General Care Discussion :: Scutes shedding

[courtney1111]

My baby RES is starting to shed his scutes. Well I peeled one off (I shouldn't have) and now I don't think it wasn't ready to come off because the shell is very dark and soft underneath where I peeled the scute. Is there anything I can do? Will it heal? Thanks

[SpotsMama]

Can you post a photo of the area?

Without seeing a photo, I think it's possible the area may be open to infection. Has there been any bleeding? Here's a way to treat an injured shell from a well respected source:

"Remove turtle and place in a quarantine tank. Clean the injured area with clean water. Disinfect the area with iodine or betadine. Treat with Neosporin or triple action antibiotic. Let turtle be dry for about an hour after treatment. Place in separate tank with clean water. You can add StressCoat for fish as it assists in the healing process. Treat this way daily for about 2 weeks or so."

Instead of disinfecting with iodine or betadine, I'd recommend using Hibiclense. Hibiclense is a hand wash for people available at places like Walgreen's. It's very effective and will promote healing better than iodine or betadine.

If you see signs that infection is setting in, you'd better get him to a vet ASAP.

I guess you know now to never ever ever peel a scute off. It will fall off naturally when it's ready.

Good luck.

[marisa]

I think something similar happened to another person's turtle when their hatchling lost a scute before it was time to. Even if your turtle is shedding, if you try to remove a scute and feel any resistance to taking it off, just leave it alone (you know this now).

Keep his water really clean to prevent infection. You can gently clean the area (diluted betadine or Hibiclens would work) but I'd let the shell dry first before applying any oil-based antibiotic ointment like Neosporin. Actually, since the scute just came off, I'd keep the use of the antibiotic to a mininum and let the air on it as much as possible. Make sure your turtle has ample time to bask under correct lighting.