General Care Discussion :: Removing scutes by hand?

[Mikerocosm]

Hi all,
I did a search and found loads of info about scutes but not about removing them.
Several of Sams scutes have been beginning to shed for some time now. They are especially visible when he has been basking. Can I use a toothbrush or something to help remove them? They appear to be nearly ready to go.
Sorry I don't have a photo handy at the moment. He's quite healthy and happy otherwise.

M

[scripta_elegans]

It prbably isn't a great idea. If you see infection under the retained scutes or he has other shell issues, he might need a trip to the vet. If not, if you have a proper basking and lighting set up, they should come off by themselves. If he can get completely dry and has a nice warm area with a healhy dose of UVB included, it should be nothing to worry about. One of mine is shedding scutes to, and I can say that I would really like to pick at her, but I don't think it's for the best.

[industrial_girl_2000]

If the scutes are hanging off (curling up), you can carefully remove them with your fingers. I have done this with my turtles for many years & it is ok to do, just as long as the scutes start curling up on their own. Don't try to force any scutes to shed if they are not ready to come off though because that can damage the underlying shell.

I will warn you that most turtles do not like to be held & have scutes removed so I only do maybe a few scutes at a time so that it doesn't stress the turtle out. When you peel them, just make sure you do it over a towel just in case the turtle decides to pee...!

[Mikerocosm]

Thanks!

Yes, the scutes are really curling up (on their own).

I have a feeling he would get pretty upset with me
picking them off so I'll be very careful and heed your advice.
Good idea about the towel.

Cheers,
M

[kneenuh]

When you peel them, just make sure you do it over a towel just in case the turtle decides to pee...!

I've been pee'd on before

[aeo]

RES can do that itself and It's not natural to help them. So you shouldn't do that.

[marisa]

A week ago yesterday I was going to clean a tank that holds two of my painteds and found 14 scutes on the bottom. Their shells looked like crap and every scute I touched oozed water and most were lifting. It was an easy matter to "help" them and remove a majority of their remainig old scutes---they popped off without any resistance and there was no peeing. The two guys now look great.

I don't advocate trying to take off scutes unless one is absolutely certain they're ready to come off. Any resistance and they should be left alone. But I don't see a problem with helping scutes off that are trapping water and obviously ready to come off. You just have to be sure they are.

[grey goose]

My vet said not to force or pick at them, let them fall off on their own. Turts love to rub against things, they should come off on their own.

[iac637]

Our turtles scutes have lighted up and are starting to curl a little. How long does it take for them to come off? ( We have all the lights and we have a Zoo Med dock he only reallly basks when we are not around or when we are on the other side of the room) I was just wondering because they have been this way for about a week.

[grey goose]

They'll come off on their own, basking will help to speed things up (when you're not looking).

[marisa]

After finding so many in the bottom of the tank, I wasn't about to clean it only to pick scutes out of it again. I didn't force or pick at them. They were just so ready to come off.

You could just be patient and keep an eye one them. At some point they should just about fall off if you touch them.

[iac637]

Do they normally get really light in color though?

[marisa]

They get lighter and dull looking as they lift away from underlying scute. The scute that's eventually shed will look translucent. Sometimes you can see a faint pattern from the shell on them.

[iac637]

I was just a little worried because they turned a light green and they aren't curling as fast as I thought they would

[marisa]

My RES's scutes didn't really curl, they just looked whitish and like they weren't lying flat next to each other. My painteds didn't curl either, but they looked whitish and when I pressed on them, water oozed from the scute that was going to shed. If your turtle's scutes are actually curling, it sounds like they'll shed pretty soon.