Urgent Care :: Soft Shell - URGENT baby RES

[squirtle415]

Hi all,

one of my baby RES has a REALLY soft shell, to the point where just touching it softly, it will bend. I have a calcium bone in the water, but I've noticed this turtle barely eats and has trouble swimming since I got it.

Water stays at 79F, I have a UVB/UVA lamp...the turtle does bask (but not normally... it does not look healthy. Looks lethargic to me.

Can I help it at all now? The shell is really soft...

Thanks

[steve]

Kept it separate from the others and make sure there is some calcium in the diet -- look at the descriptions on the food (pellets).

What is a calcium bone?

[squirtle415]

Kept it separate from the others and make sure there is some calcium in the diet -- look at the descriptions on the food (pellets).

What is a calcium bone?

Sorry, I meant cuttlebone. The problem is, I rarely see this turtle eat if it eats at all and if I issolate it, would I lower the water level, and continue to have UVA/UVB light on it?

[marisa]

What brand of UVB light are you using? What's the temp of the basking area---is it 10 degrees warmer than the water. A difference between the basking area and water temp will encourage basking.

[squirtle415]

What brand of UVB light are you using? What's the temp of the basking area---is it 10 degrees warmer than the water. A difference between the basking area and water temp will encourage basking.

Repti Glo 5.0 UVB 13W and the turtle with the soft shell is basking...that's not an issue at all.

[marisa]

You indicated above that the turtle does not normally bask...

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

I think he means that he basks but hasn't been basking normally lately.
Do a high calcium diet Gut loaded crickets, pellets with high calcium, ETC.

I would consider you taking him to the vet since you said it was really soft
Good luck hope your turtle gets better