Urgent Care :: Skin fungus?

[Feliaretta]

I have a hatchling slider - I think he's a yellowbelly but I'm not completely sure. He was captured from a local pond a little over a week ago; when he was caught he was missing an entire front leg and it looks like he's missing part of his back foot on the same side. That really isn't a problem right now because he gets around very well in his tank, but I think it might have contributed to some other problems he has now. On his skin, especially his back legs, he has a lot of fuzzy stuff that floats around him when he's in the water. I am inclined to think that it is not just skin shedding because it is also visible when he is out of the water it looks like brownish goo. When I first got him I figured it was just some algae or residual pond muck that would clear up in a few days and that is why I haven't started worrying about it until now. It hasn't improved at all, so I think it must be some kind of skin fungus or something like that. Am I wrong? Advice would be appreciated. If it is, should I dry dock? I know that is what is done for shell fungus but I haven't been able to find much info about skin fungus. I'd like to know soon so I can dry dock tonight if needed.

Another problem that I don't think is very urgent but is kinda weird is that his shell is a very brownish/orangeish color instead of green like they usually are. His belly also has a lot of that color on it which is pretty odd. I figure that the weird coloration is due to malnourishment from him not being able to feed well in the wild since he's crippled. He is being fed well now with hatchling pellets, greens, insects, and soon some minnows. He has also been basking with heat and UVB and has ~80 degree water. He is very energetic and eats well so I don't think there's anything really wrong with him internally. If there is anything I need to know about his strange shell please let me know. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide .

I'm sorry I couldn't provide any pictures since I'm sure they would be helpful in diagnoses, but I don't have a camera right now.

[Love of Animals]

Here is a link to basic care. http://www.redearslider.com/index_basic_care.html
Unfortunately without pictures we really can't help you with a diagnosis. Please try to borrow a friends camera or maybe you have a phone camera you can use. You should dry dock at this time but it may not help much. We need to figure out whether it is a fungus or infection.

[steve]

Skin fungus is usually a patchy white - pictures could be very helpful in this case. And I'd consider doing a gentle shell scrub with a new toothbrush.

[Feliaretta]

Ok I'll try to get a picture soon with my phone, hopefully it will be better than the ones I tried to take before...they came out really blurry. Right now he's basking and I don't want to disturb him but I will do it within the next couple of hours. Thank you to the folks who replied. It's definitely not fungus then if fungus is patchy and white, because it is neither. Either way I'll get pics soon.

Love of Animals I have already read the basic care section, and I just reread it, but is there a specific thing I should be looking at? I am complying with all of the suggestions there except for the vet visit which I won't be able to afford to do until I get paid in 2 weeks.

[Feliaretta]

Ok I took pictures but I have to email them to myself and I don't have enough service right now, I'm about to go out so I'll send them to my self when I have good service and post them when I get back.

After looking back at the description of skin fungus in the health section I'm thinking he probably has a pretty bad case of that. It doesn't look patchy until I look really close and see a bunch of little patches right next to each other. It also says it could be brownish like his is. I'd like to get some medicine for it but the Repti Turtle Sulfa Dip recommended on the health page is apparently not sold any more (I couldn't find it at least) so is there any alternative? Help plz! What do I do! pics in 2 hours.

[Love of Animals]

No nothing specific. Just wanted to make sure you knew of all the housing requirements and proper husbandry for your little guy. Can't really say without the pics. There are some fish medicines out there that might be helpful to you but we need to know if your dealing with an infection or fungus. Infection will probably need a vet visit for antibiotics. Will need pics of the shell dry top and bottom and the area that is problematic.

[Feliaretta]

Ok here are the 2 pictures I could get off my phone -





They are really blurry but you can kinda see the fuzzyness around his legs. Also see how dark his plastron is? His name is tripod by the way. I took some more pics but I'm having trouble getting them off my phone. I also didn't know I needed pics of him dry so I'll do that tomorrow. Thank you for the help.

[steve]

It does look like a type of fungus. I would try some dry docking and soaking that area in diluted betadine (don't submerge your turtle in it or let him drink it). If that doesn't help in a day or two, you might have to try a more aggressive treatment.

[Feliaretta]

It looks like he's got a little on his neck too. What exactly do you mean when you say don't submerge him? Just don't put his eyes or mouth under the solution? I'll dry dock tonight and get some betadine tomorrow. Where is the best/cheapest place to get it?

[steve]

Right, You don't want him to drink it or breath it in. Betadine can be found in drugstores and dilute at least 1:1 with water.

[Feliaretta]

I am treating him and the fungus or whatever it was seems to be retreating.

I have another question now though that is related: I have some fish in the tank with him because the tank is huge and I thought it would be more interesting to have some fish to watch and for him to chase when he feels like it. They are mostly minnows and baby sunfish that came from the same pond that he did. Now some of the sunfish are developing some cottony fungus-looking stuff on their tails. This brings up a few questions from me...

could they have caught it from the turtle? I wouldn't think that turtles and fish would get the same kind of fungus.

if not, could they give it to the turtle?

would it hurt the turtle if i put some antifungal stuff for fish in the tank water? I have something called Mydor Fungus-Ease, ingredients: EDTA, Supric Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Formaldeyde, Allantoin, Magnesium Sulfate, Glydany, Potassium Dichromate. 1 tsp per 10 gallons

Let me know what I should do.

[Love of Animals]

Might be ick on the fish. Unfortunately I would separate the turtle and the fish and treat separately. I'm not sure if turtles can get ick. Read up on some fish forums about ick. It can be quite difficult to get rid of. I would keep the turtle away from the fish and tank for quite a while. Hopefully Steve will come back with some advise on that.

[Feliaretta]

Thanks, I already removed the affected fish and treated them with that stuff I have because I didn't want to chance it and I wasn't sure how long it would take to get an answer. I did do some research before I posted and read some about it, it didn't seem like it was ick to me because they were all getting it on the same spot on their tail and not on any other part of their body. It could be though. I would be interested to hear what Steve says.

[steve]

I don't know anything about fish keeping or ick, though I would continue separation as suggested. Since you don't know how your turtle got this fungus, you should try to keep everything simple in the tank. I don't know about Mydor Fungus-Ease but a lot of people use MarOxy and Acriflavine for their fish. If the dry docking and betadine has made progress, then I would continue with it.

Some clearer pics might help... I'm not sure what kind of turtle you have.

[Feliaretta]

Well I do know that he didn't get the fungus from my tank or the fish because he already had it when I put him in the tank and put the fish in there. Whatever it is, he got it in the pond he was in before I got him. I am still quarantining the fish until they are back to looking normal. I will get some pictures of him dry today, I forgot about that the other day sorry.