It all started a couple months ago when I noticed he had a scratch on his shell, nothing big, just a minor scratch he had when I bought him. His scutes were perfectly aligned at this time, 3 columns of four scutes, and the scratch being on the second/third of the middle column.
Later.. I notice the scratch is getting worse but at the time I was havfing a lot of problems just feeding him so I couldn't give him my full attention on what I felt was a minor medical problem. I noticed little dark lines appearing between each of his scutes but disregarded it. (I was making a lot of mistakes at this point, I realize, none of them ever to be repeated. I was a newbie and I didn't research him thoroughly enough.)
At the end of the first month I noticed the dark lines were becoming a bit more prominent and his scutes were in awkward positions and there were more than before. (I'll explain this in a second) After finally buying a new tank with a proper basking light and area I put him in the tank and had a few people contacted for professional advice.
I'm skipping alot by the way, but the important details are there, he didn't have a proper basking area and his scratch must have somehow got infected because of his inability to dry off and keep bacteria out of his shell.
Now that I have all the proper equipment I've put my focus to the problem and have developed the following theory for the scutes irregularity: The scratch must have seperated the two scutes into four halves, the body being none the wiser, the halves somehow grew individually giving him the appearance of having more scutes than he should, which are now affecting the since unaffected healthy scutes.
(I wish I could provide a picture but use your imagination, the two scutes in the middle now becoming four mishapen scutes, and the remaining scutes becoming affected from the mess.)
(I FEEL SO BAD FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO HELP HIM BEFORE THIS HAPPENED! D: )
If that weren't enough, the bacteria of the shell from before, must have caused a shell infection* causing the layer underneath the individual scutes to rise up, making it look like the scutes are sinking. (To reiterate: The dark lines have become dark ridges that rose up between the scutes like little mountains, the change being barely noticable unless observed carefully)
*- I read a book in petsmart about the diseases a red ear slider can get and one of them called a 'shell infection' describes that the scutes would sink into the layer making it look like the layer under the scutes rose up.
Anyways, aside from all that he's fine, he has everything he needs and he's on a steady pellet diet from Zoomed. The slime I was talking about has gone away and may have been a temporary problem caused by changing tanks.
Treatment- I've rushed to his aid ever since I realized the problem wasn't as common/minor as I had thought, he's soaking in sulfa-dip (Though he's a bit small to do this) and I'm keeping a watchful eye on him, his tank will be cleaned soon as well to keep him in a clean environment until I can get him looked at by a herp vet.
Questions? Comments?
Please, I know you must be disappointed/furious/agitated at my lack of experience but what mistakes have been made cannot be undone and will not be repeated, I have a tight budget as of now after putting all the tank and accesories on my credit card so I don't have much money to provide the most excellent care he needs. I also would like to remind you all that if there was anyone more qualified to care for him in his ill state I would leave him in their care asap, though I would never give him up to anybody for permanent
(I haven't been able to clean out the tank after the mucous/fungus/skin incident in which layers of thin white scraps were floating around in the tank, I fished them out but haven't replaced the water, however the water looks fairly clean as of now but I'l clean it ASAP)
