If you have a turtle and they get a shell infection what do you do???

Question

I have had my turtle since early september of 2006. My family went on vacation for 3 or 4 days. When we came back my turtle had a little bit of weird whitish stuff on her shell. I researched it and it appeares to be minor shell rot. If it worsens then we're going to go to the store or this turtle doctor we know of. But has that happened to any of you guys?? If so, what did you do to fix it?
-worried turtle lover

Answer 1

There are three main types of 'whitish stuff'-

Raised stuff, which is usually fungal growths,

Lowered or dug-in stuff (pits, broken off colored parts of the sell, etc.), which is true shell rot or injuries, and

'Feels the same as the rest of the shell' white spots, which are usually harmless as long as they are small and scattered, but MIGHT be early signs of the pitting type or rot.

For the fungus or shell rot we will do about the same thing:

1. Check basic cares to prevent it from happening again. (http://www.austinsturtlepage.com)

2. Boost water temps about 5 degrees to help the turtle fight it.

3. Take the turtle and gently scrub the white areas with Betadyne solution (providone iodine) and let it dry, then add antibiotic ointment and let it sit for a couple hours, keeping the turtle in a warm dry tank it can feel safe in.

4. Repeat the treatment daily.

You CAN try one of the turtle sulfa dip treatments instead of step 3, but if it does not work in a week or so, you should try the more aggressive approach listed there.

Answer 2

a vet is best but if you can't take it to a vet then put it in a clean dry box, while it is there thuroghly clean its tank, it will need to stay in the dry box for several days/weeks, you can let it swim for about 1/2 a hour a day, shell rot needs water to grow so keeping it dry is important, at least once a day put Hydrogen peroxide on the infected parts of the shell, keep the peroxide on for several minutes, then rinse it of and put on providone-iodine solution, do not rinse this off, do this at least once a day till the shell rot goes away. You can get the peroxide, and iodine at wal mart

Answer 3

that's too quickly to start up nerve-racking. toddler turtles with difficult shells could proceed to be egg-formed. It takes awhile for them to harden up. you could hasten this alongside with suited nutrients. stay nutrients is the superb. No turtle can stand up to earthwoms, a powerful source of calcium. Small fishes (no longer goldfish) and gentle-bodied bugs are eaten with no hassle. once you won't have the ability to get stay nutrients, feed it strips of liver dusted with bonemeal to offer the two the nutrition D and the calcium. and swap off the basking easy at night. Do you get a powerful night's sleep with a vibrant easy on over your mattress?

Answer 4

Do you have a softshell turtle? If so, it is in need of immediate attention. If you have any other aquatic turtle (red eared slider) it still needs to be resolved. Go to this link.. http://www.turtlepuddle.org/health/shellrot.html