Urgent Care :: Turtle shell recess (?!)

[exe]

After letting my turtle bask today i noticed a recess in its shell, on the right side, that worries me. Unfortunately i cannot get it to show in pictures.. so i have a video of it, please notice the light as i roll it from side to side. Is this normal? The shell is not at all soft btw.

Thanks for all your help

http://www.ifi.uzh.ch/arvo/ailab/people ... /video.wmv


Basic details follow:

How big is your turtle? 8-9cm
How long have you had it? 4 years

What is the water temperature? Room temperature of 20-25C
Did you use a thermometer? No
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? 22x11x34cm
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? no, change water every 4-5 days

What is the basking temperature? room temperature
Is there a basking light? no
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? seperate box, bask him manually whenever i change water
What kind is it or what is it made out of? plastic
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? mostly shrimps, some greens (tomato, blueberries)
When was the last time your turtle ate? yesterday

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 22x11x34cm
Is the tank near a window? yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? yes, kitchen

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no, begging as always

[steve]

It is something you recently noticed? It looks like pyramiding, probably due to an imbalanced and/or insufficient diet. Also looks like excessive algae on the shell, though I can't be certain from the video. Do you have other recent photos/videos that show the shell in a different condition?

[exe]

I wouldnt say its pyramiding, unless it can also occur inverted (edges raised and middle of scute submerged) ? He has had some issues with shedding, its quite difficult for him to shed. Unfortunately i do not have any other recent pics with the shell in a different condition, i might have some from about a year ago if that is any help (and can find it..) ?

[gwennie]

Metabolic bone disease can cause shell 'wrinkling' that sort of looks like that...but there are usually obvious signs of it before that occurs.

Your turtle has a very dark shell for being only 4 years old...and it does look like he has some slight pyramiding in general on his shell.

I really have no idea why there would be an indention like that in your turtle's shell. Does your turtle bask regularly? How old is your UVB bulb? They need to be replaced every six months-one year to ensure that proper levels of UVB are being put out.

[exe]

Now im worried.. There have been no obvious signs of anything like this so far... The only issue i had with him was pneumonia during his second year that i cured with some antibiotics from a vet + installation of a heater..

The darkness of the shell is due to 2-3 layers of non-shedded chutes.. I can see the air bubbles underneath them every so often. When he manages to shed all chutes his shell looks very healthy...

The uvb is almost on its way out and I am getting a new one as we speak... anything else i should do/dramatically alter?

[gwennie]

You might want to take him to a vet just to be safe ^^ In order to get those scutes to shed you should make sure you've got proper lighting and also a healthy, varied diet with lots of leafy greens. What's his diet like?