Urgent Care :: Shell Condition???

[JoeLaX75]

So I've posted this same question at another forum (Turtle Times) and responses have been slow to say the least.

This is the first reptile I have ever known. Her name is Soup and I just adopted her from a friend who couldn't take care of her anymore. She is just over a year old and about one and a half inches long (which I'm told is small). I'm told that the color on the top of her shell is just from her shedding scutes, but I'm not sure about her underside. What do you guys think?



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[JoeLaX75]

Sorry! Forgot to add this:

How big is your turtle? 1.5 inches
How long have you had it? 3 weeks (I adopted)

What is the water temperature? 80ish F
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? No
How much water is in there? 4 Gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? AquaSafe
Are you using any filtration? Duetto 50

What is the basking temperature? 90s (new basking area, so lamp is being adujusted to 90)
Is there a basking light? Yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Plexiglass
Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? Reptimin and Green Leaf Lettuce
When was the last time your turtle ate? Today

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 Gallons
Is the tank near a window? No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Yes

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? On many sites and forums

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? None

[steve]

Hi Joe, I think Soup has a fungal/yeast infection. There are a few thorough cases on this forum, do a search for "fungus" and "silverdine" for some examples to confirm what Soup has.

[JoeLaX75]

Oh no...

Thanks steve

Did a specific picture give it away? What areas are the problem?

[steve]

Both my turtles have it... was able to treat it the first time, second time is still not entirely treatable. Your turtle has it on the top and bottom, pretty much all over.

[jozzep]

This case is even more severe than your turtles.

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... highlight=

[JoeLaX75]

"Sliverdine" yields only 3 results, one of which is this thread.

This has me really scared now.

[jozzep]

It's actually "silvadene"
Here is another case i found on another forum.......
This was the advice :



I recommend seeing your vet for a couple of reasons. Your vet will be able to determine whether or not it is fungus or not - I think there is a high likelihood that you are correct, in fact it could very well be a fungus called Candida albicans. Many fungi can appear white and fluffy. Your vet can take a sample of it and differentiate it from pus - which can take many forms and appear in different shades of white. Also, your vet can choose the appropriate medication - Sulfa drugs are great antibacterials, so if it were a bacteria causing your problem, you may have nipped it in the bud! However, fungi are trickier and can be hard to get rid of - just ask someone with athlete's foot. Your veterinarian can give you topical anti-fungal medication as well as systemic medication (pill form) to fight the fungus in two ways. If you want to delay before you see the vet - I would recommend, at the very least, bathing the area in the following solution: take some iodine solution and mix it in water until the combination appears the color of iced-tea (this ought to be a 0.05-1.5% solution), apply to a cotton sponge and bathe the area twice daily. Iodine has great antibacterial and antifungal
properties - be careful because it will stain. However, i should make it clear that this may not be the answer to your problem and seeing a vet is the safest bet.

Cheers!

[steve]

For clarification, it's silver sulfadiazine (SSD) cream. I agree a vet visit is good, though I would not wager on their ability to correctly diagnose it. One well-respected vet though it was a pigmentation problem, another cultured it but did not yield any results. A biologist friend was able to culture and confirm a fungus/yeast infection.

I cannot comment on the treatment posted, but there are multiple types of fungus which might require different types of treatment.

[jozzep]

I'm actually trying to learn more about this since i've seen 3 cases in 3 days on this forum...
I haven't found a consistent solution but there are many theories.
One is the above i posted, another is 20/30 minutes a day in 50/50 solution water and pedialyte, and another to use "silvadene" and dry dock.
I guess give them all a go one at a time and see what happens.
hope all works out

[JoeLaX75]

I hate to say it, but as a college student, I really can't afford the costs of a vet visit. She's looked like this since I got her less than 3 weeks ago. Here I thought was doing a good deed by helping out a friend and giving a turtle a new home... now I'm just endangering her...

Are their any specific threads you can recommend? I'm having a bit of trouble.

[steve]

Not sure what 50/50 solution water and pedialyte would do, thats more for turtles not eating/dehydrated. I've tried betadine solutions, Hibiclens (chlorhexidine) without success. Betadine and I assume Iodine soaks are something that is out of favor with turtle keepers with chlorhexidine gaining popularity.

In my situation, SSD cream and dry docking worked the first time, but not the second. I believe there were either 2 types of fungus or the one became resistant.

Finally, I believe habitat condition and shedding to be the best treatment against it, but that obviously could take time against something as aggressive as fungus.

[steve]

Joe, you're not endangering her, and treatment does not have to be expensive. I don't suppose your college has a veterinary department?

Try this page: http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10839

[jozzep]

i totally understand....i don't have money to spend for vets either, that's why i try educating myself as much as possible and believe it or not knowledge saves you a lot of money in many aspects of life....

[jozzep]

Wow Steve that post from Spotsmama hits it on the nail.....And yes the silvadene and dry docking seems like the way to go....It worked for Spot