General Care Discussion :: Is my turtle's shell healthy?

[MrDog]

Here's Gurtle in action!


What should we do about the moss? And does the shell look otherwise okay?

[Boomer]

Here's Gurtle in action!


What should we do about the moss? And does the shell look otherwise okay?

the moss wont affect him but if you want if off just gently scrub it with a soft brush and if will come off (when you do it he will probly get mad and hiss but that is normal) in my opinion the shell doesnt look normal. if you look under the health section on this website you might find out what it is or post the question w/ pics to the main forum

[Kansasslider]

My bad didn't look like a res shell. I still have a lot to learn.

[steve]

@Kansasslider - It doesn't look like a RES shell because there's fungus all over it.

@MrDog - Since there is fungus, algae and retained scutes, it would be a good idea to clean him him some. I'd prepare to have a dry-dock area for him. Pick up a new toothbrush and some Betadine or Hibiclense. Dilute those 1:1 with water and gently scrub. Hold the turtle and don't be surprised if you're peed, pooped or fanned on. Do not get the solution into his eyes, nose or mouth. Betadine can be wiped off later, Hibclense needs to be rinsed off (its a little soapy).

After this, inspect under the scutes. Make sure its firm, clean, free from debris and not smelly. Fungus goes through the first layer or two, do not be surprised if you see it. If the scutes are shedding several layers at once, you might need to do this more frequently since it will take longer to shed. If all the scutes are in the process of shedding thin layers, then I would wait until most of them come off for the next step.

That would be using some silver sulfadiazine cream. Tons of talk about it here, just search for "SSD". I can go into more details if you have questions.

[MrDog]

When I dry dock him, do I do it only for cleaning, or should I keep him dry for a certain period of time?
I'm a nurse, so being peed or pooped on doesn't phase me one bit!

[steve]

You'll want to dry dock after cleaning. If and when you use SSD, you'll want to dry dock as well - doing it overnight is usually easier and less stressful (for turtle and keeper).