What if the turtle has a soft shell? Causes, treatment, prevention. The soft shell of the red-eared turtle Why does the sea turtle have a soft shell

Symptoms: soft or crooked shell
Turtles: water and land
Treatment: can be cured on its own, neglected is not 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 it is associated to one degree or another with a decrease in the concentration of calcium in the bone tissue.

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

Normally, a turtle's shell should be even, without bumps and dips, approximately uniform in color, domed for terrestrial and elongated streamlined for aquatic.

The reasons:

When turtles are fed with feed mixtures that are 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 flush out calcium from the body, such as white cabbage.

Symptoms:

Young water turtles: the shell becomes soft and, as it were, cramped for the turtle; Normally, in young turtles, the shell should harden by the end of the first year of life. Young tortoises: pyramidal growth of the shell and curvature of the limbs.

adult turtles: failure in the posterior third of the carapace, which cannot withstand the pressure of the muscles of the pelvic girdle. The entire shell becomes lighter and flatter. The bony scutes in the area of the bridge between the carapace and the 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 on palpation. The shell can grow uncontrollably, and the turtle takes on a kind of spherical shape.

Old turtles: the shell usually does not become soft, but becomes very light and resembles plastic. The turtle seems "empty" inside (due to the thickening and porosity of the bone plates). However, the total weight of the turtle may remain within the normal range 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 the body when walking and, as it were, floats, 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 on their "raft" and, if a gentle shore is not built in the terrarium, they can drown; the beak is more like a duck (the shape of the bite changes irreversibly, which will no longer allow the turtle to eat the roughage it needs). In the last stage, death can occur from diffuse hemorrhage, acute heart failure and pulmonary edema.
When calcium in the diet is normal and phosphorus is in excess, edema and fluid accumulation under the plastron shields may develop, but bleeding is usually absent. Many other diseases can cause similar symptoms, so the turtle should be examined by a veterinarian who will do tests and determine the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the body.

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

Treatment regimen

When examining rickety turtles, increased caution is necessary - bone fractures and deformation of soft organs are possible. The fall of such turtles, even from a small height, is fraught with serious injuries. Any diagnosis in particular "rickets" should be made by a veterinarian. Softening of the shell may be associated with renal failure, hyperparathyroidism, alimentary osteodystrophy, classic "rickets" (lack of vitamin D3), etc.

Rickets I-II stages (limbs work normally, there are no systemic symptoms: bleeding, swelling and paresis).

Enter 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 intramuscularly, more - s / c ), every 24 or 48 hours depending on the degree of rickets for 2-14 days.
Drink Panangin (potassium and magnesium) at 1 ml / kg every other day for 10 days. Panangin helps calcium to go to the bones and shell, and not to the joints.
If the turtle eats on its own, 1-2 times a week sprinkle on food or feed calcium top dressing for reptiles (or crushed cuttlefish shell - sepia).
The turtle should be exposed to active UV light (ultraviolet lamp for reptiles 10% UVB). Daily for 10-12 hours.
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), shelled shrimp, small-boned fish, and small shelled snails.

Treatment will require 2 to 8 weeks.

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

This turtle is medium in size. The length of its shell ranges from 18 to 30 cm. It depends on the sex of the animal and the subspecies. Males are much smaller than females. Juveniles are distinguished by a bright green shell, which becomes yellow-brown or olive with age. It is decorated with patterns of yellow stripes.

There is also a pattern on the neck, head and limbs of turtles. It consists of green and white spots, as well as wavy stripes. The animal got its name because of two bright red or orange spots located on the sides of the head. The underside of the shell is usually oval, dark in color with bright yellow lines.

The reasons

Various factors can lead to softening of the shell:

lack of light or its insufficient amount;
monotonous food;
vitamin D deficiency;
an abundance of white cabbage in the diet, which contributes to calcium leaching;
poor absorption of calcium by the intestines or impaired absorption of this mineral element in the kidneys;
malfunctions of the thyroid gland.

Normally, the tortoise shell is smooth without dips and unnatural growths, uniform in color and strong. In land animals, it has a domed shape, streamlined and elongated - in water, including red-eared ones.

As a result of calcium deficiency, rickets or osteopenia develop.

In 90% of cases, the cause of diseases is improper conditions of detention:

nutrition without calcium and vitamin D 3 enrichment;
lack of ultraviolet lighting;
regular feeding with feeds that wash out calcium (white cabbage).

The remaining cases are associated with complex diseases:

kidney failure;
hyperparathyroidism;
alimentary osteodystrophy.

It happens that calcium deficiency develops even with enhanced mineral supplements. This is not enough - calcium must be absorbed, and this requires vitamin D3.

