If you look at a turtle's back, you'll see 13 main scutes, or sections of the shell - five down the middle and four on each side of that. If you count more than 13, those are extra. Most often, there's an extra one on each side, or the vertebral scutes will be doubled. I do rescue, and I've had dozens of sliders pass through my hands, and have only seen ONE that had too few scutes (three on each side instead of four).

Try Reptomin pellets - most hatchlings have no trouble eating them, and most turtles like them.

Katrina
-----
1.2 Eastern Muds - Fred, Ethel, Edith
0.1 Iguana - Tiffel
Foster turtles: More than I'd like the husband to know about.