her shell dry as much as possible even dry dock overnight. If there are any discolored areas (whitish/yellowish) try to clean them off gently and depending on the severity of that, you might need to consider veterinary assistance.

Thanks a lot Steve! She's my first and only turtle, I just want to do the best I can, and didn't want to panic and take her to the turtle vet without cause.



Thanks again.

No problem. Just remove what's loose and inspect. Little infections clear up quickly with some air and cleaning but it can cause bigger problems when unchecked. Do yourself a favor and research some good vets near you because when you need their services, you don't want to waste time looking while being stressed out.