The aquatic organism is able to absorb vitamin D3 from top dressing, while the land organism is not. They definitely need ultraviolet. Not every lamp is suitable for this, besides, beginners make mistakes when installing lighting.

Aquatic turtles also need UV exposure, but when fed with vitamin supplements, it is not as acute as terrestrial turtles.

UV rays work 2-3 times better than dietary sources of vitamin D3.

Natural soft shell

Therefore, the softness of the shell, subject to the well-being of the pet, is the norm. The softness of the shell is a distinctive feature of flat-shell turtles, which are called elastic.

This is worth paying attention to. An error in determining the type of reptile, especially when buying from hand, often becomes the cause of incorrect maintenance.

As a rule, a shell that is not strong enough indicates that there is a lack of calcium in the turtle's body, due to some reasons, such as:

There is little or no calcium-rich food in the diet.
Lack of vitamin D2, which is involved in the absorption of calcium by the turtle's body.
Lack or absence of UV radiation, which means that the turtle’s body feels a lack of vitamin D

In order to detect an abnormal course of animal development in time, you should regularly examine your pet. The turtle must be picked up and visually, as well as by touch, examine the condition of the shell and skin. Defects in development include peeling of the skin. Softening of the shell, as well as the formation of various spots on it. Such an examination should be carried out every month, and if such defects are found, you should immediately seek advice from a herpetologist.

The causative agent of pneumonia is an infection that enters the lungs of an animal. This is possible in two cases: the penetration of infection into the lungs from the outside or from the inside, as a result of blood poisoning. As a result, inflammatory processes begin to occur in the lungs. As a result, the density of the lungs changes and fluid begins to accumulate in them.

As for tympania, it develops in the red-eared turtle as a result of a lack of calcium, which causes the appearance of dynamic intestinal obstruction. The fact is that calcium contributes to the normal functioning of the intestinal tract. With a lack of calcium ions, intestinal function is impaired, which leads to the appearance of excess gas in the amphibian intestine.
Spontaneous spasms of the intestines and sphincter can occur as a result of such a deficiency.
Another reason for the appearance of tympania in the red-eared turtle is its overfeeding, while the turtle has a weak work of the gastrointestinal tract.
Such a disease can manifest itself against the background of a change in diet.
Tympania may be the result of a foreign body in the rectum or sphincter.

Why does the shell soften? In the red-eared turtle, softening of the bone plates most often causes a disease such as rickets.

Rickets is a disease associated with a lack of vitamin D from food or produced under the influence of sunlight. In the summer it is necessary to take your animal for walks so that it is in the sun. In winter, you need to equip a source of ultraviolet radiation, but take care of turtle eyes, as radiation can cause blindness.

Symptoms of the disease

Usually, the softness of the shell is accompanied by other signs:

rise in temperature;
redness of the eyes;
deformation of the shell and bending of its edges;
the appearance of tubercles on the shell;
curvature of the limbs;
flat or light shell;
failure of the shell in the back dorsal part;
an increase in the distance between the upper and lower parts of the shell, which gives the reptile a spherical shape;
a change in bite due to the acquisition of a "duck" beak;
bifurcation of the beak and falling off of its parts;
frequent bleeding;
spontaneous fractures of the limbs;
prolapse of the cloaca;
secretion of mucus from the oral cavity;
paresis of the hind limbs, which leads to a change in gait (the reptile moves on its front legs, and the hind legs drag);
the inability to climb out of the water onto the raft;
shortness of breath, respiratory failure.

If urgent measures are not taken, pulmonary edema or heart failure may develop, which will lead to the death of the pet.

The pet constantly breathes through a half-open mouth.
Mucous discharge is observed from the oral and nasal openings.
Poor appetite or complete refusal to eat.
During swimming, the animal falls on its side.

In the red-eared turtle, an elevation of bone plates appears, they look like a hump. When pressing on the plates, they are easily pressed through, gradually returning to the previous place on the owl. If you do not consult a specialist in time and do not start treatment, the disease will progress. Changes occur with the head.

All these symptoms can only indicate the presence of pathology. It is not possible to make a correct diagnosis on your own. Only a veterinarian can do this. He must prescribe treatment.

Treatment

To fix the problem, you need to contact your veterinarian. He will make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

The following measures can improve the condition of the turtle and strengthen its shell:

frequent walks of the pet on the street (if possible, you should leave it there for the entire spring and summer period);
taking calcium supplements and multivitamins, which include more than 50% calcium;
adding shellfish, shrimp, minced fish with bones, crushed shells or bone meal to the diet;
ultraviolet irradiation (you should first stick your eyes with adhesive tape).

Herpetologists advise to regularly feel the shell and look closely at the change in the behavior of the pet. The initial stages of rickets and osteopenia are not difficult to cure. Advanced cases require therapy for at least 2 months, and the prognosis is not always favorable.

