Is this normal?

[turtlebip]

We've had Shelly about a month now. When we got her, she had some various scratches on her shell like this. They looked older and were mostly on the back. We think she was kept in a backyard with multiple other torts and might have gotten the scratches from bumping other shells. We've been religiously following diet, soaking, enclosure, lighting etc advice from this forum. Other than being annoyed to not be outside as much (the weather turned in Utah), she's been eating well, pooping, peeing, active and sleeping like normal. But the scratches today look twice as big/many. Is it just old scute peeling?

 

[zovick]

We've had Shelly about a month now. When we got her, she had some various scratches on her shell like this. They looked older and were mostly on the back. We think she was kept in a backyard with multiple other torts and might have gotten the scratches from bumping other shells. We've been religiously following diet, soaking, enclosure, lighting etc advice from this forum. Other than being annoyed to not be outside as much (the weather turned in Utah), she's been eating well, pooping, peeing, active and sleeping like normal. But the scratches today look twice as big/many. Is it just old scute peeling?View attachment 396320

It looks like very old shell damage of some type which is still trying to heal. Some of the scutes might eventually come off and new ones could be growing underneath them by that time.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Bless her, she looks like a wild caught Russian, it’s quite normal for them to come with bumps and scraps like this, especially if she’s been housed with others and there was potential bullying happening. Some more of the top keratin might flake off where she’s had knocks, it’s kinda one of those ‘will look worse before it gets better’ situations, as long as there’s no redness/bleeding, I wouldn’t worry, she’ll heal in time❤everything looks like old damage

 

[turtlebip]

Thank you! I figured that was the case but I'm terrified of missing something and killing her she's certainly spirited and I feel like she's finally started to be comfortable here.

 

[COmtnLady]

Welcome to the Forum!

The advice above is excellent.

Please show us pics of her face and your enclosure. We might come up with some helpful things.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Welcome to the forum!