Dents on shell. Why?

[Adam G]

My box turtle seems to have one big dent on each back side of her shell. The dents are simetrical and large but not super deep. Here are some photos.

http://imgur.com/nd7hWmz
http://imgur.com/SX89ubf
http://imgur.com/wM9EaRa
http://imgur.com/badsMrF
http://imgur.com/klFVvhJ

 

[Yvonne G]

This sometimes means MBD (metabolic bone disease). Do you supplement with calcium and does he get UVB either from the sun or from a good UVB light?

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

 

[Stuart S.]

Are the dents soft?

 

[Adam G]

This sometimes means MBD (metabolic bone disease). Do you supplement with calcium and does he get UVB either from the sun or from a good UVB light?

He does get UVB from a light but I do not frequently dust with calcium. If I start doing that is there a way I can fix the problem?

 

[JoesMum]

If you're relying on UVB from a bulb, when did you last change it? The frequency depends on the type of bulb:
MVB UVB output declines rapidly long before the bulb fails at around 6-9 months
Tube UVB lasts much longer - a couple of years or so.
Compact CFL UVB shouldn't be used anyway as it frequently causes eye problems in torts.

Is your tort getting the correct diet? Dietary problems frequently cause shell deformities. What do you feed your tort?

A tiny pinch of calcium powder should be sprinkled on food 3 times a week regardless.

The patches won't go away, but they do become less obvious as a tort grows. My Jow has a dent on his, otherwise perfectly smooth, shell caused by dietary problems when he was small. Forty years later it's just there. I notice it; most people don't.

 

[Adam G]

If you're relying on UVB from a bulb, when did you last change it? The frequency depends on the type of bulb:
MVB UVB output declines rapidly long before the bulb fails at around 6-9 months
Tube UVB lasts much longer - a couple of years or so.
Compact CFL UVB shouldn't be used anyway as it frequently causes eye problems in torts.

Is your tort getting the correct diet? Dietary problems frequently cause shell deformities. What do you feed your tort?

A tiny pinch of calcium powder should be sprinkled on food 3 times a week regardless.

The patches won't go away, but they do become less obvious as a tort grows. My Jow has a dent on his, otherwise perfectly smooth, shell caused by dietary problems when he was small. Forty years later it's just there. I notice it; most people don't.

I feed her worms, occasionally chicken or hardboiled egg. I try to get her to eat veggies but she won't take them. I have tried putting them amongst worms or meat and still she refuses. I will go and get her a new light this week. I really want her to get the right diet so any tips on how to get her to eat veggies is appreciated. Thanks

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Welcome, I agree with the POV that there could be a calcium deficiency taking into account the other back and forth so far in this thread.

A good solve if you have snails available and depending on where you are would be to feed small snails. Their shells are rich in calcium and the meat of the snail is a good food source. By looking at some Veterinary web page I found that terrestrial snails in the northeast and around the great lakes have some pathogen (forgot which) that is detrimental to dogs.

I know they eat snails in the wild by as many as they can. A good clue there are box turtles in an area is finding that all the leaf duff around the base of trees is cleared away by the width of a box turtle. They stalk snails at the place.

otherwise using any of the calcium supplements packaged for reptiles are good. A key difference is some have D3 included and some don't. I don't want to be involved with further debate on that topic myself.

Younger box turtles are not big veggie eaters. When they get older the start to eat them. Pelleted aquatic turtle foods are good too.

 

[Eric Phillips]

I feed her worms, occasionally chicken or hardboiled egg. I try to get her to eat veggies but she won't take them. I have tried putting them amongst worms or meat and still she refuses. I will go and get her a new light this week. I really want her to get the right diet so any tips on how to get her to eat veggies is appreciated. Thanks

Hello and welcome! Make sure to leave the shell on the hardboiled egg. How long have you had this box turtle?

 

[Adam G]

Hello and welcome! Make sure to leave the shell on the hardboiled egg. How long have you had this box turtle?

Around 5 years. I have not been feeding the hardboiled eggs with shell but will start now. Thanks

 

[Turtlesfromcolo]

Hello and welcome! Make sure to leave the shell on the hardboiled egg. How long have you had this box turtle?

Why do you need to leave the shell on?

 

[cmacusa3]

Why do you need to leave the shell on?

Calcium from the shell, just smash it up with the egg