Symptoms of the disease depend on the age and type of turtle:

Water up to 2 years. The carapace is soft, the marginal scutes are bent upwards and curved.
Land up to 2 years. The shell is soft, takes a pyramidal shape, the limbs are bent.
adult turtles. The shell, especially the ventral one (plastron), is soft and unnaturally light. A dip forms in the posterior third of the upper shield. Perhaps a strong growth and the acquisition of the shape of a ball.
Old. The shell rarely becomes soft, but brightens. The bone plates thicken and become porous, due to which the reptile seems to be “empty” inside.

The carelessness of the owner and the lack of treatment leads to the transition of rickets to stages III and IV.

Complications begin in other parts of the skeleton associated with calcium deficiency and in internal organs due to deformation of the shell.

Spontaneous fractures and limb weakness (paresis) are possible. The turtle cannot raise its body - it crawls heavily, touching the surface with its plastron. In waterfowl reptiles, flotation is disturbed (the position of the body in the water), it is difficult for them to get out onto land - they can drown.

The rectum, penis, or bladder may fall out of the cloaca. There may be regurgitation of mucus from the stomach, bleeding, hoarse and heavy breathing, redness of the eyes.

The pet loses the ability to eat roughage, and later completely chew. Without treatment, the turtle dies from extensive hemorrhage, kidney or heart failure.

For lighting, a lamp is installed - for reptiles 10% UVB at a distance of 60-100 cm from the turtle's habitat. Lamps for reptiles should work for 10-12 hours a day.

For land 1-2 times a week, calcium top dressing for reptiles is added to the feed. Best Options: Repti Calcium, Arcadia CalciumPro, JBL MicroCalcium, Food Farm Calcium Citrate. Natural source of calcium: crushed cuttlefish bone. Eggshells, crushed chalk, limestone should not be given - the calcium of these additives is poorly absorbed.

Aquatics are fed with shrimps and shelled snails, fish with small bones. From ready-made supplements give: Tetra ReptoMin.

The pet is fed with a solution of panangin at the rate of 1 ml per kg of body weight. For drinking, a syringe without a needle is used, the solution is injected under the base of the tongue and the throat is lightly massaged. The drug helps to ensure that all calcium is absorbed by the skeletal system and shell, and not by the joints.

Injections are made with drugs: Calcium gluconate 10% (1.5 ml / kg) or Calcium borgluconate 20% (2 ml / kg). Depending on the degree of the disease, drugs are administered every 24 or 48 hours, the course of treatment is from 2 to 14 days.

The injection site is washed with water, do not wipe with alcohol. The injection is injected under the skin or into the muscles of the shoulder, back of the thigh. Treatment can last from 2 to 8 weeks.

Therapy for stage III-IV rickets is more complicated - it is carried out only by a doctor, it lasts 2-3 months. Depending on the complications, additional medications are prescribed.

The best option is to contact a herpetologist who will prescribe treatment and diet. In the clinic, you can see how injections are made and liquid medicines are given.

Treating a turtle is not easy, and there are few herpetologists in our country. The body of reptiles and the pathologies occurring in it are special. They are very different from the familiar diseases of dogs and cats. Therefore, from the very first days of the appearance of a pet at home, it is important to create all the necessary conditions for him. To do this, you can read professional literature about the acquired species of turtle. It is not difficult, it is much more difficult to treat.

There are cases when the diagnosis is very difficult to establish or the symptoms indicate the presence of both tympania and pneumonia. In this case, the red-eared turtle is treated for one and the other disease at the same time.

In conclusion, it would not be superfluous to recall that animals need to be looked after and provided with living conditions close to natural, providing them with good nutrition. At the same time, you need to ensure that the water in the aquarium is constantly clean and, if necessary, changed regularly. It should be mandatory to have an island where the turtle could dry out, rest and receive the necessary irradiation with an ultraviolet lamp.

Preventive actions

In order not to have to resort to therapeutic measures, it is necessary to engage in prevention in time. Be sure to expose your pet to the sun once a week. Egg shells, which are added to food, are a good source of calcium. In winter, be sure to give vitamin D as prescribed by the veterinarian, the dosage is selected individually.

All of the above activities will help prevent the development of shell softening. If for some reason this happened, then treatment should be started immediately. After consulting with a specialist.

A problem such as a soft shell in a turtle is a symptom of a dangerous disease in an amphibian called rickets. In the initial form, it is reversible, in the advanced stage the disease is difficult to treat, the pet can be lost.

Why do turtles have soft shells?

