I think my turtle might be getting "soft shell" but I'm not too sure, HELP? ?

Question

Okay so i keep my turtle in the water during the day, so she can get some air & exercise & all that. At night, I keep her in her little (dry) box to sleep. Now, I've heard about turtles getting soft shell if they're in the water too much but I don't know how much is "too much". Yesterday I noticed part of her shell that I guess would be considered "soft". It looked and felt like you could peel it off if it got any worse, is it soft shell. or something else?

Answer 1

Scutes peeling off the shell is natural. They will eventually fall off by themselves, revealing the new, larger, scute that was underneath it.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to take some precautions. You don't have to remove the turtle from the water at night. [That might even be contributing to the problem.] However, the turtle should have a basking platform that it can use to get out of the water and "catch some rays". The basking platform should be illuminated by a UV lamp, so the turtle can make its own vitamin D. It should also be quite warm there. You might consider raising the temperature of the water a degree or so, as well. Food should provide a decent amount of calcium and oil-soluble vitamins. I suggest earthworms, feeder fish (not goldfish), and strips of liver dusted in bone meal.

Answer 2

Sounds like soft shell is a definite possibility. You don't need to put your turtle in a dry box to sleep because in the wild turtles sleep underwater. This makes them safe from predators. So it's unatural for you to put your turtle in a dry box at night. Also I would just make sure that you get a basking dock or even slope up some large rocks so your turtle can bask while it's still in its tank if you don't already have one. You also absolutely must get a UVB light if you don't already have one. This light gives your turtle the necessary vitamin D it needs to grow properly and have a nice hard shell. It replicates the rays of the sun that a turtle would get if it were in the wild. Make sure you get cuttlebone for your turtle as well. It floats in the water and your turtle will eat it. It provides calcium that it needs as part of a balanced diet and to make it strong and healthy. This should help your turtles soft shell a lot! Also google cures for soft shell and they will give you some things to do to heal your turtle. It will have a nice healthy and hard shell in no time! Best of luck!

Answer 3

If you are talking sliders,cooter,maps,yellow bellied .

IMPORTANT,,how big is she? If they are under 2" babies have soft shells and harden as they age.

They sleep in the water at the bottom of the river,lakes or streams..Never remove from the water,unless sick and have shell rot..Shell rot keep it warm and give it plenty of light. Scrub the shell gently with a toothbrush and water. Let the turtle swim for about 20 minutes a day in something other than his pond or tank that has real clean water. 1-2 times a day take a cotton ball apply Hydrogen Peroxide to it then to his shell. It'll start bubbling which means its cleaning it. it. DO NOT get it in his eyes. Then clean the shell and apply providone-iodine solution to the shell, coat the shell and don't clean it off until he is ready to swim the next day.** Keep this up for several weeks and it should go away. . MOST important !!! TOSS in a bird cuttle bone in the water for calcium. it will dissolve real slow and if they eat it that’s fine!!

.Did you know that they need to bask under a reptile light UVA/UVB for  8 to 10 hrs a day for the vitamin D that  they need to grow. So that means getting a turtle dock also.

Leave the heater on 75 to 78 degrees always.

Their water needs to be clean otherwise they get sick easily from dirty water cause they p**p allot.

You need a good filter system!

You need to feed them feeder guppies, goldfish or minnows for protein and calcium daily drop 20 or so in the tanks and watch them disappear! This way when they swim for their dinner they get exercise also!

They need leafy greens( Romaine, Butter lettuce. Iceberg and cabbage are bad for them, any leafy greens will do) for vitamins at least 3 to 4 times a week.

And a big tank 55 gallons or more..

Illnesses:

Fungal infections” are fairly common among red-eared sliders, especially younger ones. If you notice what looks like a light layer of cotton on your slider’s shell or eyes or in its mouth, this is most likely some form of fungal infection. Although their appearance can be alarming, most infections in their early stages are fully treatable at home. If a fungal infection remains untreated, however, it can spread across the entire body and cause serious harm to your turtle.

To treat a mild fungal infection, immerse your red-eared slider in a warm saltwater bath for about half an hour each day, using a soft sponge to gently scrub the infected regions.

Swollen eyes are caused in 90% of cases for filthy water coming in contact with the slider. Some others are attributed to vitamin A deficiency and to chlorine water.

The Symptoms are bulging eyelids, as well as flaking of skin, and bloody skin patches. Swollen eyes can result in vision problems or can cause permanent blindness.

Prevention comes again tied to good husbandry and constant control of the water quality. Get the best filter for your tank.

Give the necessary vitamins and nutrients to your animal. Do not overfeed the turtle.

Contact the “herpetologicalsocieties.com, for a turtle vet in your city and state

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29035692@N0...

Email me if ya need help,K.

Answer 4

It definitely sounds like it could be a case of soft shell. Soft shell can also be cause by not getting enough calcium in their diet. I would suggest going to the pet store and getting a calcium supplement immediately. It comes in powder form and you just sprinkle it on their food.  Too much calcium is bad though as well so read the directions and follow them carefully. I may also want to suggest that you take your turtle with you to the store to ask if it may be something else. If you have an exotic pet store nearby that specializes in turtles I would take it there instead since it is their specialty. If nothing else, take it to a breeder or a RepVet and see what they have to say. But for now I would highly suggest starting it on a calcium enriched diet. It ought to help tremendously. If you want to you can email me at [e-mail] for more information or to keep me posted.