The Diagnostic and Medication Processes for Aquatic Turtles
(Part -2 “Shell Problems and Wounds”)
As with any pet we keep and care for (turtles included), there are sometimes situations that come up where medical/veterinary assistance is helpful, or indeed, required. Aquatic and terrestrial turtle species, like most animals, have certain illnesses and conditions that are common to their particular genera. When one of these conditions arise, it is helpful to have a local veterinarian who is knowledgeable in the diagnostic and medication processes for turtles. We, as leaders in our industry, always advocate seeking out experienced and qualified veterinary professionals who have devoted their lives and careers to addressing and correcting the very problems you could be experiencing.
But having said that, what happens when situations arise where veterinary intervention is just not possible? Maybe there are no local vets around you that are specifically involved in treating reptiles, maybe the time or distance makes an appointment impossible, or maybe it’s just honestly the relatively high cost of treatment that makes this assistance unrealistic. In any case, when you find yourself at this point, there are only two courses of action available to you: 1-Sit back and “let nature take its course” -or 2- take the initiative to try something you can do to help your ailing turtle. The following article and the information it contains is presented to educate you so that you may become familiar with some specific conditions common to aquatic and terrestrial turtles. By understanding the basics, you will know what to watch for and what questions to ask your veterinarian should problems arise. And in the cases where proper veterinary intervention is (for whatever reason) out of the question, this information may help point you in the right direction in caring for your ill turtle.
Preventive Care:
Proper everyday care is always the best way to cure a problem before it happens. A clean healthy environment, correct lighting and warmth, and proper nutrition are keys to maintaining a situation where your turtles can remain strong and healthy. Take care to provide the suggested UVA-UVB lighting, good ambient and directional heating, and effective water filtration. And always feed a diet that is formulated Specifically for Aquatic Turtles – TropicZone Aquatic Turtle Diets are a good example of a high quality, fully supplemented turtle diet. Vitamin A deficiencies are common in turtles not maintained on a consistent pelleted formula (which supplements this important nutrient in proper amounts). Be aware that dietary deficiencies from an improper diet have all been linked to increases in disease, illness, and early deaths. A proper diet cannot be overstated.
The Basics:
Where we can certainly not review every possible problem you can encounter with your turtles, we can definitely look at the most common issues that veterinarians deal with on a daily basis.
In this, Part-2 of this Turtle-Tech series: “The Diagnostic and Medication Processes for Aquatic Turtles” we take an overview of problematic issues that turtles encounter with their shells (including physical injury, discolorations, scute retention, and complications with infections such as “shell rot”).
Part-1 of this series delt with issues that affect the turtle’s eyes, including injury, irritations, and infections. This first article can be reviewed on the Turtle-Tech Blog site under the “Care & Husbandry” category. Again, this information should help point you in the right direction for treatment, whether professional or self-administered.
Shell Problems in Aquatic Turtles:
Shell Discoloration and Scute Retention:
One common issue in Aquatic Turtles is Shell Discoloration and/or Scute Retention, we will review these together as they many times go hand and hand in their occurrence. To start, turtles kept in environments using common tap water or well water over time can exhibit a whitish scaling on various areas of the upper shell (carapace) and sometimes to a lesser extent the bottom (plastron). Tap water and water directly taken from wells are notorious for carrying substantial amounts of dissolved minerals and salts (primarily calcium and magnesium). Consequently, when a turtle climbs out of the water to bask in the heat, once the water on his wet shell has evaporated, these minerals and salts are left behind in the porous areas of the turtles shell. In time, depending on just how “hard” the water, these left over deposits can form a whitish looking “scale” through much of the upper shell structure.
Occasionally, this condition is incorrectly diagnosed as shell rot, but it exhibits none of the softening of the shell, degeneration of tissue, or odor that is common with shell rot. Fortunately, these deposits can be safely removed from the turtles shell with a dilute solution of vinegar and a soft toothbrush. Depending on the concentration of the buildup, it may take several sessions to remove all the deposits. It is generally suggested that when dealing with hard water, a light vinegar scrub can be done monthly to avoid further accumulation.
