Urgent Care :: URGENT. Shell Rot?!?!?!

[truds1986]

I'm pretty sure my Turtle crush has shell rot. Im not sure what I should do about it tho.
I live in New Zealand and have had a look for a vet that would know about Turtles but there doesn't seem to be many. Does anyone know of any that are good in The Wellington area?!?!
I don't know how old he is but I got him from my Mum's friend's friend who had him outside in a pond.
I have had him for a while now and not to clued up on Turtles. I have had a look at the Basic Care page and also looked through heaps of the other questions people have asked but compared to my turtle they don't tell me much.
Can someone please help or give me hints on what to do?
Would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[rsour24]

i'd say its shell rot, id go to the vet right away

[Spike 7.62]

Even if there aren't many turtle vets in your area, find the ones that exist. You may even have to travel a little bit, but your little guy deserves to receive treatment. The vet will likely prescribe a cream for the shell and give you good directions on how to take care of him at home. Good luck, keep us updated.

Once his shell is healed, some good shell health tips are to provide a dry basking area (even the surface itself must be dry, that way his bottom dries out fully as well), UV light whether from a bulb or the sun, and calcium in his diet (cuttlebone is a good option, as are pellets with calcium included). I'm sure some other members will chime in here.

Good luck!

-spike

[truds1986]

Thank you. I am looking for a vet right away. Will keep you posted and let you know what the vet says.
Also I do have a floating dock and light for Crush but he doesn't seem to like it so I try take him outside when it's really sunny as well but because it's been winter here I haven't had much chance at doing that. Is there any other hint's you can give me at trying to get Crush under the light and stay there?!?
Would be greatly appreciated.
Also thanks Spike your very helpful.

[Spike 7.62]

Hm, winter is a bad time for domesticated turtles to be outside. Wild turtles are hibernating, buried in the ground. Keep in mind I'm no vet, but I have to advise against having him outdoors in the cold. If he develops a respitory infection then he's really in trouble, or his immune system could be overloaded.

What kind of UV light set up do you have? A combination of heat and UV is basically what makes a turtle bask, and that can be replicated with a heat lamp (to create heat) and a UV light. Place them in such a way that the turtle can be under both at the same time. Or some UV lights also produce heat. If you aren't sure if your lamp produces heat and/or UV, it should say on the box, or see what they've got at the petstore. Also read up on lighting/heat/basking issues on the main website and forum.

Dry-dock him for part of the day, but he'll be upset if he's out of the water all the time. Plus he needs it to feed, exercise, et cetera. He's sick and needs extra attention, so make sure he's eating, pooping and being active in the tank. Also, where ever he's dry docked, make sure it's escape-proof. I can say first hand that turtles are little escape artists!

And most of all, it isn't the end of the world. Your turtle is sick and needs care, but you're taking the appropriate steps to make him better. I just put out a lot of information, and I don't want it to intimidate you. When I first got into turtles, I thought I went in wayy over my head because there was so much to know. Take everything one problem at a time, do what needs to be done, and before you know it the issue will be resolved. You're not alone, thousands of turtle owners have gone through this before, and we're all here to help you. Good luck again!

-spike

[marisa]

Are there any areas that are soft or smelly? There could be some shell rot involved, but it looks like a bad case of fungus to me. Find a herp vet who can evaluate your turtle and prescribe medication to effectively deal with it.

What's his set-up like?

[steve]

Looks like fungus to me as well. The spottiness and spread pattern are usually good indicators.

[truds1986]

Hi Everyone, Thanks for you help. I have been to the Vet and Thank God it's not Shell Rot or a Fungus thing either.
Found out it's my light. It's not a proper UV light so he hasn't been getting the UV he needs.
The Vet did give him a bill of health tho, which I'm very happy to hear about.
I have added a photo just to show you the type of set up I have. Lighting will be changed once I can afford to get the proper lights and heat he needs.
Thanks heaps again for all you help.
Truds.

[jozzep]

Really? It's seems like a bad case of shell fungus to me, but i'm not a vet.
Hope he gets better once you buy an MVB for him.

[gwennie]

I think it could be a lot of retained scutes perhaps...but I'd think there was an underlying infection there possibly, or you have really hard water? Could be mineral deposits on top of retained scutes. *scratches head*

My previous turtle looked just like that when I adopted her - turns out she'd had the wrong kind of light her whole life as well. She shed a few weeks after we got her and there was a nice shell underneath, but she had a lot of pitting as well.

Be on the lookout after his next shed. I'd also probably get a second opinion, just in case.

[steve]

Hi Truds, I have to disagree with your vet. A case of fungus does not have to escalate into something worse, but it can through secondary infections. Main thing is to promote healthy regular shedding and be on the lookout for retained scutes.

Best of luck, Steve.