The sea turtle has a soft shell. What to do if your turtle has a soft shell? Causes, treatment, prevention

Tastes could not be discussed. Therefore, it is not surprising that sometimes people choose quite exotic candidates for the role of pets. For example, turtles. But, if you don’t know how to properly care for them (read more about this) and in what conditions they need to be kept, be prepared for the fact that your pet may start to get sick. In particular, one fine day you may notice that your turtle’s shell has suddenly become soft or crooked. Why is this happening? How and with what to treat a turtle? We will answer all these questions on the pages of our article...

Both aquatic and land turtles have a shell, and with the help of rings on the shell you can not only determine the age of your turtle (find out how to do this), but also by the condition of the shell itself you can judge the health of your pet. So, if you notice that your turtle’s shell has become soft and deformed, this may indicate health problems for your pet. True, we hasten to reassure you that if you catch it right away, the disease can be cured, but if the situation is advanced, the turtle may die.

It is noteworthy that, according to veterinarians, problems with the shell are quite common in turtles kept in captivity. And, if a healthy turtle’s shell should be smooth, without tubercles or dips, uniform in color, depending on the species - elongated and streamlined for aquatic turtles, and dome-shaped - for land animals, then in sick creatures the shell becomes deformed and soft. Such changes are a reason to visit the veterinarian.

Causes of shell problems in turtles

As a rule, in most cases, it is the calcium imbalance in the animal’s body that leads to problems with the shell, which causes the development of rickets, osteopenia, osteoporosis, osteomalacia, osteitis fibrosa cystica (o). All this can occur as a result of feeding turtles with ready-made feed mixtures that are not enriched with vitamin D3 and calcium, as well as as a result of the lack of artificial or natural ultraviolet irradiation. This is especially true for young and adult turtles.

Symptoms of Shell Problems in Turtles

How can you tell if something is wrong with your turtle’s shell? Examine your pet carefully. If you have an aquatic species and the turtle is young, then with the above problems, its shell will become soft and seem to be tight for it, the marginal scutes may bend upward as it grows, or may even become curved. In parallel with this, turtles with impaired calcium absorption may also have curved limbs.

If you have an adult turtle, then you may find a gap in the back third of the carapace, which has arisen as a result of the fact that it cannot withstand the pressure of the muscles in the pelvic girdle. The color of the shell may also change - become light, and the shape - flat. The bony scutes in the area between the carapace, bridge and plastron begin to grow, thereby increasing the distance between the upper and lower carapace. As a result of the growth of the shell, the turtle acquires a spherical shape.

If you have an old turtle, then its shell does not necessarily have to become soft. It is enough for it to change color, become lighter and resemble plastic in appearance so that you can guess that something is wrong with the turtle’s health. When you pick up your pet, it will even seem to you that the turtle is empty inside, although due to the development of edema in the body cavity, the weight of the creature may remain the same.

Associated problems with shell diseases in turtles

In addition to the fact that the shell of turtles is deformed and its consistency changes, animals may experience spontaneous fractures of the limbs, bleeding, and the cloaca may fall out. The owners notice that the turtle’s gait is deformed; it seems to move only on raised front legs, while the hind legs simply drag behind it as a result of paresis. If you have an aquatic turtle, you can observe how it cannot get out onto its raft for a long time, and if the terrarium is not equipped with a gentle slope, it may even drown. The beak of turtles begins to resemble a duck's in shape, because the shape of the bite changes, this in turn limits the turtle in terms of nutrition. If the disease is advanced, death may occur from acute heart failure or pulmonary edema.

Diagnosis of shell problems in turtles

If you notice that something is wrong with your pet, take the time to show it to the veterinarian. Only a veterinarian can determine what's wrong with your turtle, and this will often require a series of tests. additional examinations– take tests to check the amount of calcium in the body. Only after this will he be able to say with certainty that all the symptoms relate to a particular disease. By the way, trying to independently diagnose a turtle based only on symptoms is not entirely correct. Since, even with pneumonia, the animal may have paresis or weakness hind legs, flotation violation, hard breath... But, as you yourself understand, the treatment of pneumonia and calcium deficiency is somewhat different.

- aquarium animals that, despite their unpretentiousness, sometimes still get sick. A sign that a turtle is unhealthy is a soft shell. Such a symptom most often indicates that this type of amphibian is especially susceptible.

But the soft shell is not always alarming symptom. In small turtles under the age of 1 year, it should be like this. These animals are born with a soft shell that hardens over time. By the 12th month of life, their “armor” becomes quite strong and hard.