In a healthy reptile, the cover is hard, even, without dips and bumps, almost uniform in color. Rickets occurs when there is a lack of solar or artificial ultraviolet lighting, with a deficiency of calcium, vitamin D3, if the pet's diet is monotonous, poor in useful substances. Then the armored tissue of the amphibian becomes pliable, deforms when pressed with a finger, and the marginal shields are bent dome-shaped upwards. It is very risky if the turtle has a soft shell, since the disease must be treated immediately, otherwise the pet may die.

Progression of the disease - complications:

spontaneous fractures of the limbs;
prolapse of the cloaca;
bleeding;
redness of the mucous membrane of the eyes;
the reptile cannot rise on its paws;
disruption of the intestines and kidneys, as a result of which the absorption of calcium into the body stops;
in an amphibian, the bite changes, which limits food intake.

At the last stage, death occurs as a result of pulmonary edema, diffuse demorrhage, and heart failure. If a soft shell is observed in a turtle under one year of age, then this is normal - the only exception when there is no need to worry. The shield in babies becomes horny for the first 12 months, gradually turning into reliable protection.

The soft shell of the red-eared turtle

Often, young individuals after a year are susceptible to this disease. The reason is the lack of natural or artificial lighting in the terrarium. With the appearance of rickets, the armor bends when pressed with a finger. Without treatment, the external contour of the head of the red-eared reptile changes - the lower jaw becomes flexible, and the upper jaw resembles a bird's beak. The mouth is deformed, the amphibian cannot eat normally. In severe cases, the beak bifurcates, disappears in parts.

Soft shell in a red-eared turtle - what to do:

be sure to irradiate it;
include raw fish with small bones, multivitamins with calcium and D3 in the diet.

The sea turtle has a soft shell

In such reptiles, the shield has a teardrop-shaped contour, it helps them swim quickly in the water. The soft shell of a sea turtle indicates non-compliance with the conditions for keeping an amphibian - a lack of ultraviolet rays, a lack of vitamin D3 and calcium. It is necessary to adjust the pet's diet, using the necessary supplements. The water in the terrarium needs to be changed and a good one installed.

The soft shell of a tortoise

The low density of the shell tissue of a land reptile indicates a lack of vitamin D3, calcium in the body and a violation of its absorption function. To notice the disease in time, you need to regularly take the pet in your arms and examine it. Land turtle, soft shell - what to do:

Replenish the body of an amphibian with D3 vitamins, not forgetting that their overdose is no less dangerous than a deficiency. They give drugs every 2 weeks.
Calcium supplements are introduced into the menu at each meal until the pet's condition improves.
The terrarium should run a UV lamp for 12 hours a day.

The turtle has a soft shell - what to do?

If a soft shell is found in a turtle, it is necessary to provide it with comfortable living conditions and adjust the diet, saturate it with minerals and vitamins. In an amphibian, rickets is in the first stage, when the limbs work normally, there are no bleeding, paresis and swelling. How to cure turtle shell in the initial form of the disease:

prick calcium gluconate (10%) at a dosage of 1.5 ml / kg intramuscularly every 24 hours for 12-14 days;
drink Panalgin (potassium and magnesium) at 1 mg / kg every other day for 10 days. It helps calcium get into the bones;
1-2 times a week to give calcium top dressing for reptiles - cuttlefish shield, clams, shrimp. They will strengthen the shell tissue and bones of the pet;
in winter, irradiate with an ultraviolet lamp for 10-12 hours a day, in summer you can take the terrarium outside, covering the turtles from direct UV rays.

If the disease is advanced and paresis of the intestines and limbs, fractures, bleeding, shortness of breath, anorexia are observed, the treatment is prescribed and carried out by a veterinarian. With a favorable outcome, it will last 2-3 months. The first year after recovery, you will need to monitor the amphibian's diet and blood counts, and take preventive measures.

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 and he won't open them. In my opinion, he does not eat, more lies under the lamp, sometimes swims. What to do? Help. We don't have a vet.

Svetlana Kopylova, Krasnodar Territory

It happens that the presence of a soft shell in a turtle can be explained by natural causes. In small turtles under the age of one year, 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 easily bend. In the future, the shell becomes denser and eventually turns into a reliable, strong armor.

If the softening of the shell is accompanied by reddening 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 illness. Most often it is rickets.

Causes of softening of the shell in a turtle:

a poor diet, in particular, a lack of vitamin D;
lack of natural solar or artificial ultraviolet radiation in the terrarium of the red-eared turtle;
disturbances in the work of the intestines and, as a result, a violation of the absorption of calcium from food;
impaired renal function and, as a result, the cessation of calcium absorption.

TREATMENT

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

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

In the turtle's diet, you need to introduce multivitamins with a high content of vitamin D, and also give the turtle more foods containing calcium (clams with shells, ground fish bones with minced meat, etc.).