How do I know if my turtle has shell rot?
Pet turtles tend to have more subtle signs but these can include a red tinge to areas of the shell, slime over the shell, a bad smell, flaking of the scutes and an easily damaged shell.
Is shell rot contagious to other turtles?
Is shell rot contagious to other turtles? Take note that shell rot can be contagious to other turtles so it’s best to isolate an affected turtle if you see any signs.
How long does it take for a turtle shell to decompose?
An average turtle shell left in average conditions will take about 50 years to fully decompose, about the same amount of time it takes human bone to decompose. Interestingly, some people with pet turtles preserve their former shell after the turtle dies to keep it as a keepsake of sorts.
Can turtles die from shell rot?
Whether the shell rot comes from a broken shell, a fight between two turtles, or dirty water, it needs to be treated. Red-eared sliders can die within days of getting a serious case of shell rot. Treat them at home if possible, but sometimes you might need to bring them to a vet if it’s too far for you to handle.
What is the white stuff on my tortoise shell?
Also, it’s important to note that hard water doesn’t always look like a chalky residue covered over a large part or all of your turtle’s shell. It could show up in the form of small or tiny white spots on your turtle’s shell. This is a sure sign that its calcium carbonate and due to hard water.
Can I peel my turtle’s shell?
Most of the time, you don’t need to do anything when a turtle sheds its scutes. They will come off naturally. You can help them shed their scutes by pulling them off, but ONLY if there is no resistance and they come off easily.
What do you do if your turtle has shell rot?
Use your mild soap and a warm toothbrush to softly scrub any areas with shell rot. Your goal is to remove any dirt, algae, etc. that could be covering some of the bacteria, as dirt and algae aren’t actually going to ever harm your turtle. Once scrubbed, rinse off all of the soap with water.
What does it mean when a turtle has shell rot?
Shell rot is the common way to say a turtle has an infection of its shell, which can be secondary to damage or poor husbandry. Wild turtles generally present dehydrated and in poor body condition with a mosscovered malodorous shell.
How can I Stop my tortoise from getting shell rot?
Stopping a tortoise or turtle from developing shell rot is relatively easy. Aggression can be minimised by not mixing species and if you must mix for some reason, keeping relatively same sized animals together can make bad bites and clawing uncommon.
How long does it take for a turtle’s shell to heal?
Continue doing this daily, if possible, for a few weeks. By the time a few weeks have passed, the shell rot should be healed. If not, you will probably want to go to professional help at an exotic veterinarian.
How often should I dry dock a turtle with shell rot?
This process can be repeated in severe cases every few days. I generally dry dock turtles with shell fractures or shell rot. For shell rot cases I put them in water four one hour a day to eat and toilet then dry dock them in a soft towel with a small, shallow water bowl for the remainder of the day.
How to treat shell rot in aquatic turtles?
For early stage shell rot in aquatic turtles follow these steps: Scrub the area gently with a toothbrush and lukewarm water to remove any dirt. Let the shell dry. Apply either povidone-iodine or silver sulfadiazine ointment to the affected area.
How can you tell if a tortoise has shell rot?
There are many symptoms that you will see if your tortoise or turtle has shell rot. For starters, you can usually see the cracks in their shell . These cracks will progress to a moth-eaten white appearance. You will then start to notice that their shell does not look even.
What kind of disease does a turtle have?
Turtle shell rot is also known in veterinary circles as ulcerative shell disease. It’s a generic term for a common infection that can appear in either the top half of the shell (known as the carapace) or the bottom half (known as the plastron).
What happens when a turtle’s shell falls off?
You may also start to see soft spots forming or even have small areas of bloody discharge. If your turtle or tortoise has a very bad shell rot, it may cause entire scutes to fall off. This would expose the bone and nerves that are underneath the hard shell covering.
