Hi

[kmac]

I'm very happy to be here. I was browsing the internet, looking for help with my turtle (see my album "Worried") and I found you guys. Looking forward to chatting with you.
~K

 

[Allycatz]

Hi there!

I'm no turtle expert, but I find it doubtful that he would be shedding for over a month (you mentioned in your photos that you first noticed the white spot a month back). What is your basking set up like? Water parameters? I would definitely want to thoroughly clean his set up. It might be time to seriously consider that upgrade you've been planning for!

Its hard to tell from the photos, but the white lesions (particularly the one) looks like it is definitely concave. Is the area foul smelling? What is his behaviour like? Is there a chance you've been over-feeding him? Have you noticed any other questionable areas (how is his underbelly (plastron) looking?)?

I'm not sure if you've already initiated a treatment regime. I found a very good article on the home treatment of mild rot. I'll repeat a bit of it below, while trying not to sound like the efforts of a dying record player!

Have you tried giving him a good clean using a soft (unused!) toothbrush with some ever so gentle diluted soap? Afterwards you should be able to use the edge of a clean (hit it up with some rubbing alcohol or boiling water if you don't have any on hand... NOT hydrogen peroxide!) credit card (or empty gift card etc) to gently scrape at the white areas. Don't dig at it or anything... just remove anything that comes off easily.

You then need to disinfect with either a mild saline solution (aquarium salt, kosher salt), I know others use potassium permanganate, or the Nolvasan antiseptic discussed in the aforementioned online article. You then should keep him dry for at least a couple of hours and repeat disinfections each day for a week.

If you don't see any improvement, his symptoms worsen or you are really uncomfortable/unsure of treating him you should consult a veterinarian. Ideally a reptile or exotic vet, of course, but realistically all vets should have some background in dealing with similar topical conditions.

Best of luck to you!

PS: Welcome to the community! I'm also new to the site (but not the hobby).

 

[mgamer20o0]

Welcome to AA.

 

[kmac]

Wow, Ally, thank you so much for the great advice! To answer your questions--he has one main basking pad but he tends to perch himself atop one of the plastic trees and bask there (does it count as basking if he is still in the water? he's for sure soaking up the heat lamp). There is a very slight smell, but it's not strong--at least I can only smell it if i lean really close to the water. I am definitely going to try this remedy--it seems like the "spots" are changing every day! I took this video this morning to capture what the shell looks like without the flash/light reflection off the water.

Anyway, I will definitley give this a try and thanks so much for responding. How wonderful to have such knowledgeable people here! It definitley makes "new mothers" like me feel better.

 

[Allycatz]

What a cutie! What is his name?

Anyway, the spots appeared to be much worse in the photos. At worst its a very minor case of shell rot. Just make sure you keep it clean, disinfected and try to keep him dry (or at least have periods of the day where hes dry). My brother has a slider and he actually resorted to having his spend nights in a plastic container with some comfy towels.

I wonder why yours isn't using his basking pad. Is he perhaps having difficulty accessing it? Or is the pad maybe too small or located too close to the lamp? I wonder. Usually they like to come out periodically and get themselves completely dry. My brother has one of those floating basking platforms that suctions to the glass of the aquarium and he just books it off of it whenever a 'stranger' (ie: someone who isn't my brother) approaches him. ha ha

 

[kmac]

Thanks, his name is Herman and I am so attached to him (my friends think I have gone insane).

That's one of the things that was so confusing to me. It seems like everyday the spots look worse, the next day they look better and so on and so on. I did see some large "tubs" for lack of a better word, at petco where he could roam around in a dry space. I will pick one up and try a home shell rot treatment.

He does use the basking pad--(I have the same kind your brother does, the floating pad with the suction cups). I don't see him use it that much because the door to the room creaks when it opens. If he sees it is just me and I am in there for awhile he'll creep back on if he feels like it...it's so funny I can get him to crawl up in my hand to eat food or even say hi--but if anyone even looks at him when he is on that pad he darts off

You sound like you have been doing this for a very long time! Maybe your brother, too. Did you have tanks growing up? It's so new to me but I never expected I would get this involved or have this much fun.

