my son has a turtle and his shell is going soft?

Question

his turtle is called a painted tirtle. he is still very small about the size of a quarter. his shell is turning soft i wanted to know if u know what i should do. my son will be devistated if he dies.we found the turtle in a river.please answer !!!

Answer 1

You probably don't want to give it back so heres the things you need to get.
tank: 20 gallon
Water heater because the water should be from 80-85 degrees

A dock so the turtle can get out of the water
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441806023&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302036842&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023694&bmUID=1170531137411&itemNo=9&In=Reptile&N=2036842&Ne=2

2 of these clamp lights One for basking light and one for uvb/uba bulb
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441780325&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030051&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023694&bmUID=1170531255334&itemNo=7&In=Reptile&N=2030051&Ne=2

This is the basking Lamp
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441775087&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030051&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023694&bmUID=1170531255138&itemNo=2&In=Reptile&N=2030051&Ne=2

The Uvb/uvb bulb t 25$ This light will help with your turtles shells get harden and healthy so you HAVE to get this

Get a tank filter
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441806676&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030560&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1170531468152&itemNo=3&Ntt=filter&In=All&previousText=filter&N=2+4294966870

Food that will help its with their shells are food with D3
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441774871&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302036842&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023694&bmUID=1170531562723&itemNo=5&In=Reptile&N=2036842&Ne=2
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441782141&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302036842&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023694&bmUID=1170531563240&itemNo=25&In=Reptile&N=2036842&Ne=2
The last link the food has D3 in it
Hope you do all of this be ready to spend over 100+ dollors if not Just give it to a pet store and let them deal with it... BUt you HAVE to get all these things for the turtle to survive

GOOD LUCKKKKK

Answer 2

If you don't let it go, there is a good chance of it dying. The turtle is a red-eared slider, not a painted turtle. These are not good pets for kids. They get very large, need a big tank, need basking areas, need UVA/UVB lamps, heat lamps, calcium supplements, a varied diet with proteins and veggies, and they will eventually need a really high-powered filter. The can also harbor salmonella. It is very cruel to take an animal from the wild and keep it in captivity. And it's shell is probably going soft because it no longer gets full spectrum lighting from the sun and the calcium it desperately needs at that age.

Let me guess, you keep it in a little bowl? If you've had it for very long, the damage may already be done. So many people do not know how to care for these little guys and wonder why they die so often. If you do decide that you won't let it go (which is the most humane thing you could do), you need to do alot of research on them and commit to owning one responsibly. You will have to spend alot of money and will have it for 35+ years if you can keep it alive.

Here is a website I made about these turtles specifically because so many people don't know how to care for them when they are babies and because they die so often.

www.geocities.com/radiofemme/turtles

Answer 3

it is illegal in most states to release a red ear slider in the wild. so id probably advise you against that. i am not going to critisize you about you having one of those, we sell them at the petstore i manage, but we make sure the people know what they are getting into and what they need for these guys. youre gonna have to plan your budget this week around the turtle. because these are the things you have to buy if you want him to live:
FOR WHEN HE IS FULL GROWN:
-at least a 55 gallon aquarium.
-rocks that can be ramped out of the water ( like big slates) so he can have a non-water area
-you need a basking bulb, above the basking area ( 75 watt should suffice)
-id recomend getting a a bulb fixture ofrom fulkers, this way you can keep all the bulbs in a nice looking easy access holder
-you need a uva/uvb full spectrum light
-id recommend getting a shell revitalizer, most pet stores have this
-start feeding him more protein, i gut inject then sprinkle the crickets at my store with a calcium and vitamin supplament.
-oh yes and you need a terrarium filter.
if you need more advice please feel free to contact me.
[e-mail]

Answer 4

Does he have a uvb lamp to bask under??? Please tell us if you do. A soft shell is mainly caused by insufficient vitamin D and calcium, a turtle neds to bask in the sunlight or under a UVB lamp to keep its shell nice and hard

I had this same problem with my sisters baby Red Eared Slider, we went to SUPERPET and bought a 'turtle water conditioner', we put about a 1/4 of it into the water, and over the next week its shell's hardness inproved very much.

Answer 5

Get it a basking light or take it outside for about 15 minutes a day(make sure there are not any cats around). That was happening to my turtle too so we got it a basking light and it loves it.

Answer 6

Put it back where you found it before you kill it and buy your son a pet you know how to care for, because you obvously do not know how to care for turtles. And don't take anymore animals out of the wild again!

Answer 7

regrettably, the ideal ingredient to do is to launch the turtle decrease back into the wild... It has progressed a mineral deficiency, probably using malnourishment. diet D3 may well be gotten at a reptile solid point keep, or from a vet (which I strongly urge you to confirm). as quickly as a reptile gets used to a wild nutrition regimen, it is fairly annoying for his or her bodies to evolve to domestication. Oh, so some distance as pink-eared sliders vs. painted turtles, if it has pink patches in the back of its ears it fairly is slider. If not, it fairly is a painted. i've got blanketed links to photographs for reference...

Answer 8

MALNUTRITION!!!!!!! Your son needs to give the turtle more varietys of food. Give Him some outdoorsy time, like, bring him out and let him sit on the lawn, or make a little water dam, to let him swim. Let him meet some other wild turtles, let him be himself!!!!! Good Luck!!!! horse babe

Answer 9

maybe the shell is rotting