Turtle Shell Issue

[black_sun]

Hey all,

Someone dropped off an Eastern Painted Turtle at my work today (I work at a pet store) and I'm taking care of it until our store manager returns (he's a big reptile guru type). But I'm rather concerned about the turtle's health right now. I mean, it's active, alert, etc but the shell looks absolutely horrible. The scutes are peeling off, and not in a normal shedding way. The underside of them looks like rot and what not.

What can I do to fix this, if anything at all?

 

[coura]

Hummm it doesant appear as rotting to me, just retained old scutes. Provide great care with a basking platform and they should fall by themselfes in the short term. Any doubt just ask.

 

[m1ste2tea]

def looks like shell rot damage from the past on the scutes in the front. I'd put the turtle under good uvb lighting, something like the repti-glo 10(stronger than 5) and introduce a diet that is supplemented with calcium powder(every other meal). I'd also limit the access to water, either by removing the turtle from the tank for a few hours, placed under the light, or supervise the turtle, to make sure that it spends more time basking. If you go with the later option, check periodically that the basking platform is completely try when the turtle is on it. this damage will be visible for some time and the scutes will peel off in a bad way until new ones are formed.

 

[black_sun]

Yea, our store vet confirmed this today. I'm setting up a tank that only has a shallow pool in part of it for water and getting stronger lighting for it, for the time being at least. He said the turtle's shell damage is probably due to lack of proper lighting and very poor living conditions.

Hopefully, I can get him in better condition. Or at least on the right track until I can hand him off to our store manager. I'll pick up the stronger lighting tomorrow and some calcium supplements.

Thanks!