My pet turtle's shell is soft. Why is this happening and what to do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
my chinese turtle has soft shell, why?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on May 17th, 2018
Depending on the exact species of turtle, this may be normal or not. There are soft shelled turtle species that are kept as pets. If Fred is not a soft shelled species, then he may be in some serious trouble. A soft shell may be indicative of calcium deficiency, nutritional deficiency, metabolic bone disease (MBD) or a combination of the three. Ideally, he should be examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating turtles. This should be done to positively identify species and to diagnose and treat the underlying cause of the soft shell if necessary. A turtle requires clean water, a heat source, UVB lighting, vitamin and mineral supplementation and a biologically appropriate diet. Missing one or more of these will negatively impact his overall health.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on March 25th, 2019
Thanks for reaching out about Zero and including photos. Is the shell soft and easy to indent? If so, a calcium deficiency is likely. This could be due to dietary deficiency or lack of ultraviolet radiation, needed to convert vitamin D3 to an active form. Vitamin D3 is needed to absorb calcium in the intestinal tract. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess healthy and prescribe treatments.Check and correct water quality parameters. Good luck.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
I got this turtle from this lady they didn’t know nothing about turtles and I think it’s a fungal infection it’s all white and the nutrition was very bad they only gave him one pellet a day he’s a year old and It’s very small what can I do for it’s
Maintain pristine water quality and proper water temperature. Provide a basking area with a heat lamp and unfiltered UVB lighting. Feed a balanced diet including prey (feeder fish, nightcrawlers, etc), fresh greens and vegetables and commercial pellets. Provide a multivitamin and calcium supplement in powdered forms. These can be sprinkled on the food. Bits of raw beef heart can be used to stimulate the appetite. Use a soft bristled toothbrush and diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) to cleanse the shell daily. Allow for a 1 hour dry dock (keep him out of the water) after each cleaning. Ideally, he should be examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to confirm the infection and to administer medication if indicated.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, thank you so much for your time, I was wondering if you know what is happening to my turtles shell, and possibly, how I could fix it?
Thanks for reaching out about Zero and including photos. Is the shell soft and easy to indent? If so, a calcium deficiency is likely. This could be due to dietary deficiency or lack of ultraviolet radiation, needed to convert vitamin D3 to an active form. Vitamin D3 is needed to absorb calcium in the intestinal tract. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess healthy and prescribe treatments.Check and correct water quality parameters. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a red eared slider turtle of 5 months old. Recently his shell has become soft from edges is this something i should worried of. And if i am doing something wrong please tell a proper way to pet him.
Sam may not be getting enough calcium and UVB light exposure. This can lead to a soft shell. Make sure he has at least 30-60 minutes of exposure to full, unfiltered sunlight each day or provide a UVB light source in his tank. It should be no more than 12-16 inches from the surface of the basking area depending on the type of bulb. It should not be blocked by glass, plexiglass or fine mesh. The ZooMed ReptiSun bulb is an excellent light source. Feed a commercial pelleted diet and supplement with fresh greens and prey. Dust with a calcium supplement and a multivitamin. Leave a cuttlebone in the tank as a source of calcium that can be munched on when needed. It would appear there may be a vitamin A deficiency based on the swollen eyes in the image posted. Feed red or orange vegetables and dark, leafy greens as these contain higher levels of vitamin A. ZooMed Repti Turtle Eye Drops should also help. You can find it online or in most pet stores. The link below will provide more inform
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My tortoise's shell is very weak and wrinckles and there is also some sort of wound on it's shell.What should I do?and also it's whole body skin is wrinckled and I don't have any vetrinary support near my place.
