Urgent Care :: Bad shell / sore / missing part of scutes

[christopher74]

I just acquired a turtle that I am considering a rescue...she came with all of the proper equipment (as far as my knowledge goes) but it is obvious she has not been in good care. The answers to the questions below are her current conditions - I do not know how she was previously taken care of prior to more than a week ago.

My main concern is her shell; it does not look good. Especially one really bad spot on it - see pictures below.

I put her in the bathtub for pictures - she seemed scared to be in there. She swims around normally while in her tank.








How big is your turtle? SCL 8.5"
How long have you had it? Less than 1 week

What is the water temperature? 77F
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? Yes, Eheim Jager 300W
How much water is in there? 80-90 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? No
Are you using any filtration? Yes, homemade 5-gallon bucket filter with 620GPH pump

What is the basking temperature? 89F
Is there a basking light? Yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Light diffuser --> this stuff, minus the sharp edges
Is there a UVB light? Yes, Repti Glo 5.0 26W

What have you been trying to feed it? ReptoMin Floating Sticks
When was the last time your turtle ate? This morning - eating fine

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 100 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank
Is the tank near a window? No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? No

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Yes, have done lots of reading on this forum/website as well as others

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? No

Any help and advice provided to aid me in getting her her health back is very much appreciated.

[steve]

Any idea how this happened? First, good news: it does not look like a fresh or active infection. Bacteria could have eaten away at the shell, but maybe she was abused. From the angle of the picture, it does not look very deep. Bad news: It does not look like it was able to develop tissue over the wound. The white layer, is what I call a bone layer. In small injuries, it usually flakes off and underneath is flesh and a bit of blood which helps create a scar to cover it. That might happen eventually, but I am not personally experienced with something on this scale. The edges of the injury could still be problematic as it might break off and expose more bone/tissue underneath. Without the protection of a scar, more areas of healthy scute might peel back.

As for what to do... I would have a vet examine her since she might need antibiotics.