Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, my one turtle( Yurtle) is around 2 inchs and I picked him up today and his shell was extremely soft. It was so soft that if I pressed lightly in a spot it bent. I have another turtle that I bought a few weeks before yurtle and his shell is perfectly fine. I did not have a uv light for about 5 months and this is now the sixth month. Yurtle is also alot smaller my other turtle. Should i give a calcium supplement? If so what kind and how do i give it to him? Please help!

Mike

p.s:If you need any more informationb please ask me.

It's called shell rot - GET A UVA/UVB light !! It's vital to proper shell growth. Also, they have some creams that you can apply to the shell in pet stores, go check it out ASAP.

Linda

What is the little guy's staple diet. I would recommend
feeding it Reptomin sticks right now because of its age and
the demand for calcium. Also I would dock it for a couple hours
per day under the UVB light. Keep it warm but do not overheat
it while dry docking it. You are going to have to be vigilant
in this or your turtle will die. What I would really recommend
is a Mercury vapor bulb like the Active UV that puts out alot
of UVB and heat. I believe the smallest wattage is 100 watts
so you have to be very careful not to overheat the turtles.
They are expensive but well worth it in this situation. After
about 6 months you should be able to go back to something like
the Reptisun 5.0. What kind of UVB are you using right now?

This combination should bring good results but alot of it
depends on the severity of the MBD.

Keep us updated. I wish you luck!

Linda

Hi, Thankyou for this information. My turtle shell does not look like it is rotting. I did not have for a while but bought one about a month ago.How much is the mercury vapor light? I have saw these Dr.Turtle cubes and it says it helps with shell diseases and gives the turtles calcium. Also should i get a cuttle bone to give my turtle extra calcium? My uv light is called repti glo 5.0. Thanks

Mike

I meant i did not have a uv light for a while but recently bought one. Sorry.

Mike

Drs fosters and smith on the internet. They are about $45
If you were to buy them in a petshop it would run you about
$70. You would only need to buy one though to get your turtle
well. After it's shell is hardened up you can switch back
to a regular UVB tube. I am not too familiar with the one you
are using. I swear by the Reptisun 5.0. I have 5 turtles and
2 Iguanas and use them exclusively.

The cuttlebone is good to use. You did not mention what your
turtle is eating. Like I said, I recommend Reptomin as the
staple diet. You can add other things later.

On a side note, shell rot and soft shell(MBD) are two different
things. I don't believe yours has shell rot.

Keep us up to date.
Linda