It would appear this turtle, not a tortoise, is suffering nutritional deficiency. Reptiles require UVB lighting, either natural unfiltered sunlight or artificially produced by an appropriate light source, in a addition to an appropriate diet with adequate calcium and vitamin supplementation. All these things will aid in the development and maintenance of a health shell. The deficiency may be reversible, however the shell may be malformed for years to come if it survives. Ideally, this turtle should be examined by a veterinarian. A specialist can be consulted via phone or online to obtain proper treatment information. In general, turtles need clean water, a heat lamp for basking, a UVA/UVB light source and a dry area for basking. Most are omnivores and will eat small prey (feeder fish, worms, crickets), fresh greens and a commercial pelleted diet. As stated above, they also require calcium and vitamin supplementation. You can find general care information here: http://www.austinstur
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello,I'm worried about my turtles health. This one particularly. I got them about 13 months ago ,they were the size of dollar coins. they also have a Basking light. I have put them in sunlight but that stopped about 3-4months ago cause it's getting
Thanks for reaching out about your turtles and including photos. Not sure if a lesion is recognized on the photos. Is the shell soft and bulging slightly? If so a calcium or vitamin D deficiency should be considered. Basking lights need to contain UVB radiation, and often that wavelength burns out in 6-8 months, even though the bulb continues to produce white light. If you have further concerns, a veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My turtles shell has some pale spots and a soft area on the shell near the tail. As well as I noticed her scutes didnt shed properly. She is a yellow belly. 55 Gallon heated filtered tank. She outgrew her basking area which I have now fixed but this
These could be spots of infection or injury. Maintain pristine water quality via filtration and regular partial water changes. Also, maintain proper environmental parameters. Replace the UVB bulb if it is older than 6 months. Supplement regularly with multivitamin and calcium powders. This will promote shell health. You can even float a cuttlebone in the tank for her to munch on as needed. Use a soft bristled toothbrush and a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution to gently scrub the affected areas. Allow for a 1 hour dry dock (out of the water) after each cleaning. If you see know improvement in a week or so then have her physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. You can review slider care at the links below. (Yes, they say red eared slider, but care is the same for YBS). http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Red-Eared-Slider-Care-Sheet/ http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My red footed tortoise has a shell fungal infection do the bottom of his shell is very soft. Is there anything I can to help get rid of the fungus.
Since the shell is very soft, have Joan examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. There may be an underlying metabolic issue or nutritional deficiency that may be complicating the shell infection. Review her diet to confirm adequate nutrition. Review enclosure parameters (heat, UVB lighting, etc) and correct or lower humidity levels which can predispose or be the cause of the fungal infection. If minor, the shell can be treated topically. It is not recommended to treat or medicate your pet without the advice of your veterinarian.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have an aquatic turtle and she has not ate in the past 4-5 days & she has 4 "indents" on her she'll that weren't there a few days ago. Can you please let me know what this could possibly mean?
If there are soft areas in the shell, Ryder may have shell rot or metabolic bone disease. I would recommend a visit to a reptile vet to assess and diagnose her. Untreated these can potent be fatal. Good luck and I hope she recovers quickly. Arav.com may help you find a vet if needed.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My turtle isnt moving much its about 3 inches and the shell is extremely soft around the edges i i believe shes sick nd or dying
Check the water, ambient and basking spot temperatures. Low temps can affect activity in reptiles. Ideally, the turtle should be in a 10 gallon tank. Water depth should be no more than twice the shell length. Use a filter to maintain water quality and a small heater to keep it between 82F and 85F. There should also be a basking area easily reached out of the water that should range between 85F and 88F. A UVB light source, proper diet and calcium and vitamin supplementation will promote shell health. If all this is provided and the turtle is still lethargic, consider a physical exam with your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. You can find one at the link below. The second link will provide more information regarding the care of sliders. http://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661 http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My turtle is very small. His shell is soft around the outer scoots and there has been bleeding. But The bleeding has stopped. Does he have a disease? If so what can I do to help heal him? Will he survive?
It is not uncommon for a turtle this small to have a somewhat soft shell. Continue to monitor for bleeding, pitting or lethargy. maintain pristine water quality. At this size, water depth should be no deeper than twice the shell length.provide a water heater, water filter, basking area out of the water, a heat lamp for basking and a UVB light source. Offer a balanced diet including prey (feeder fish, nightcrawlers, etc), fresh diced greens and vegetables and commercial pellets. A multivitamin and a calcium supplement should be dusted onto foods regularly. You can review slider care at the link below. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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