Scute retention is a condition where the outer layers of the shell (scutes) do not flake off as the turtles size increases. Generally, as the turtles grow and new tissue is formed to enlarge the shell, the older, smaller outer layers of shell separate and shed off to expose the new tissue. In some cases, these scutes fail to dislocate and remain adhered to the shell. Scute retention is seen occasionally in turtles with inadequate heating and lighting conditions or under poor nutrition, and in some cases, in conjunction with heavy deposits of calcium/magnesium associated with hard water. It appears that in many cases, the mineral buildup left over by the hard water actually works as a “cement” to prevent scutes from separating and falling off as they should. If this be the case, removal of the mineral/salt deposits as described above should help the scutes to shed off naturally. If mineral deposits are not the cause, and an old stray scute simply refuses to dislodge, careful prodding with your fingernail will usually coax it to pop off. If it appears that the scute is still strongly adhered, wait a bit longer for it to shed naturally or see a trained vet who can see to its removal.
Physical damage to the shell:
Turtle shells are a complex fused structure of vertebral and dermal bone, in most cases creating a domed surface. This surface is then covered with a protective layer of keratein plates or “scutes”. All of these combined layering’s work to provide a protected inner body cavity that houses the turtles vital organs, circulatory system, digestive and reproductive tracts.
Under normal circumstances, the shells substantial strength is enough to protect the turtle, yet despite the level of protection the shell provides, there are still instances when the shell can suffer physical damage. Simple scratches and abrasions, all the way up to a complete collapse of the bone structure and exposure of the inner body cavity.
When dealing with physical damage to the shell, it is always a matter of the extent of the damage. Simple scratches and abrasions can be easily delt with by disinfecting the area with a good veterinary disinfectant/antiseptic. Chlorhexidine, in its liquid or cream forms works well in providing conditions where the turtles normal immune system can work to heal the small wound. As long as no infection develops, most small damage is mended in due time.
Major Shell Damage is a much different situation. Treating a turtle with extensive damage to the shell structure, including the exposure of the inner body cavity, is best left to professionals. With the inner body cavity exposed, bacteria can easily enter and cause disastrous infection, damaged bone and tissue is left open to internal bleeding, and generally at this point some damage of the internal organs can be expected. Treatment, depending on the extent of the damage, includes repairing of the shell to close the breach and seal off the internal body cavity, and sufficient amounts of antibiotics/ antiseptics to help fight off infection inside and out. Understandably, survival rate on such catastrophic damage is comparatively low, but always worth the effort.
Shell bacterial and fungal infections (shell rot):
Under poor conditions (such as malnutrition and/or an unclean environment) or occasionally through infection from physical injury, the outer keratein layer of the turtle’s shell can come under attack by various forms of bacteria or fungi. Causing infection and deterioration of the shell. Without correction, this infection can enter into the blood stream, become septic, and lead to death.
Commonly known as shell “rot” or SCUD, it is an affliction that is rare among turtles kept in clean environments and fed a properly designed diet as is discussed in this article’s introduction. When shell rot does occur, in most cases it is easy treated in its initial stages.
Addressing shell rot is usually a three step process, then allowing time for the shell to regrow healthy tissue. The first step is to remove the turtle from the aquarium where the infection first developed and thoroughly clean and disinfect the aquarium and all associated equipment. A light mix of bleach and water works well to kill off most pathogens and should evaporate within 24 hours. Reset the aquarium up so that after treatment the turtle will have a clean environment to return to. The second step involves cleaning/disinfecting the turtles infected shell areas so that treatment can be initiated. In this step, a small toothbrush is used to clean and dislodge any loose, flaking, soft, or dissolved shell tissue. A cleaning solution of iodine 10%, or Chlorhexidine scrub works well to flush out dead material and help begin the initial treatment. Make sure to remove as much infected matter as is safely possible. After the primary cleaning/disinfecting is complete, the turtle is placed in a clean dry container and allowed to remain dry for the next 24hours. This allows the infected area of the shell to completely dry, which should aid in the clearing of any bacteria remaining after the disinfecting scrub. The third step involves a thorough inspection of the infected areas to assure the areas are clean and dry, if additional cleaning is needed, step two can be repeated. If the shell appears clean and dry, an antibacterial/fungal cream can then be applied to the affected shell areas. Chlorhexidine 2% cream works well for this use and is available at most veterinary outlets. Once the cream is applied, the turtle is allowed to remain in the dry container for another 24 hours. After this second 24 hour period, the shell can be washed with warm water and the turtle returned to the newly cleaned aquarium to feed and rehydrate. At this point the shell should be on its way to healing. In normal cases, the shell will need to be re-medicated every 5-7 days until the infection has completely cleared.
For further information on “The Diagnostic and Medication Processes for Aquatic Turtles” please visit:
“The Diagnostic and Medication Processes for Aquatic Turtles”– Part 1
On the…
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