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Do turtles shells peel? My little ebt's shell is peeling a bit. What causes this and is it normal?
Shell peeling
- Thread starter animal_lvr
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My OBT has what seems to be peeling also...I have not been able to find the root of the problem...alot of ppl thought it was shell rot, but the shell has actually chipped away...which seems to be common apparently thru a Google search....you might want to post a pic so other members can weigh in.....
If it is just the upper scoot (oldest) this is normal. If it is more then one or to layers of scoots then it could be due to burns and or dehydration if shell rot has been eliminated as a cause.
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How do I tell if it is shell rot? I realized after reading up on shell rot that I have been keeping his enclosure too moist from misting it everyday. I have not misted it in about 2 days. He doesn't seem to be acting himself, he's not moving around alot. And I don't think he is eating as much as he used to (he is still eating though). He is little, probably about 2 1/2 inches long. If this is shell rot what is the proper way to care for it? Can I put neosporen on a baby ebt's shell? How long should I continue to apply it? And can I still soak him in his baby food soaks during this time or not? I don't know if this is shell rot or if he's dehydrated or what? Any help would be very much appreciated.
It will usually smell bad and may have some liquid (not puss per say as it is clear). If it is shell rot then clean the shell ( whole thing) with water. Then take a qtip with H2O2 and rub the whole shell where it starts to foam will be the infected area. Then maybe rub it down with a soft tooth brush to help remove any debris. Though here is where the tricky part comes in treatment as shell rot can be caused by both bacteria and fungi. If it is bacteria silver sulfide or bactroban. A lot of bacteria are resistant to neomycin or related antibiotics. If it doesn't respond to the antibiotic try yeast infection cream or athlete's foot cream they treat fungal infections.
Also what species is it? If it is an ebt or one of it's subspecies and it hasn't started doming yet try keeping it in a shallow water aquarium with a land area. They are semi aquatic or aquatic at that stage. The shell rot is not from moister per se but improper environmental conditions. Usually too damp of soil (if kept in a terrarium) or insufficient UVB exposure or something like that. Though as a side note even baby sliders need to dry out which is part of the reason they bask and sun themselves (which are actually two different behaviors). Basking is usually done with the arms, legs and neck retracted and is to gain heat quickly for speeding up digestion and other biological processes. Where as sunny they are extended to expose the most surface area for drying and UVB exposure, thus vitamin d synthesis.
Also what species is it? If it is an ebt or one of it's subspecies and it hasn't started doming yet try keeping it in a shallow water aquarium with a land area. They are semi aquatic or aquatic at that stage. The shell rot is not from moister per se but improper environmental conditions. Usually too damp of soil (if kept in a terrarium) or insufficient UVB exposure or something like that. Though as a side note even baby sliders need to dry out which is part of the reason they bask and sun themselves (which are actually two different behaviors). Basking is usually done with the arms, legs and neck retracted and is to gain heat quickly for speeding up digestion and other biological processes. Where as sunny they are extended to expose the most surface area for drying and UVB exposure, thus vitamin d synthesis.
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Landon has something else going on as well, the past two times he has pooped it has not been normal. I always find it after the poop has gotten hard but it doesn't look normal. It does not look like a pellet (which it used to) it looks more like runny poo that dried. It's not well formed. He ate yesterday and today by himself but I am just worried that something is up. I don't think we have a reptile vet in our area. I don't think he is acting himself, he seems a little lethargic. Could it be parasites? Or not enough variety in his diet? Could the runny poop be caused if I fed him too much bloodworms and not enough veggies and fruits? I'm more than a little concerned.
Without seeming him in person and having the proper equipment I can't say for sure. I would suggest looking on google for reptile vets in your area my vet is 30 minutes one way from me.
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