Thanks so much for all the wonderful advice!

 

[Allycatz]

Herman is such an awesome name!

In grade three my class had a slider as a class pet and I was lucky enough to watch him ALL summer! Of course I had the worst attention span and one time I left him out of his tank on the floor (I don't even remember what distracted me and made me leave him alone like that). When I came back he was nowhere to be found. My mother and I tore my room apart and eventually found him in my parents closet in the neighbouring room! He was fine, but I seldom let him out of my sight after that. I even set up the kiddie pool in the backyard so he could be outside with me (of course I knew NOTHING about water parameters and whatnot!).

I haven't ever actually owned a turtle of my own. I just enjoy visiting my brother's and I just never get bored researching animal related stuff online! Plus as a medical student... I know waaaay too much about skin infections (and really the treatment principles are the same for humans and turtles! ha ha) I honestly wish I had joined such an online community years ago as it is so great to know that there are other hobbyists out there who love their aquatic friends just as much as I love mine!

I went ahead and watched another one of your videos on photobucket (the one where you're feeding him what I assume to be bloodworms). That video ALONE makes me want a turtle! Perhaps one day I'll be able to own my very own zoo! For now, I'll settle for living vicariously through you and Herman!

 

[Allycatz]

Oh and my friends ALSO think I've gone insane! hahaha

 

[dkpate]

I have heard that you can use super glue on their shells when they are like that. True? I saw it on Animal Cops lol.

 

[Lowryder]

Welcome to AA!

I am soo glad there is another amphibian phan!!

 

[melosu58]

Welcome aboard.

 

[Allycatz]

If you suspect a lesion is infected I would strongly recommend against using super glue on it. The main ingredient in the glue available OTC is cyanoacrylate which breaks down into cyanoacetate and formaldehyde, both of which are toxic and can lead to nasty inflammatory reactions (plus the glue REEKS!). I've heard that vets sometimes use a super glue called Vetbond which has longer alkyl chains, but I'm not sure how and when they would use it.

I think if you keep the lesion clean and dry and it shows no improvement (or worsens!) that you should take Herman to see a vet. It might not actually be infected, but it certainly won't hurt to treat it as if it is! Its always better to err on the side of caution, after all.

I've actually used marine epoxy (I first applied a membrane to an area that came in contact with the flesh) to repair damage a female apple snail of mine sustained during a fall onto the floor while attempting to lay eggs. Shes had the epoxy on now for the better part of 6 months and is still rocking around the tank just fine! I've entertained the idea of attaching the empty shells of other snails to her just to make her look badass! ha ha

 

[kmac]

wow, everyone so much great advice since i have been away (finishing a 50 page paper, oh the joys of grad school). now that that is out of the way, i am going to get a soft toothbrush and a dry habitat for him to walk around in after he had had a treatment. i was wondering what you have found most effective. saline? i was told i could use the same stuff that you put in a tank for fish who have ich, but i am open to any and all suggestions. i would probably be too afraid to use super glue--i just don't like the idea of something toxic on him.

ally--you should get a slider!! they are so fun. i'm glad you watched the feeding video. more stuff that makes my friends like i am nuts but i have to tell you, when i feel him crawl up my hand grab that "worm ball" (bloodworms) it's so cool!

 

[Allycatz]

hey hey!

How is little Herman doing thus far?

Any improvement?

 

[kmac]

Thanks for asking about Herman, Ally! He went to the vet and it's not shell rot (yay!!)The vet (so nice and informative by the way, if anyone needs an exotic pet vet and they happen to live in the bay area (california) let me know!) says that Herman is having a little trouble shedding his scutes--they are ready to go but not quite falling off. if they don't fix themselves in a month, she'll want to do a soak or something. but that is a way better diagnosis than i was expecting. thanks for asking!!