General Care Discussion :: New Turtle Owner..Shell Questions

[sadiejude]

Hi All...

Im so glad I found this page...I recently got 2 turtles from a pet store. I noticed when I got them they had some spots on their shell. Maybe I shouldnt have still bought them with noticable problems but I couldnt leave them there living like they were so I took both so they could stay together. The spots look like scuff marks. Ill try to post a pic of the one that has the most. Since I have had them they havent gotten worse but Id like to know what it is so I can treat them if its serious. I have the appropriate lights, temps and they spend alot of time outdoors in the sun or running the yard. The only thing Im sure I dont have is an appropriate sized enclosure. They basically are only in their tank at night but are in a much bigger area during the day. Ill be purchasing a preformed pond soon to be their permanent home inside. Their shells are hard, the spots are not soft. I called pet smart and they told me it could be due from scraping against rocks but I just want to double check because Im not sure how they can diagnose this without seeing it. Heres a pic if it shows up.

[Spike 7.62]

I would say overall that's a pretty healthy turtle shell. It is hard to tell from the pictures, could you circle the areas of concern and repost the picture?

Here's some info about shell conditions- http://redearslider.com/shell_conditions.html and since you got two turtles, here's some info about cohabitation- http://redearslider.com/cohabitation.html In addition to reading the forum and going through old posts, the main site will educate you on everything you need to know. Welcome to the forum, and you've got a good looking turtle.

-Spike

[sadiejude]

Thanks for your reply and for providing the link! Ive circled the areas and will repost the photo. Its been so long since Ive owned turtles that I completely forgot whats normal and whats cause of concern. Now I have a feeding question...They are rather big, Shells are about 5 and 5.5 inches wide and always seem hungry. They both go crazy when they see me because im the one that feeds them but now all it takes is for them to hear me talking. I could be in a completely different room and be talking and those 2 go crazy. I feed them a generous amount of pellets in the AM and then in the evening I feed them Romaine lettuce and grapes and sometimes some krill. Is this too much? Im assuming before I got them they didnt eat very well. They both had runny, almost clear stool but since ive been feeding them its gotten much better. I feel bad for not giving them more food when they seem starved but Ive heard they will eat and eat until they get sick.

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

Feed enough food to fit inside there head.
And i think it was some rocks scarping it cause it does not look like shedding.

[shedreamsinred]

You should be feeding them about their head and neck's size of food every other day. A bit more is okay if it's greens. They are probably just so excited to be in a better situation and have someone who cares for them. If the spots on the shell are not soft, then they should not be problematic.

[Spike 7.62]

Hm, if the spots are hard and not smelly or slimey, then I don't believe it is fungus. It could be air pockets under the scutes causing the white color. The spot on the back seems to be some sort of minor rotting (at worst) but I could be wrong. You could do a "sulfa dip" if you wanted, but the best medicine would be to provide UV rays and calcium. The sun will work wonders so keep them outside in the sunlight for best results.

As for feeding, yes you are feeding them too much. Items like krill and shrimp are high in protein and should not be fed regularly. Look at their heads; the unofficial rule of thumb is that a turtle's stomach is half the size of it's head. Feed accordingly.

http://www.redearslider.com/index_nutrition.html

-Spike

[Diamondbacks4Life]

Looks like your turtle had very bad case of shell rot and have done the max damage. The large spot in the middle is actually bone. The other spots look like the scutes are covering it but probably once they shed it show spots of bone too. Everything will heal with time but it will take a very long time. Im not actually sure if the large middle spot will ever heal.

[Spike 7.62]

Wow I didn't even think that the white could be bare bone. It looks like it's been cleaned though, like the rot itself is gone from the wound, if that is the case. Painteds, are there any special considerations that should be made if that is exposed bone? As far as basking and such.

-Spike

[Diamondbacks4Life]

Wow I didn't even think that the white could be bare bone. It looks like it's been cleaned though, like the rot itself is gone from the wound, if that is the case. Painteds, are there any special considerations that should be made if that is exposed bone? As far as basking and such.

-Spike

Nope just treat the turtle with normal love and care

[steve]

It looks like it's still peeling away, but yes that is the bone layer and will probably come off. My girl had a tiny area that had exposed bone. It flaked off and exposed a little fleshy area (with a little blood). It eventually hardened and filled in with the rest of the scute/seam. As for treatment... I have no idea, but I guess that depends if it has run it's course or is getting worse.

[sadiejude]

Thanks so much guys for all the replies! I started a sulfur dip tonight and I put Octavian in it for the full time since his is the worse. Yoda is in now...My children named them lol. I am also cutting back on their feeding. Im Italian, Apparently I overfeed anything I come in contact with lol.

Other than the shell issues they seem really content and friendly. They dont hide from us and at midnight every night they fall sound asleep. They seemed to have caught on to direction too, Its funny because when I pick them up and walk towards the door their legs are out and going crazy like they are trying to fly because I think they know that in that direction they get to play in the grass. Im convinced they have never felt grass before. The first time I placed them in the yard they had no idea what to do and they walked bull legged and almost on their tip toes. It was strange, like they never felt it before and wasnt sure how to walk on it. Now they have mastered it and have their special places in the yard they like to hang out. They havent even tried escaping....we have a fenced in yard but they havent tried finding a way out.