Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

I have 3 red-eared sliders that are about 1 year of age. We think two of them have shell rot. We have been battling with different treatments for 4 months now and nothing has completely taken care of the spots. The two with shell rot have been isolated from the one we think is okay. Their terrariums are cleaned with iodine spray and dish soap once a day currently.

Over the past 4 months we have treated all of them with:
Panalog ointment (Jan-Feb 2007)
Iodine spray twice daily (Feb-March 2007)
Neosporin ointment (March 2007)
Chlorhexidine scrub + otomax ointment (prescribed by a vet in April 2007)

Oh and to make matters worse, we are on a Caribbean island and have limited resources.

If anyone has any insight into this supposed problem please let me know.

SickTurtles

I cannot appreciate any problems with the photographs. The best bet with what I can only guess to be mild "shell rot" is to keep a clean and proper enclosure. Full spectrum lighting, a proper, varied diet, and a clean, clean, super clean water environment with a nice basking spot with appropriate temperatures will all let this turtle heal on it's own. You can continue keeping the wounds clean with the chlorhexadine scrub if you'd like, but only time will see the shell repair itself.

Double check my advice with your vet as he/she has actually seen the turtle in person. If they are worried about a more advanced case the I cannot see in the photos, then a blood panel (plus culture) should be done, as well as X-rays perhaps to appreciate the extent of the damage. Biopsies and deep sampling culture and sensitivity panels are also a good idea. Much of this is somewhat invasive, thus perhaps should be left for potentially serious cases.

Good luck, and don't forget to have fun in the carribean

Ian

I've read that shell rot can be attributed to a turtle who refuses to come out of the water enough. Assuming that they already have a U.V.A./U.V.B. light and a heat light to encourage them to come out and bask the only other option is to force them to dry off. That can be done by taking the affected turtles out of the tank and placing them in another container for several hours a day. This forces their shell to dry off completely. If they are all basking regularly and it is not attributed to lack of basking then I have no idea.
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