Soft shell is a symptom of calcium and vitamin D3 deficiency

Often the presence of a softened shell in an amphibian is accompanied by some other symptoms: redness of the eyes, the appearance of small tubercles and swellings on the protective shell, elevated temperature bodies, bends of the edges of the shell.

The above symptoms may be the result of many diseases, namely abnormal work thyroid gland, intestinal dysfunction. The hardness of a turtle shell is directly affected by the amount of calcium that circulates in the animal's body. It is with a deficiency of this element that deformation of the shell and other symptoms occur. A turtle in this condition cannot be left without treatment, otherwise over time its skull bones will become deformed and the animal will not be able to feed normally.

Calcium deficiency can be caused by a malfunction of the intestines or kidneys, as a result of which the rate of calcium absorption in the amphibian’s body is significantly reduced. Flaw ultraviolet radiation and as a consequence, vitamin D deficiency can also lead to a softening of the shell in a pet.

How to cure a pet?

If your turtle exhibits similar symptoms, you can try to take some measures yourself. In summer and warm spring, the pet can be taken out in an aquarium to the balcony or outside and placed in the sun. At the same time, it is important that straight lines Sun rays did not fall on the animal directly, but illuminated the aquarium well.

During cloudy seasons, in autumn and winter, an aquarium with a turtle should be placed under an ultraviolet lamp for a while, having previously covered the turtle’s eyes with a plaster. This must be done so that the radiation and bright light did not damage the organs of vision.

The turtle's diet should be reconsidered: you can add multivitamin complexes containing vitamin D and calcium. Shrimp can be a natural source of calcium for turtles. Hard-shell shellfish or minced fish with bones should be added to the animal’s diet.

But if the disease is in neglected form or the measures taken did not bring the desired result, then the amphibian should be taken to a veterinarian. The doctor will conduct a course of injections vitamin complexes and condition, appearance red-eared turtles will improve significantly.

Preventive measures

The best way to prevent the development of the disease is its prevention. To prevent the red-eared turtle from starting to soften its shell, it is necessary to carry out this procedure several times a week for the animal. sunbathing. A good way to prevent calcium deficiency is to add crushed eggshells to your turtle's daily food several times a week. In winter, when the days outside are cloudy, the turtle needs to be given a solution of vitamin D-3. 3 drops of vitamin D for an adult turtle 2 times a month will completely prevent development. The vitamin injection can be given into lumps of food or injected into the animal’s mouth using a medical syringe.

Following the recommendations above is an easy way to keep your turtle healthy. healthy condition. However, if the softening of the shell has already begun, you should take necessary measures. After all, rickets, a softening of the shell, can lead to the death of the animal.

Hello. I have two red-eared turtles, seven to eight months old. The girl is active, eats well, and the male’s shell has begun to soften. At first there were soft edges, then the belly softened, now, it seems to me, the condition has worsened. His eyes are swollen, he doesn’t open them. In my opinion, he doesn’t eat, he mostly lies under the lamp, and sometimes swims. What to do? Help. We don't have a veterinarian.

Svetlana Kopylova, Krasnodar region

It happens that the presence of a soft shell in a turtle will be explained natural causes. In small turtles under one year of age, the presence of a soft shell is not a disease. In newborn turtles, the dorsal and abdominal shields are soft, and when pressed with a finger, the plates bend easily. Subsequently, the shell becomes denser and eventually turns into reliable, strong armor.

If the softening of the shell is accompanied by redness of the mucous membrane of the eyes, the appearance of various tubercles and swellings on the shell, or bends of the shell shield, then this is a sign of disease. Most often it is rickets.

Reasons for softening of a turtle's shell:

• poor diet, in particular lack of vitamin D;
• lack of natural solar or artificial ultraviolet irradiation in the red-eared turtle terrarium;
• disturbances in the functioning of the intestines and, as a result, disturbances in the absorption of calcium from food;
• impairment of kidney function and, as a consequence, cessation of calcium absorption.

TREATMENT

As a rule, treatment for a softened shell in a turtle consists of a course of injections. This is calcium borogluconate at a dosage of 2 ml/kg of animal weight, subcutaneously, every other day, for a total of five to seven injections. Vitamins Eleovit in a dosage of 0.6 ml/kg intramuscularly, twice, with an interval of 14 days.

In addition, you need to create additional conditions for the turtle. Hang an ultraviolet lamp over the terrarium, which should burn for 10-12 hours a day. IN summer time The terrarium with the turtle can be taken outside so that the sun's rays fall directly on the animal and illuminate its home.

