Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 1000 gallon indoor pond set up with a pool filter, large sand basking area with a heat lamp, and 2 4' flourescent fixtures (each one holds two UV bulbs). I feed a variety of seafood (shrimp, squid, whitefish, smelt, snails, and muscles) as well as reptomin pellets and provide free access to cuttlebone. Recently 2 of my male DBT's, in the process of shedding, lost a medial scute before the scute under it was fully formed. The scute seems to be formed on the edge, but it's not formed in the center. As soon as I noticed I pulled them out of the pond, put them under 24 hour UV bulbs (instead of the 12 hour setting I've had them on, and I've been drydocking them for a couple of hours each every day and treating the affected area with neosporin. I provided each of them with their own cuttlebone thinking that perhaps there was too much competition for them in the pond. Neither of them have touched the cuttlebone yet. Their appetites are normal and their behavior is normal. I haven't noticed any excessive basking or lethargy. I suspect that the problem is the result of their lack of interest in the cuttlebone. Is there any way to get a calcium suppliment to aquatic turtles? I know injectable calcium can be very painful so I'd like to stay away from that. Does anyone know of an oral liquid calcium suppliment or anything else that may help?

Scutes are made of protein so I am not sure that calcium is what they need. It is unclear what happened but if the shell is not infected it may heal by itself. You could try drying them off each day for a few hours and maybe put some betadine on the missing scute area. See how it goes but understand that healing might take months. If they are feeding fine that is a good sign. Putting them under 24 hour UVB can be dangerous. I think it would be for humans so why do it for your turtles? The other option is to take them to a vet.