Feeding and Nutrition :: Turtle Shell Rot need advice about how to feed please

[ch12ag]

Hi, I have a 4" cagles map turtle and he has jus been to the vet for shell rot he is under the vets care still and has follow up appointments. The only thing i thought about just now was I know he requires water to eat but was wondering on how i could keep him out of the water as advised by the vet for a good few days til his next appointment and also feed him. I was thinkin along the lines of putting a small bowl of water with a few reptomin food sticks in it what do you guys think and any other ideas would be greatly appreciated by myself and terrance the turtle, thank you

[jenaero]

He still needs to stay hydrated. I suggest putting him in his tank for feeding as well as giving him say 10 or 20 min in the tank a few times a day. Seems to me, keeping him out of water completely for even a few days doesn't sound healthy. This is merely my opinion, as I've never had to treat shell rot.

[SpotsMama]

He does need to be hydrated several times a day. For aggressive treatment, the sources I've seen (plus the vet recommendation when my turtle had a shell infection) say to keep them dry except for several 30 minutes periods in water to eat and drink.

[marisa]

What does your vet recommend? When I've dry tanked an injured turtle he was placed in water twice a day (morning and evening) for 30 - 40 minutes to allow him to eat and get rehydrated.

[ch12ag]

hmm, well everyone seems to be coming out with similar responses. My vet has given him one of his 4 weekly injections yday and has given me a bottle of iodine to dab his affected areas with. He said to keep him out of water til his next appointment on monday i dunno wat to do now, do i put him in water just to feed and keep him out rest of time or do i just leave him out with a bowl of water and some food more confused now lol

[ch12ag]

hi all, just got off the phone to the vet and he was stressing the point not to put him in water, and to just leave a shallow bowl of water with food in it and he will sort himself out. I guess i will do that and jus monitor him n see how he goes i dont want to mess about with the vets treatment as of course he knows a LOT more than i do. Really appreciate all your help but would also like to see what you guys think of wat the vet said,

Thanks

[steve]

A lot of infections and microbes thrive in water but your turtle needs to be in water to swallow, and he might be stressed to the point where he will not try to eat at all. If the infection is on his carapace (top portion of the shell), then you can use a shallow pan of water.

[ch12ag]

Thanks, but his infection is on his plastron in the centre. so i dont kno what to do. O this is so stressful i dont know whether to ignore the vet and still put him in water to feed or do wat the vet said, so far i have left a bowl of water with food in it on the side and he just isnt interested in it. I mean last thing i want is for him to die from being de-hydrated and having no food

[ch12ag]

his affected areas are looking better by the day, i have kept him out with no contact with water (except for food bowl) for the past 3 days, he is also quite active, but is still ignoring the food in the bowl he just tips it over as if he doesnt care if its there or not. So I suppose as far as treatment goes He hasnt been in water for 3 days and affected areas are being wiped twice a day with iodine and are appearing to get better, on the downside he hasnt eaten in 3 days, his next appointment is day after tomorrow, hope everything is ok til then I have left his UVB light on to help Vitamin D3 synthesis i guess i hope any little helps... what are you comments on this?

[Kemul]

You don't have to worry about a turtle not eating for several days. Turtles need
to stay hydrated though. I think that's where the bowl of water comes in.

Good to know that the affected area gets better

[ch12ag]

Thanks ye i mean 2 days ago U could see pitting and redness on his plastron but now you can still see a little pitting but redness has gone and the area is returnin to the yellowish colour of the rest of the plastron. I feel really bad because up until now i dint realise he has some shell rot on his carapace, I just thought it was mineral deposits from the water becuase it was only around his shedding scutes and would disappear and reappear every now any again . I suppose the main thing is his pitting and everything is getting better. Just need to make sure i can get him to stay hydrated

[ch12ag]

YESSSS!!! lol sorry but today for the first time in 4 days i have seen ma lil terrance dip his head in water and bite at a lil food

[TurtleLover_S&B]

Yeah,I seem to agree with mostly everyone.Just let them have about half an hour to eat and swim to stay hydrated.Then,just take them out.

[ch12ag]

Saw the vet today he has given the second injection with the third on thursday. He said i can now put him in to feed only then take him out and leave to dry and i asked him why not before and he said it was because the pitting was fairly bad in one spot and he dint wanna take any chances of it leading to septicemia but he assessed terrance's health today and he was very very happy one area had nearly gone and the other was healing nciely thanks everyone for your help and advice

[ch12ag]

Just in case you wer all wondering wat happened to lil terrance... he's ok and everything is healing up well with the iodine antiseptic application twice a day and twice a day dip in the tank to feed, dry docking rest of the time is healing it all up well thanks for all ur help