You need to add multivitamins to your turtle's diet. high content vitamin D, and also give it to the turtle more products containing calcium (shellfish, ground fish bones with minced meat, etc.).

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Symptoms: Soft or crooked shell
Turtles: aquatic and land
Treatment: can be cured on your own, advanced ones cannot be treated

This is the most common group of diseases when keeping turtles in captivity. Rickets is a special case of calcium imbalance diseases. Diseases of this group can occur in different forms, but in all cases this is associated to one degree or another with a decrease in calcium concentration in bone tissue.

Osteopenia is a collective term meaning abnormally low bone mass. There are three types of osteopenic lesions: osteoporosis (simultaneous loss of organic matrix and minerals), osteomalacia (insufficient mineralization of bone tissue), fibrocystic osteitis (increased resorption of the basic bone substance and its replacement with fibrous tissue).

Normally, a turtle’s shell should be smooth, without bumps or dips, approximately uniform in color, dome-shaped for land animals and elongated, streamlined for aquatic ones.

Causes:

When feeding turtles with food mixtures not enriched with calcium and vitamin D3, as well as in the absence of natural or artificial ultraviolet radiation, all turtles, both young and adults, develop a pattern of calcium leaching from the body. Some foods also help remove calcium from the body, such as white cabbage.

Symptoms:

Young aquatic turtles: the shell becomes soft and, as it were, tight for the turtle, the marginal scutes bend upward as they grow (saddle-shaped) and can become curved. Normally, young turtles' shells should harden by the end of their first year of life. Juvenile land turtles: pyramidal growth of the shell and curvature of the limbs.

Adult turtles: a failure in the posterior third of the carapace, which cannot withstand the pressure of the pelvic girdle muscles. The entire shell becomes lighter and flatter. The bone scutes in the area of ​​the bridge between the carapace and plastron grow (here the bones are more spongy) and the distance between the upper and lower carapace increases. The carapace, especially the plastron, may be soft to palpation. The shell can grow uncontrollably, and the turtle takes on a spherical shape.

Old turtles: the shell usually does not become soft, but becomes much lighter and resembles plastic. The turtle appears “empty” inside (due to the thickening and porosity of the bone plates). However, the total weight of the turtle may remain within normal limits due to the development of edema in the body cavity.

In addition, there are: spontaneous fractures of the limbs, bleeding, prolapse of the cloaca, the turtle cannot lift its body when walking and seems to float, touching the ground with its plastron; the turtle moves only on its front legs - due to weakness or paresis of the hind legs; aquatic turtles are not able to get out onto their “raft” and, if a flat bank is not built in the terrarium, they can drown; the beak is more reminiscent of a duck’s (the shape of the bite is irreversibly changed, which will no longer allow the turtle to eat the roughage it needs). IN last stage Death may occur from diffuse hemorrhage, acute heart failure and pulmonary edema.
When calcium in the diet is normal and phosphorus is in excess, swelling and fluid accumulation under the plastron may develop, but there is usually no bleeding. Similar symptoms can cause many other diseases, so the turtle should be examined by a veterinarian, who will do tests and determine the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the body.

Osteopenia may cause paresis or weakness hind limbs, impaired flotation and regurgitation of mucus from the stomach, i.e. Symptoms mimic pneumonia. There may be problems with breathing (it becomes hoarse and heavy), the skin is sticky, and there are yellow sticky flakes in the folds of the skin.

Treatment regimen

When examining rachitic turtles, increased caution is necessary - bone fractures and deformation of soft organs are possible. A fall of such turtles, even from a small height, is fraught with serious injuries. Any diagnosis, in particular “rickets,” must be made by a veterinarian. Softening of the shell may be due to renal failure, hyperparathyroidism, nutritional osteodystrophy, classic “rickets” (lack of vitamin D3), etc.

Rickets I -stage II(limbs work normally, missing systemic symptoms: bleeding, swelling and paresis).

1. Administer Calcium gluconate (10% solution) at a dosage of 2 ml/kg or Calcium Borgluconate (20% solution) at a dosage of 1.5 ml/kg, intramuscularly or subcutaneously (up to 0.02 IM, more - s.c. ), every 24 or 48 hours depending on the degree of rickets for 2-14 days.
2. Give Panangin (potassium and magnesium) 1 ml/kg every other day for 10 days. Panangin helps calcium go to the bones and shell, and not to the joints.
3. If the turtle eats on its own, sprinkle calcium reptile food (or crushed cuttlefish shell - sepia) on or in the food 1-2 times a week.
4. The turtle must be actively irradiated with ultraviolet light (ultraviolet lamp for reptiles 10% UVB). Every day for 10-12 hours.
5. It is necessary to adjust the diet of aquatic turtles by adding more calcium-containing foods to it. For aquatic turtles, these are Reptomin (Tetra brand), shrimp with shells, fish with small bones, small snails with shells.

