My turtle has a soft shell and it isn't a shell softed 1. It is very quiet and very idle. What's wrong wit it?

Question

It is very strange, my other turtle is very active and it's shell is hard and normal. It opens its eyes and is very energetic.

The other turtle doesn't like to play and its eyes are closed a lot. It doesn't move a lot and its not dead.

I looked it up and a website said colder water than is needed could trick the turtle to think it is hibernation but my water is normal temperature and I warmed it up a bit. The other turtle doesn't respond to this water the same way at all.

I feed it properly but it doesn't have a bif appetite. Is this turtle lacking something? How can I help it?...

PS. This turtle is a small water/land turtle.

Answer 1

The turtle is lacking Calcium!!

Calcium powder on food, wet the pellets place in ziplock bag, add calcium powder, shake. Allow to dry, feed the pellets after dry. Otherwise the calcium powder just washes off when it hits the water. Buy unflavored cuttlebone in the bird section scrape off the rough back side with a sharp knife, be careful not to cut yourself, break into small pieces and place in the water. The turtle will eat it, providing calcium.

They also need light to be able to absorb the calcium....

If your turtle has a lack of UVB light it will be unable to absorb a sufficient amount of calcium. This can lead to softened and even deformed bones. Ensure that your turtle always has an ample supply of UVB rays either from direct sunlight or a UVB light.

more info...
Metabolic Bone Disease
======================

Copyright by Valerie Haecky. This document may be freely
distributed for non-profit use, provided this notice is
included.

Unless your turtle is a softshell turtle,
turtle's shell should be nice and hard and solid.
This is true for box turtles, tortoises, and water turtles, equally.
Knocking on the shell should feel solid, pushing on the shell should
not create any dents, and no soft patches should be found on the shell.

The most common cause of a soft shell is insufficient Calcium and/or
insufficient Vitamin D3. It is beyond the scope of this article to explain
the whole Calcium/Vitamin D3 metabolism, but here is a short overview:

* Calcium is obtained through the diet.
* Two factors affect how well this calcium can be used by the turtle:
a) the availability of vitamin D3, which is used to metabolize calcium and
b) the calcium/phosphor ratio, which determines how much of the calcium
can be absorbed into the body. Good sources have twice the amount of
calcium than phosphor. Bad sources have equal or more amounts of
phosphorus.
* Vitamin D3 is mostly generated by the body in a complex process that requires
using sunlight. An artificial UVB source is much weaker, but can be an adequate substitute.
Dietary D3 can be found in animal products. Or in vitamin supplements.
* Good calcium foods include all green, leafe vegetables.
* Most turtles love to chew on cuttle fish bone. This pretty much guarantees
that they get enough calcium.
* Most commercial turtle foods now supplement Calcium and Vitamin D3.

If your turtle has a soft shell and is otherwise healthy, you must
provide him with enough calcium and a way to synthesize Vitamin D3.
(Refer to the care sheet on feeding turtles for more information.)

If your turtle has other problems, consult a veterinarian who knows and
cares about turtles. If the soft shell is extensive, consider taking the
turtle to a veterinarian for x-rays and evaulation to assess the amount
of damage.

To give extra calcium, buy "cuttle fish bone" at the pet store.
The turtles like to chew on it, and that will take care of the calcium.

For vitamin D3, you can either let your turtle bask in unfiltered sunlight every
day for at least an hour, or you can install a fluorescent UVB bulb on the
basking area, or you can supplement vitamin D3.

It will take many months
for the turtle to heal. However, if he stops getting worse, you are probably
winning the battle. He will not die of this, if he gets help now. However,
if the disease is far enough advanced, your turtle may be crippled for life.
If he doesn't get help, all his bones will get soft, and that is not very healthy...

For extensive information on the topic of fluorescent reptile lights, vitamin
D3, metabolic bone disease, and a discussion of types of lights, please, read
the following information:

Answer 2

Your turtle has an absorption problem... since youhave more than one, and you are feeding the same thing, if you are not providing enough calcium, both of them would have soft shells.

Anyway, this turtle has absorption problem and it is sick. The thing is you can take it to a vet, and it will not help. I have hatched and raised dozens of hatchling turtles of different species; many of they fail to survive, b/c they weren't meant to. Mother nature ensures survival by having turtles produce many and only less than 1% reaches maturity to reproduce.

The best thing you can do is raise the water temp to 80F and basking temp to 95F and hope for the best. The raised temps will help its immune system.

BTW, ALL pellets, turtle, fish or mammals pellets contain both Vitamin D3 and Calcium and other necessary nutrients. If the turtle is eating the pellets, it is getting it dietary calcium needs. There is no need provide more. It all depends on what you believe in. Some humans are vitamin poppers and insist htey need it, but doctors will tell you that vitamins and supplements do not make you healthier; rather it is a LACK of vatamins and minerals that makes you sick. More does not mean better.

The only time I would suggest providing more calcium is if you are try to breed. Land turtles need to have calcium supplements, b/c the captive diet does not provide enough variety of foliage and its these wild greens that contain lots of calcium. So, only tortoises and prego turtles would you need to supplement with calcium (with Vit D3 so it can absorb the Ca).

Answer 3

I had a turtle and th same thing happened(soft shell)
you turtle seems to be sick, i think my turtle had worms which i think it got from the food
it died a few days later
you may wanna take it to a vet and try to get help
did that help?

Answer 4

dont woorry when the turtlewiilll grow it willbe active too .u know bwbies cry whenteeth start coming same way turtles alsokeepcalm when they r growing

Answer 5

A vet needs to see the little guy as soon as possible. He sounds pretty sick.

Answer 6

TAKE IT TO THE VET!!! and in the mean time, give it reptile calcium supplements.

Answer 7

get it to the vet and see what she/he could do 4 you