Urgent Care :: Odd looking shell

[Vtolds]

I've noticed Rexi's shell is kind of rough looking what is wrong with it? She likes to get under her ornament an dpush it around a lot could that may be it? Other than that she is healthy, has no problems eating basks normally has heat a UVB and her water is always 78 degrees.

[SpotsMama]

Turtles like to scratch against things when they're trying to shed scutes. Some turtles will even get underneath their keepers fingernails and scratch back and forth. The shell isn't white and rough looking because of the ornament - instead, your turtle is scratching on the ornament trying to get the scutes to shed.

Try soaking a q tip in white vinegar and rubbing it on the white stuff and see if any of it comes off. If it does, that means the turtle's water is very hard and minerals are coating the shell.

Looks like your turtle is overdue for a scute shed. When was the last time he/she shed?

[Vtolds]

no idea really, never noticed her do it. We have had her for maybe 5 months.

[SpotsMama]

Make sure she basks a lot and basks under good UVB and she should shed before long. You can also supplement her diet with foods rich in vitamin e, which is supposed to help with scute shedding. Here are some foods you can give once or twice a week to make sure she's getting enough vitamin e:

Tomato
Sweet potato
Turnip greens
Blueberries
Apple skin

When you try rubbing the white stuff on the shell with white vinegar, let us know how it turns out.

[Vtolds]

I have cherry tomatoes handy. Would one a day work pretty good?

[SpotsMama]

One cherry tomato a day would be too much because tomatoes contain sugar. In fact, most of the things on the list contain sugar and shouldn't be given more than about once a week. turnip greens, however, you can provide every day.

by all means, give her one of the tomatos (or a half a tomato should be plenty) then stock up on some turnip greens for day to day.

She really doesn't have to have high vitamin e foods every single day. Try to give her a couple of servings a week.

[Vtolds]

cool, i will give it a try.

[marisa]

I'd give that shell a nice gentle cleaning with a soft brush or cloth.

The scutes look like they're going to flake off in some of those areas. What is the diet like? What kind of UVB light are you using?

[Vtolds]

After I cleaned with Vinegar. A good amount of green/brown stuff came off but the white did not disappear.

She eats reptomin Sticks and HBH Turtle food. That is the bulk of what she eats. Occasionally I will put a small carrot in and some dried shrimp or Krill. She is a very healthy eater she just about jumps out of the tank when she sees me getting the food. I know I should probably feed her more veggies, but I dont usually keep a lot around except Carrots, Cucumber, Iceberg lettuce, and Tomatoes.

[marisa]

A good number of the white areas are where the older scutes are. Those should eventually shed.