Treatment will require 2 - 8 weeks.

Rickets stage III-IV(paresis of the limbs and intestines, spontaneous fractures and bleeding, anorexia, lethargy and shortness of breath are noted).

Not sure what to do if your turtle has a soft shell? First you need to figure out why this pathology occurs. A soft shell is a symptom of a rather unpleasant and even serious disease called rickets. Its danger lies in the fact that in its advanced stage it is practically untreatable and can lead to the death of the pet. But if you start fighting rickets at the very beginning of its development, then there is a great chance of recovery. Soft shells in young turtles should not be a cause for concern. The fact is that during the first year of life it gradually becomes horny. And only then does it become a real impregnable defense.

Causes

The shell should be hard with a smooth surface. In a healthy turtle it has no bumps or dips. To keep reptiles at home you need to create special conditions. Be sure to provide sufficient quantity ultraviolet lighting or, if possible, natural sunlight. Its lack causes vitamin D deficiency in the turtle's body. Rickets can also be caused by poor nutrition. If the diet is unbalanced and monotonous, this will lead to calcium deficiency. Accordingly, it will make the shell soft. Its surface will become pliable, with the slightest pressure, dips will appear, the edge flaps will begin to bend upward.

The progression of rickets can cause serious complications, so it is imperative that every owner knows what to do if the turtle has a soft shell. If immediate action is not taken, the following may occur:

• bleeding;
• limb fractures;
• restriction of movement;
• redness of the eyes;
• disorders of the digestive system, kidneys;
• prolapse of the cloaca;
• irreversible changes bite

At the last stage death inevitable, as pulmonary edema, heart failure and diffuse bleeding begin.

The red-eared turtle has a soft shell - what to do?

This type turtles are most susceptible to rickets. At risk are young individuals who are already 12-13 months old. Veterinarians believe that the most common cause of pathology is the lack of sunlight in the terrarium. Each owner can determine rickets independently. Just lightly press the shell with your finger. If he begins to sag, even just slightly, then it’s time to worry about your pet. His health and life are at risk.

If measures are not taken in time to save the turtle, its head will change. Wherein upper jaw bends strongly, is shaped like a beak, and the lower one becomes flexible. This results in the reptile not eating.

What to do if your turtle has a soft shell?

• Review your diet. Add to it raw fish with bones, only small ones.
• Be sure to supplement with calcium and D3.
• Regularly irradiate the shell with an ultraviolet lamp.

This type of reptile is distinguished by a teardrop-shaped shell. This shape allows the pet to swim quickly. If it suddenly becomes pliable and soft, it means the owner has violated the conditions of detention. The reasons for the development of rickets are the same as in the red-eared species.

What to do if your turtle has a soft shell? Feed your pet correctly. Buy food with special additives and vitamins. Change the water in the terrarium regularly and be sure to install a high-quality filter. If not ultraviolet lamp, then choose a place for the turtle that is well illuminated by sunlight.

The land turtle has a soft shell - what to do?

Land reptiles can also have problems with their shells. Even if you feed your pet correctly, problems with calcium absorption may occur. In order to determine the development of pathology in the initial stages, you must constantly pick up the pet and check the density of the shell. If the shape changes, even the slightest, it is necessary to treat the terrarium with a UV lamp for at least 12 hours a day. Be sure to include calcium supplements in your diet.

You should consult your doctor regarding dosage. It can be bone meal or thoroughly ground eggshell. It is recommended to give them at each feeding until the condition of the shell improves. Don’t forget about vitamin D. Take it into a syringe and pour 3 drops into your mouth. The pet must take it once a day for 14 days. The main thing is to remember that not only its deficiency is dangerous for the life of the reptile, but also its excess.

Treatment for rickets

If a turtle has a soft shell, what should you do? The main thing is not to delay treatment. On initial stage The doctor prescribes injections of 10% calcium gluconate intramuscularly. The dosage is calculated depending on weight - 1.5 ml/kg. The duration of the course is up to two weeks. Injections must be given strictly every 24 hours. To replenish magnesium and potassium in the body, it is recommended to give your pet Panalgin. It should be taken for 10 days at 1 mg/kg every 24 hours. This drug promotes calcium absorption. In advanced cases, treatment is prescribed by a veterinarian after examination. The reptile must be constantly under his supervision.