Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have a spotted turtle that was a baby when we got her. We found half dead in a friend's pool filtration system and have nursed it back to health. It has now been two years since we found the turtle. Recently, we noticed that her shell's edge appears to be serrated and the middle of her shell is lumpy (yet it's not soft, it's still very hard). We adjusted her diet to include more calcium and vitamin D3 but so far, it doesn't seem to have much of an effect. Is there anything more that we can do for her? Or is it time to take her to a vet? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!

It's never too early to take the turtle to a Vet, if only to set your mind at ease. However, from what you described, there may not be a whole lot that they can do. If it's an extreme calcium deficiency, they can do Ca injections. Also, if it's shell rot they can be a great help.

Can you post a picture?

In the meantime, are you supplying UVA/UVB lighting? What is the primary diet?

If it is a calcium or dietary problem, that can take a tremendous amount of time to correct. There is a lag period. Basically, how you feed/house/supplement your turtle now often doesn't show up in their shell for months or years. Consequently, corrective actions can take just as long to show improvement.

Yeah second that Ken.

Willieturtle, it seems you are on the right track. Up the calcium, vitamin D3, UV lighting, and make sure the phosphorous intake levels are not too high. As Ken said this reversal process will take a long time to correct. Without a picture (hopefully you can post one) we can't get a a full grip for this lumpy shell affect. I also want to make sure it is not normal juvenile spotted turtle shell growth, as their scutes will be sightly more pyramided when young but then completely smooth out. Because you are worried about the situation it is probably not this though. If it is true pyramiding from improper diet/conditions you may always see its "scars" but if turned around early enough, which you are can get the turtle back on the right track of proper overall bone growth and health.

Good luck.

-JG

First of all, if you've had your turtle two years, then you're doing something right (especially if you started with a baby.) Next, view this photo and ask yourself if your turtles sculpted shell resembles this one at all. Spotted turtles in nature (as is the one freshly caught in this photo) build up laminae as they grow, they don't always shed off as the under lying ones appear. Some shed scutes more frequently than others. I have found full grown adults with a carapace (and sometimes plastron) so heavy with laminae, that they look like Wood turtles in shell structure.
In the event that the turtle has some pyramiding due to a calcium deficet, it can be corrected relatively easy by keeping your turtle outdoors in natural sunlight ~ even for a couple of hours a day, when the season dictates that.
I will also post a picture in a different post, of a freshly caught hatchling which shows some flaking of carapace laminae.
What is the diet that you've been feeding the turtle? Thanks, Leo

Skin & Scales

Here's a pic of Willie. Unfortunately since it was taken using a camera phone, it's not of the best quality. We have been feeding her a diet of ReptoMin Food Sticks coated in Zoomeds Reptivite vitamin powder and also Nutrafin Max Turtle Gammarus Pellets enriched with Calcium and Vitamin D3. For lamps, we have a UVA/UVB combination lamp and because it's cold now and my family apparently doesn't believe in heat, we also have a lamp strictly for heat. We did notice since we posted the message that she appears to be shedding but she has never shown signs of that before. How can we tell for sure she is shedding? Thank you everyone for the responses!

Thanks,
Kristen and Dylan

I can see by the picture that the turtle is shedding scutes ~ if you look at the photo of the Spotted Turtle that is is shown when you first sign onto this forum, it looks like the same turtle (condition wise anyway.) If your turtle is alert, active and actively eating, I wouldn't be concerned.
Concentrate on giving the turtle some real food anyway! Live food, crickets, Beetles, Fish etc., and the occasional fuzzy mouse. Good luck and continued success E-Mail if you have questions, Leo
Skin & Scales

Yikes! From what I can tell, it doesn't look good.

First, try to vary the diet more. Add in live insects gut-loaded with lots of greens and other vegetables. Vitamin/mineral dust washes off in the water, so that's off of the table.

It's difficult to get a clear look due to the picture quality, but you may have a fungal or bacterial infection on your hands. Taking the turtle to the Vet is never a bad idea. If that's not an option, you can use one of JG's home remedies. Pimafix and Melafix, chemicals used to treat fungal and bacterial infections in fish, are acceptable to use in turtles. Follow directions on the bottle. Or, you can try to "dry-dock" the turtle. It's a little risky with young turtles, but it can be done. In the future, a little blackwater extract added to the water can help with infections in Spotted turtles, and other acidic water loving turtles. Keep the water immaculately clean.

Make sure that your bulb is in fact giving UVA and UVB. There are some that call themselves "full spectrum", but only offer one or the other.

From the little that I can see, this is not normal shedding. Good luck, and keep us updated.

Willieturtle,

If you can, another pic of higher quality and a few more inches away from the camera would be most helpful as there seems to be a couple contrasting opinions.

Thanks,

JG