Urgent Care :: Her shell just isn't the same

[SamsMama]

How big is your turtle? about 6-7 in.
How long have you had it? about 2 months

What is the water temperature? 75
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? about 15 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? yes, a fluval filter

What is the basking temperature? not sure
Is there a basking light? yes, 2
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes, 2
What kind is it or what is it made out of? they are floating platforms that stick to the side of the tank
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? Pellets, collards, comet feeders, cuttle bone
When was the last time your turtle ate? today, she doesn't pass up a meal

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 20 long
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? in the early morning hours

Have you read the Basic Care section? no
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? no

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?

As it said in my intro (http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20321) I rescued Sam from the Petsmart I used to work at. When I "adopted her" (This actually involved me walking up to the manager and saying "I'm taking Sam to my vet NOW.") she had horrible shell rot. The doctors in the Banfield there (who knew nothing about turtles) were giving her baytril shots once weekly. I took it upon myself to do what I could (I soaked her once daily in warm chlorhexadine water and applied triple antibiotic on her soft, white, open wounds on her shell.) and researched on my own at home. I took Sam to the vet I used to work for and he had me give her cephazolin shots daily for two weeks. Her shell rot looked like it completely cleared up and she was just scarred. I created an album on photobucket with my comments on it. The link to the album is http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/bb202/arienight2/Sam/?albumview=grid. Could you just give me your thoughts and tell me if her shell looks normal?

I know I'm doing some things "wrong" and I'm in the process of changing things. The 20 gallon tank she is in was all I could afford when I rescued her and I'm saving my money to get her a larger one. I change it weekly, I know some might wonder my water quality, and keep it tested at work (I work at Petco). There is so much info on this site and I am working my way through it and I feel like I know SO LITTLE. I'm trying.

I hope this is enough info. If you have any questions or if I have accidently overlooked something please ask.

[Caphits]

Yeah, I dont think this really belongs in the urgent care, because all of the wounds have healed up pretty well (according to you), but there is two things I can think of is the bigger tank, which you already mentioned. And you probably need a heater, because if their water ever gets cold, they can get a respiratory infection. Its so great that you rescued this turtle!!

[SamsMama]

Sorry... :-/ It didn't seem to fit exactly in General Health either. I'm not completely sure she's totally healed either, I just think so, and was hoping if she wasn't then someone could tell me.

I will look into the water heater at work later.

[steve]

Sam looks good, but hard to tell with the pics provided. I would look into using a rubbermaid tub to give a bigger habitat for now. The main issue is taking care of the rot and making sure it doesn't return. The shell will improve over time. I'm glad you rescued her!

[marisa]

Props to you on the rescue. If you've only had the turtle two months, you're not going to see as much improvement as it seems you'd like, these things take a while. Has the shell rot completely disappeared? It would be nice to see even greater close-ups of the shell, but the one of the plastron---is that a hole where one of those blotches is? It also looks like something could be going on with an area on the upper left.

You're using chlorohexidine, which is good. What are you diluting it to for the bath? If you're using Nolvasan, which shouldn't suds, and dilute some to 2%, you could just apply it to any of the areas that need attention and let it dry.

[SamsMama]

No, she has no holes.

The problem with the rubbermaid tub for me is the fact that I work in cat rescue and there isn't a room in my house that I could put her that the cats couldn't get to her. :-/

[TurtleLover_S&B]

Yeah,her shell looks okay.I'd say that as long as you take care of her properly,she'll stay healthy.I agree on the rubbermaid.They're cheaper than tanks,and are pretty durable.

[SamsMama]

But the cats could get to her then, right?

[megcornell]

What are you doing to safeguard the tank from the cats? Whether it's a tank or a rubbermaid either way you'll need to either keep the cats out of the "tank room" or find an appropriate cover to prevent curious paws from entering the tank.
When I used to go home on college breaks my house had cats, and I found the easiest solution was just to keep the tank in my bedroom and only let the cats in supervised. They never really went after the tank, but to me it was too risky to let them in unattended in case they knocked the lights in or somehow injured themselves or the turtles.

[SamsMama]

I have a screen lid on the tank and the lights sit on top of the screen. Also, like I said before, there isn't a place in my house that is without a cat, except for the bathroom and the laundry room, so that won't work either. :-/

[Sassamo]

I have cats and my 50gal tank doesn't have a lid. There is a on top basking area which my black cat jumped in one time, she walked around sniffed and jumped out. Sassamo is the same size as yours, 7inches, and my cats will look at her, sniff her shell when she is loose(never her face, they are smart enough too know that part hurts). I don't think they pose a risk too each other. Cats avoid water, and you will have too make a sort of lid or enclosure so Sam can't get out, which should also prevent the cats from trying too get in. My tank has egg crate and an old rabbit cage around the edge too keep Sassamo in.

Do you have any special needs cats? Blind cats I would worry about, or cats with mental/brain damage issues. Other than that I think you will be fine. Cats are pretty smart after all