Box Turtle

[Mr.Tortoise95]

I know its sad and the paint is on the side that she has scutes. Heres a pic of the missing part....it kind of looks like someone dropped her and cracked her shell? But idk...

 

[diaboliqueturtle]

I always leave a cuttlebone within reach too, for a little extra calcium boost.

The cuttlebone, I touched one and it feels so brittle... Is there any danger of them biting off a sliver that'll shred their throats? It made me nervous so I got the powdered calcium :-/

 

[jojodesca]

"looks ok except for the caved in part"


caved in?...on the belly?..could be a boy then..can i get a pic with the turtle sideways??

 

[diaboliqueturtle]

The 3 toed are simply awesome, such great personalities. This lovely girl looks like she's been put through quite an ordeal though, poor little thing :-(

 

[jojodesca]

I know its sad and the paint is on the side that she has scutes. Heres a pic of the missing part....it kind of looks like someone dropped her and cracked her shell? But idk...

OMG THATS HORRIBLE!!!! just wondering if the paint is the reason the scutes fell off.....the paint looks like is was 'applied' since its showing the pattern...i think this poor thing is going to need a long road to recovery.

 

[Mr.Tortoise95]

I was talking about the missing scutes that are caved in. I hope the paint isnt the reason for the scutes missing...i dont have the money to take her to the vet right now....is there anything else i can do to help her until i get money for the vet?

Here a pic of her sideways...

 

[shellysmom]

I've seen wild box turtles brought into wildlife rehab that have been hit by lawnmowers or chewed by dogs. The holes and cracks in their shells are sometimes repaired with different things, like fiberglass resin and such. It's possible if the "paint" is thick and in a pattern, it could be some sort of bonding material to fix the shell. It's hard to tell from the photo, though... It would also explain why the rest of her shell looks a little scraped up and weird.

 

[Mr.Tortoise95]

So how could i get the paint of? Will i have to take her to the vet?

 

[shellysmom]

A good turtle/tortoise vet should recognize if it's a wound patch job. If you're short on money, maybe you could show it to a wildlife rehab person and get some advice about the shell. It's a pretty common thing for them to deal with. If it IS bonding material, you definitely do NOT want to remove it.

 

[Mr.Tortoise95]

Alright thanks...

 

[jojodesca]

it's a girl...just try to keep her warm..well fed...and maybe call a reptile vet and check prices..also there may be a reptile rescue in your area that might be able to help you....it doesn't hurt to ask....

 

[Mr.Tortoise95]

Ok i will thanks!!!!!

 

[stillframeband]

The cuttlebone, I touched one and it feels so brittle... Is there any danger of them biting off a sliver that'll shred their throats? It made me nervous so I got the powdered calcium :-/

I've never had any problems with it; it's brittle, but pretty powdery when it's broken. Plus it keeps their beaks trimmed without having to do it yourself!

 

[Mr.Tortoise95]

A cuttlebone like the ones for birds right?

 

[jojodesca]

A cuttlebone like the ones for birds right?

similar..but they have them at petco and petsmart called turtle bones..they are fortified for the turtles...i wouldnt use the cuttlebones for birds, they might not be the right type

 

[Saloli]

Actually the turtle bones and bird cuttle. Ones are the same neither are fortified. I use deer bones for the same purpose. Though I use calcium and vitamin power on their food. Plus the Organix dog food is fortified.

 

[diaboliqueturtle]

I've never had any problems with it; it's brittle, but pretty powdery when it's broken. Plus it keeps their beaks trimmed without having to do it yourself!

The beak trimming would be a bonus... I'll poke it again at the store

 

[yagyujubei]

I wouldn't be trying to remove any "paint" from the shell on this turtle. It looks to me like the shell has been repaired at some time with an epoxy resin of some sort. I think it was hit by a car at one time, You can see the raised area across the shell, where it looks like it was broken. I must have missed the reason people are saying to take it to a vet. Is this turtle sick?

 

[shellysmom]

I wouldn't be trying to remove any "paint" from the shell on this turtle. It looks to me like the shell has been repaired at some time with an epoxy resin of some sort. I think it was hit by a car at one time, You can see the raised area across the shell, where it looks like it was broken. I must have missed the reason people are saying to take it to a vet. Is this turtle sick?

Yeah, that's what I thought, too, like maybe he got hit by a lawnmower or chewed by a dog and someone repaired his shell... ???

 

[jojodesca]

best bet is to have her checked out by a professional reptile vet...the 'paint' could be apoxy...and if so then the turtle might belong to someone...also a good idea is to check craigslist in your area to see if someone might have posted a lost turtle....