Shell Rot

[turtlemom]

I'm looking for any information I can get on the treatment of shell rot. I have a red eared slider that has got it. I had him to the vet about a month agO things got better, however now they are worse than before. I have been keeping him under the light and dry, a 1ll but a few hours a day. I have been cleaning his shell with saline and applying betidine which worked before but now it appears that it's not... Help..I have had him for 21years and I don't like to see him suffer. I don't know what else to try. He is still eating, however his activity level is down but still moving around.
Thanks

[Chu'Wuti]

I heard recently that Betadine is not good for turtles; it appears they're allergic to iodine.

Does your red-ear have a good dry basking place?

I know someone on another forum who has a lot of experience with turtles; I'll see if I can get info from her.

[turtlemom]

He has always had a spot to bask since he was the size of a toonie. Presently I have removed him from his regular tank and put him into a dry one with the heat lamp. I let him out to swim and eat and stuff in yet another tank for a few hours a day.(not his usual one) I drain and steralize the tank after each session. I wonder why the vet would give me the betadine solution if it has been proven to cause problems. If you could hook me up with the individual that you know from the other forum that has experience with turtles that would be fantastic as I am at a loss as to what to do. He has never been sick in 21years. Thanks for your time.

[Chu'Wuti]

Here's what I got back on the other forum (I'll pm you the forum):

There are two kinds of shell rot, dry, and wet. Wet shell rot occurs when the turtle is scratched or otherwise injured. Water gets trapped in the injury and bacteria or fungus grows. Dry shell rot is caused by water quality or injuries.

I personally have used Nolvasan with great success, and I also use Stress Coat. This is the treatment regimen I follow:

Quote:
Remove turtle and place in a quarantine tank. The infected areas should be cleaned and, if need be, affected scutes removed to ensure effective treatment underneath. Remove all squishy, off-white colored material. Be careful as the infection may have gone deep. Going too deep may cause you to penetrate into the body cavity. If you see that you will have to go more then a little bit past the surface of the shell, stop and seek veterinary assistance.

Listed below is a regimen that I have followed in treating shell problems and has yielded great results. Keep in mind that shell injuries will take months and sometimes years to get back to looking normal if the possibility exists. It takes weeks before the shell will look like it's getting better. While treating, you are not looking for signs of healing or repair - you are looking to ensure that it is not spreading.

Clean infected areas thoroughly with a strong, undiluted betadine, iodine or Nolvasan solution. Let the turtle air dry in a warm setting for about 45 minutes.

Apply a generous coating of Silvadene cream. Work into problem areas.

Leave the turtle dry and warm, ensuring that you do not over-heat, for 18-21 hours each day.

The next day, scrub entire shell with a one of the previously mentioned solutions, using a soft-bristled toothbrush

Place them into fresh, clean water. Let them swim, drink and eat for approximately 1 - 1 ½ hours.

Repeat procedure from Step 1.

This treatment performed daily or twice daily, depending on your time allocation, has been successful in as few as 8-10 days but in more extreme cases can take a few weeks. It is difficult to tell success right away, so it is often discouraging. It is, however, quite effective and you will begin to see small improvement (in most cases) in only a few weeks.

NOTE: The betadine bath's 'weak tea' solution is not advised as this can potentially bring about health issues later on.

Treatment using Acriflavine

Acriflavine is one of the greatest meds to use with turtles. I have treated shell infections with numerous medications and methods, but Acriflavine has given me better and faster results. This is my treatment method:

Week 1 - Do a complete water change. Remove any carbon media from filters. Add Acriflavine according to the directions on the label.

Week 2 - Do a 100% water change again, adding another treatment of Acriflavine.

Week 3 - Yet another 100% water change, this time, do not add in Acriflavine. Do not add any carbon media at this time.

Week 4 - Do a 100% water change again, adding another treatment of Acriflavine.

Week 5 - Personal preference on either leaving the treated water in the habitat, or changing it out. I have done both and have seen no differences in affect.

At this point, do 50% water changes for the next few weeks, and then taper back down to your normal routine. This will not only assist in fighting off anything that is trying to re-establish itself in your turtle's home, but also helps in general with water quality until the turtle has had proper time to heal.

Alternative Treatment

An alternate treatment that has also shown success, is to hospitalize the animal in clean water with a low pH and the water treated with StressCoat. To utilize this method, continue the first described treatment method mentioned above, but instead of placing the turtle in a dry container between treatments, place the animal in this type of aquatic setting.

This alternate treatment is also the preferred treatment for softshell turtles.