my red eared slider seems that his shell is decaying in spots can anyone tell what might be causing this?

Answer 1

obviously bacteria. clean his cage & your house & he should be fine

Answer 2

Does it look like the shell coverings (scutes) are peeling? If air bubbles form underneath and the scutes start turning white and translucent, it is normal. As the turtles grow, they shed their scutes on their carapace *top shell) and plastron (lower shell). I used to keep the scutes when I was young, but I have toomany turtles and too many scutes... lol

If the whiteness is mushy and smelly, it 's likely shell rot, which is caused by poor water quality and lack of basking area. This is often called shell rot (general term). It needs to be treated or else the shell will literally rot away. Look at the link bellow.

Here are some pics of shell problems and how to treat them. Be warned, it may be considered graphic by some.
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/medshell.htm

If you need further, assistance, feel free to email me with a picture, so I can better diagnose the problem.

Answer 3

Yep, scrub him and his home and all of the neat stuff that he has in there with some antibacterial soap.
Then go to the pet store and get some drops that you can put in the water that he is living in.
Maybe you have him too much water.
Red-eared sliders are not really good with too much water. They live on land mostly.
Maybe you need a bigger area to keep him?
But, please, do scrub on him gently and scrub the heck out of the place where he lives...( don't miss anything, walls corners, ....anything)
And please, do go to the pet store and tell them what the problem is and they will, or should help you to find some stuff that will help him.

Answer 4

Normal shedding? If it meets these criteria, it is probably just normal shedding:
- paper-thin flakes
- tissue under flakes looks like the rest of the shell- no discoloration, pits, soft spots, etc.
- under the flakes, things smell OK and there is no pus, discharge, black stuff, etc.
- turtle appears in good health otherwise- eating, drinking, and defecating OK; feels heavy for its size, active and tries to escape when held

If the shell IS discolored, soft, oozing stuff, etc., it is one form of shell rot or another.

Shell rot can be caused by many things:

Micro-organisms in shellfish (often found in most fish and turtle foods). These guys get into the shell through scrapes and scratches, then start to set up colonies. They make dark pockets under the top layer of scute (the shell scales), and can pit the shell down to the bone. The scute flakes off and have difficulty regrowing until the micro-organisms are killed. It almost always starts on the belly.
This is not generally fatal- but can weaken the turtle to other infections. The basic treatment, if not too severe, is to 'hosptial dry-tank' the turtle, clean the affected areas with any decent skin disinfectant (I like Betadine solution) and anti-biotic cream, clean and sterilize the tank (to kill any lingering germs), and change the diet to avoid shellfish.
There are other micro-organisms that can do this as well- the basic treatment is the same in any case.

Diet can weaken the shell. If the diet is poor in calcium, or has a bad ratio of calcium and phosphorus, the bones and especially the shell, will weaken and become susceptable to other infestations. Light green head lettuce, hamburger, and cheap turtle food consisting of dried insect parts are examples of common, but terrible foodstuffs for turtles.
If diet is the issue, and it is this bad, we would hospital tank the turtle and work on a better diet with vitamins and extra calcium (keeping a good calcium/phosphorous ratio).

Basic care problems can worsen the problem-
- poor lighting with little UV-B does not allow the turtle to manufacture enough vitamin D
- cool temps can weaken the turtle overall
- poor basking sites can prevent a turtle from warming up. Since basking is related to warmth and UV, this touches on the first to points as well.
- dirty water harbors germs and also stresses the turtle
- etc., etc., etc.

What I would do is this:
1. Review the basic care steps at a trustworthy site like those listed below. Make sure I am offering top-notch basic care.
2. Review the turtle's diet at the same sites.
3. Try to determine the amount of damage- a few spots is home-treatable. If most of the shell is involved, a vet might be a good idea.
4. If home-treatable, start a wet or dry hospital tank. Hospital tanks:
- are about 5 degrees warmer than usual, but still have cooler, shady hiding places
- are very, very clean and easy to keep that way
- have as little stress as possible- minimal noises, vibrations, unexpected lights, and no giants staring at them or playing with them
- plenty of as natural as possible lighting, fresh air, and room to move in. If the tank can be parked outdoors safely, go for it.
5. Keep the shell as clean, dry, and medicated as possible. I clean shells by sprinkling the wet shell with salt, and using a damp cloth to gently scrub dirt, 'gunk' and loose flakes off. Rinse.
If there is an exposed bit of infected tissue, I'll clean it with Betadine, then slather it with an anti-biotic ointment. Otherwise, I might gently swab the shell with a very dilute bleach solution (2 tablespoons unscented bleach per quart of water or weaker, made fresh daily). Swab on lightly and let dry. (DO NOT use bleach with ANY other medicine or chemicals!)
Some keepers disinfect their turtle's tank water with a little salt, OR bleach, OR UV 'bath'. I just change mine a lot.

Dry tanks are the same thing, but you only let the turtle swim (in clean, fresh water with good basking, lighting, heat, etc.) for a while each day, feeding it there as well. I prefer a few hour-long sessions each day over one longer session.

Dry tanks are usually used when getting the turtle wet delays healing. In this case, keeping the shell dry will help kill off any germs and encourage new growth.


Hope this helps!

Answer 5

He may have a fungus. Check out Petsmart and they'll be able to suggest some things to try. Do you have a basking light and something for him to climb out of the water and sit on? Also there are things you can put in the tank water that will condition it and help keep your turtle healthy.

Answer 6

It may be bacteria. Scrub his shell gently with a toothbrush to make sure it is clean.

Dry dock him. Place him in a clean empty aquarium. Have the UV light turned on all the time. (should be UVA/UVB). In the evenings, add enough water to the aquarium to cover him. Then repeat. Dry dock him in the day.... water in the evening.

If this doesn't help, you need to buy betadine. (antibiotic from pet supply store or pet pharmacy)

Answer 7

Your turtle may be suffering from a calcium defiency. Check out http://petturtle.htmlplanet.com/turtleaid_sdrm.html. This site covers health problems and remedys of pet turtles.

Answer 8

TAKE HIM TO A PET DOCTOR