I have several terrapins, however I was cleaning them out today and I noticed that the smallest one's shell has gone really soft and seems to be cracking at the edges, is this some sort of diet deficiency? The others all seem to be healthy
2007-05-24 22:03:30 · 5 answers · asked by maitreyauk 1 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
This is classic 'softshell'- a form of Metabolic Bone Disorder (MBD), usually caused by dietary and care problems that mess up the animal's ability to get and use calcium in the body- and turtles need a LOT of calcium!
With several turtles, it is very easy to have them in too small of a tank with resulting crowding, malnutrition, aggression, food theft, etc. so the younger turtles suffer. It may also be that all of the turtles have MBD but only the smallest showing it so far.
1st- double check the cares and make sure the housing, temps, etc. are solid.
2nd- check the diet. It sounds low in calcium. Cheap turtle food, lettuce, spinach, fruit, mealworms, and a lot of other commonly used turtle foods are actually bad for turtles because they are low in calcium. Foods high in phosphorous are just as bad- this softens bones.
3rd- check your supplements. You can offer turtles more calcium by 'gut loading' crickets or worms, offering UVB lighting or natural sunlight (that does not pass through glass or plastic), or by putting a piece of cuttlebone in the water will all help with this. (Do not bother with the turtle blocks- they are a waste of money.)
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com for more help.
2007-05-25 11:48:28 · answer #1 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like they need to have additional calcium in there diet to harden up there shell growth. Young terrapin's have softer shells than adults but if they are starting to have cracks and the shells are really soft then I would recommend a trip down to your pet store and get some food additives with additional calcium.
2007-05-25 05:14:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Great answers! In addition to calcium, be sure your terrapin has adequate UVB light. A UVB light needs to be replaced every six months to a year. It will continue to put out light during this time, but no UVB, which aids in the absorption of calcium, and decreases your chances of getting "soft shell". If you take your terrapin to a veteranarian, they can diagnose the problem, and give calcium injections if necessary. Good luck!
2007-05-25 09:46:37 · answer #3 · answered by devilheels 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jason's given you good advice; remember that several animals can compete for food and the smaller one might not be getting his share. Try putting him in a hospital tank until he picks up.
2007-05-25 05:53:43 · answer #4 · answered by sarah c 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to feed it a proper diet with calcium, such as whole fish.
You also need a UV basking light, such as vita-lite or reptisun.
2007-05-25 09:21:50 · answer #5 · answered by markwedloe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