my sliders shell is slothing off?

Question

my turtles shell is lifting at the very top and like peeling. i took him to a vet and he said to dip him in sulfa a few hours everyday (his shell is green/black) for 2 weeks. its been 1 week 4 days and nothing has changed whats going on?

Answer 1

Ask your vet. He or she is more qualified than anyone who has the time to answer these questions.

Answer 2

Make sure this isn't simply normal shedding. If the peeling panels are relatively clear in appearance (there may be slight coloration where, say, a stripe was previously located) and the shell underneath appears normal, then that's all it is. Shell panels aren't elastic, so as they grow, the outter layer has to shed to give way to the larger shell tile underneath. Sure, if in doubt, take it to a vet -- but shedding is quite common, and happens fairly steadilly throughout your turtle's life. It's rarely an all-at-once deal, like it would be for a snake. It's usually a tile here, a tile there. So long as the turtle's environment is kept clean, the temperature's within ideal ranges (75-85 degrees), and the turtle's actively feeding, there's usually no problem.

Answer 3

Your sliders shell is coming off because of a very severe lack of calcium and/or lack of cleanliness of the water. You don't state the size of the aquarium you are using either. Generally when I see a turtle in this state it is almost too late to save it because the wrong care has been going on a long time. This is one reason we discourage people from keeping any kind of turtle. If the turtle is over 4", (illegal in all 50 states to purchase under 4"), then a minimum of a 20-29 gallon long tank is needed and the tank needs to have filtered water, a UV/UB light(10-12 hours daily)
and a turtle dock where it can get out of the water and be dry. It costs a little bit of money to properly set up a turtle tank. Sliders
enjoy anacharis in the tank to eat and the plant is a good oxygenator as well as absorbing waste from the water. This kind of turtle, if properly cared for can live at least 15 years.

Answer 4

Sadly, that treatment by itself won't do much- and even i fit does, it can take a while before you see much of a change.

First of all, let's review shell issues. If the peeling is paper thin, translucent pieces like thin fingernails, it may be normal shedding. Normal sheds should also be the same color and texture underneath the shed- no discoloration, no 'gunk', no smell.

If the scales themselves are coming off and underneath there is either white bone, mushy stuff, smelly stuff, pitting, etc., then you do indeed have a form of shell rot.

To treat most forms of shell rot, in brief:
- quarantine the turtle in a safe, clean, warm (but not overheated) DRY tank for most of the day.
- scrub off as much of the junk as possible. Dry the turtle off.
- disinfect the area with Betadine or similar product. Let air dry.
- apply Silverdine or other recommended ointment (prescription only in most places), rub in well.
- clean and scrub the shell with a soft brush (toothrush), then let it swim in clean water and feed, defecate, etc. for a 1-2 hours, then repeat the treatment.

Monitor it closely. You usually won't see a change for almost 2 weeks- and it will be small improvments at first- no new growth of crud, signs of healthy shell growing at the edges, etc. It will take a while for the shell to regenerate, but that is different than the actual healing of the problem.

For more detailed directions, check out: http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/medshell.htm

Answer 5

While what Nanaboss said is not precisely true -- there are some real experts, including some vets, who answer questions here -- she is correct in saying that you should consult your vet on this. He has seen your turtle; the rest of us are just going on a few words in a question.

While you're waiting for your vet appointment, or for the vet to call you back, you might want to do some searching on Google or Clusty for websites that address the problem, so you will know more about it when you talk to your vet and be able to get somewhat better answers.

Also, if your vet isn't a reptile specialist, you might want to consider finding one, or asking him for a referral to one. Reptiles are weird, and a vet who specializes in their unique problems will naturally know more about this problem than one who sees a turtle once every couple of weeks.

Answer 6

Like Writersblock73 said, it is normal for a Slider to loose scutes (or laminae as they're called) with growth. As was said, the scutes are transluscent and will retain a slight pattern or color. If the underlying scutes look shiny and colorful, then there is nothing wrong and you should take no action. If there is white bone beneath the laminae then there is a big problem with bacteria. Before I go into that, determine if there is actually a problem.
Remember, a healthy slider will be feeding well, active and alert and will have its typical brite shiny eyes looking up at you when you approach its enclosure:) Thanks, Leo

Answer 7

my turtles periodically sloth off segments of shell, very thin, transparent pieces. this is normal shedding as they grow.