Urgent Care :: Shell problems?!?!

[missi4026]

My friend asked me to keep his turtle for him since he has to move and can't take the turtle with him. The water that my friend had him living in was gross to say the least. He had no filter. no basking light, and hardly ever cleaned the tank from what it looked like. I have bought a new water filter for him and a basking lamp to put over his resting area but I have noticed that his shell does not look very healthy. The bottom of his shell is jagged and many of the scutes on the top are coming up. I really want to make sure this red eared slider has a happy and healthy life with us but since I do not know too much about them I am hoping that someone can tell me if this is something I really need to be concerned with or if the better living conditions will help fix some of the problems. The pictures are taken while his shell is wet so once he comes back out to bask and dries out completely I will take more photos to upload. Any help would be appreciated and if you think it is serious enough that I need to take him to a vet please let me know. This turtle has turned into my sons new pet and he will be devastated if anything happens to it. Thanks in advance for your help!

[steve]

He just needs a good shed. He looks good overall, though you might want to give his shell a gentle cleaning and inspect for any hidden issues.

[missi4026]

That makes me feel much better, thank you! What would be the best way to clean him and check for problems? This is the only turtle we have had so I am pretty uneducated on the topic.

[steve]

Pick up a new, soft toothbrush and gently scrub the shell, then rinse. You can also dilute some Hibiclens or Betadine for the scrub, Just use warm water (around 75F).

[missi4026]

I will do that first thing tomorrow. Thanks for your help!