Taking care of your turtle’s shell is a part of taking care of the animal, if your pet’s shell is deformed then taking extra care of the shell is very important
This article looks into how you can take care of your deformed turtle’s shell
Table of Contents
Deformed turtle shell care:
Turtle shells can become deformed for a variety of reasons and because the shell is deformed your pet turtle may need special care and attention that other turtles wouldn’t necessarily need.
Here is how to take care of a turtle with a deformed shell:
Diet change:
Your pet’s diet will be a big determiner of whether your pet is healthy and whether its shell is healthy
A lack of calcium can cause your pet to develop soft shell syndrome also called metabolic bone disease. This condition can be deadly for your pet if not addressed.
What to do:
Adding supplements to your pet’s diet may also help with your pet’s shell deformities. While the deformity may be permanent changing your pet’s diet will solve the underlying cause of the deformity.
You can add calcium supplements to your pet’s diet, or, you can give your pet a cuttlebone to chew on to get more calcium into its diet.
Husbandry:
One of the other reasons why your pet’s shell may be deformed may be because of improper husbandry.
So, if your pet’s shell is deformed consider taking a look at the animal’s environment.
Inadequate husbandry can cause your turtle’s shell to become soft and become deformed. The softness and deformity can develop if there are issues with the UVB lights in your pet’s enclosure.
If you aren’t using the correct light bulbs in your pet’s enclosure, or if the UVB light in your pet’s enclosure is too old, then your pet may not be getting the correct amount or type of light and thus isn’t able to process calcium to maintain a strong shell.
This is how metabolic bone disease develops in your pet
What to do:
When it comes to taking care of your pet ensuring that its habitat is optimal is very important
If you think that the light in your pet’s enclosure is the problem then you’d need to switch the bulbs in your pet’s basking lamp.
Pick the correct lamp for your pet ie: a lamp that produces UVB light and replace this light every 5/6 months, these lights lose their ability to produce light over time.
Taking the animal to the vet:
Taking your vet to address your pet’s shell deformities is also recommended. The best vet to take your pet to is a vet who specializes in reptiles.
The vet will physically examine the animal as well as take an x-ray of the animal’s shell to determine the extent of the deformity. Then they will treat accordingly
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Is My Turtles Skin Red On The Sides?, Dents In Turtle Shell, Turtle Bleeding From Mouth, Turtle Shell Soft Around Edges, Deformed Turtle Shell, My Turtles Tail Got Bitten Off, Turtle Missing Part Of Shell, Why Is My Turtle Losing His Shell?