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I sent that one back to the hospital on Sat. morning because I found the parasites. The day before when I noticed the odor coming from the turtle which smelled like infection to me, I looked this one over really well & saw odd looking "sores" on the skin. I chalked that up to dog tooth damage. I thought maybe that's why the odor is happening.
I was wrong! That turtle was dog chewed, has internal parasites, & the skin problem is bots!
I have never seen that anywhere other than a photograph, it's extremely unusual to see that in a turtle around here but it has happened!
So that one is going to stay in the hospital for a long while.
The vet thinks some of that odor is coming from under the acrylic so it's coming off again. The turtle is getting all sorts of medication right now & I think the hospital is the best place for it to be at the moment.
The really odd thing about this is that this turtle acts as if she/he feels fine. This one eats with no problems at all, walks around with no problems yet it's got all these diseases & injuries. What a fighter!
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PHRatz

I hope that no one has told the turtle she's sick......... If they did it might ruin everything!

THey are amazingly hardy though.

>>I hope that no one has told the turtle she's sick......... If they did it might ruin everything!

I know LOL please don't anyone tell her she's got problems it really might ruin it all. LOL
I was blown away watching her eat.. it was as if "I have no idea something is wrong with me just bring me that food & bring it now!"
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PHRatz

Good luck! Naturally the vet knows best, but I have heard some vets are steering clear of the epoxy covering/repairs and place only bone cement in the cracks (and of course glue pins and use wire to stablize the cracks). A waterproof bandage is applied and replaced regularly. I think the thought is this method will allow better cleaning of the wounds and access to the shell in case infection occurs. Has anyone seen such a shell repair job before?
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Tess
Kingsnake.com Forum Host

>>Good luck! Naturally the vet knows best, but I have heard some vets are steering clear of the epoxy covering/repairs and place only bone cement in the cracks (and of course glue pins and use wire to stablize the cracks). A waterproof bandage is applied and replaced regularly. I think the thought is this method will allow better cleaning of the wounds and access to the shell in case infection occurs. Has anyone seen such a shell repair job before?

Yes my vet & I have discussed other methods, she goes to reptile seminars every year and she's aware of what other vets are doing with wire and pins. She said depending on how they are broken, where they are broken, how much of the shell is broken.. she thinks that acrylic still has it's use in these cases.
She doesn't care for epoxy but this acrylic she's been using for the last couple of years usually works very well for the turtles she's repaired with it.
My own Shell E was repaired with wire suture but her injury although would've led to her death if left untreated was not as serious as my Chip's injuries were or this new turtle's injuries are.
Another point she made is that if the injuries are extensive then the time it takes under anesthesia to repair could be detrimental to the turtle. She does a really good job with these guys so I feel like whatever she thinks....
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PHRatz

He's getting such good care. I'm sure he'll be fine...

Wow - she has a great vital force! Hope she recovers completely and goes on to have a long and healthy life.

My male three-toed was dropped off at a local pet store by his former people. He was in such bad shape - chewed up by a dog, and kept in a small filthy, cold water tank without any way to get out of the water! He was rotting from bacterial and fungal infections galore, starving; his eyes were so swollen up and infected that the vet thought he would not regain normal vision. I treated him with homeopathy and herbs, and he made a full recovery - this was in 1992. After he had recovered from the infections and regained normal behavior/energy/appetite (he was not moving and near death when I took him home - pet store called me and asked me to take him), I brought him back to the vet to make sure he wouldn't need any acrylic for his shell. Fortunately with my herbal soaks and such, his shell - though scarred - was solid and healthy enough to not need the acrylic. his eyes recovered completely, too. He does have a very battered looking shell from that experience to this day - though he's fine and healthy - just scarred looking.

I hope your girl does as well!

Kasie