Urgent Care :: Where do I get temporary calcium?

[vieniebebe]

HELP!!!My turtle's shell is soft,and I can't get a ride to petsmart till next week or so.Please some1 tell me what to feed my turtle that gives calcium and vitamin DA,and gets rid of a soft shell,and also how to prevent hibornation.

[cam722]

You can go to any pet store and buy cuttlebone. It's what birds use to sharpen their beaks. You just remove the hard backing and let it float in the water with the turtle. they love nibbling on it. That will take care of the calcium requirements. As for vitiman D, that comes from the UVB light which simulates sunlight which is the natural source of Vitamin D.

You prevent hibernation by keeping the temps steady. A bit of fluctuation is fine but drastic temperature changes can make your turtle sick or even die. So you should use a fully submersible water heater and keep the temp around 78 for hatchlings or between 72-75 for older turtles. I know some on here keep them a bit lower at 70 during the winter months but that's still not cold enough to bring on hibernation. Hope this helps some

[marisa]

How big is the turtle, how soft is the shell, and is the turtle eating? If he's still eating, try dandelions or duckweed for plant matter (the second is hard to get).

You could also get some plain calcium gluconate or calcium carbonate tablets (available in vitamin sections of drugstores or grocery stores so you don't have to go to Petsmart for them). Break up a few into easily crunched-up pieces and put some in the tank (don't overdue it). This is an alternative to cuttlebone for turts who won't eat it, but since it sounds like you can't get to a pet store, you could use this as well.

[vieniebebe]

The temperature seems to be fine,i can't get a heater,cuz the turtle is too small,and the aquarium has to be full for the heater to work,I keep it around 75 deegrees though,i put a cardboard on top,and that seems to make water warmer.The turtle is about 1.5 inches,it was just born like 2 months ago,and the shell is not very soft,but still,if there's like a little piece of food on Vien,I start to freak out.I'll see what I can get at the store,and how much is this cuttlebone,does it work,and what's the possibility of my turtle not eating it?It eats like a pig,as usual,and seems to be happy.As for UVB lights,i will have a problem,since i don't have a proper lamp to put it in.Well thanks for your advice,oh and 1 more thing,she doesn't bask,cuz it's too cold,and i don't know how to make it warmer,i was thinking maybe a piece of sponge or a material will get her to bask?I also had a real plant,but that's a pain in my butt.

[ellman605]

i have my heater about....3/4ths of the way in, it keeps the water at a steady 74ºF

[marisa]

Don't know what you mean by a sponge or some other material getting her to bask...Your turtle should have an easily accessible basking area, both a UVB light and a heat/basking light, and the basking area temp should be around 88-90F. Get a clamp light with a dome reflector. You can use a regular lightbulb for the heat. Check the basking area with a thermometer to make sure it's in the range mentioned. Adjust the temp by either moving the basking area or light further away if the temp is too high or closer if it's not hot enough. The UVB light should be next to the heat light over the basking area (it won't give off any appreciable heat.)