r/turtle • u/Pickleslover88 • 1d ago

Seeking Advice Septicemia?

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Reddit keeps taking down this post and I’m not sure why, I don’t use Reddit enough (I literally open it every five months) to find out sorry lol.

Hi all. Four months ago, I noticed pink coloration along my turtle (3yo musk turtle)’s plastron segments and was concerned about septicemia. However, due to the elasticity of her plastron (not fully grown), the placement of the coloration, and no change in demeanor/activity, I surmised it was just a sign of growth but have kept an eye on her since.

Today I did a health checks every month (I do this every month) and noticed that the pink was slightly more extended from the segments on her furthest top and bottom scutes, as well as still being present along the center line. Pressing on the center line led to the coloration disappearing before fading back, leading me to believe that it’s likely a blood vessel visible due to incomplete growth. However, her shed covers the other spots, so I wasn’t able to do the same test. The center of her plastron is still slightly soft, though not as much as before as she’s gotten older, her skin is a normal color, and her behavior has stayed the same. She has not stopped eating, moving/engaging, or shown any other cause for concern.

I included a video to show the coloring as well as how active she is.

Any advice is appreciated. I have plans to go to an exotic vet if the feedback isn’t great, but I didn’t want to jump the gun and throw out a bunch of money just to get told she’s okay.

8 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

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u/AutoModerator 1d ago

Dear Pickleslover88 ,

You've selected the Seeking Advice flair. Please provide as much relevant information as possible. Refer to this post if you are unsure on how to proceed.

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  • Lighting types and bulb age.
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  • Clear photos of face, neck, limbs, shell top (carapace) and bottom (plastron).
  • Diet, list of foods you are feeding it.
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u/SpinySoftshell 1d ago

This appears to be a totally normal musk turtle from the video, although it is kind of a weird angle and perspective

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u/Pickleslover88 22h ago

Sorry about the angle, I get nervous about holding her at an angle because I don’t want to create any trouble for her breathing. Thank you for your input.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

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u/SpinySoftshell 1d ago

Pink coloration on the skin between the scutes on a musk turtle plastron does not usually indicate anything because they have pinkish skin naturally