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Red Ear Slider Shell Rot Help

evilcowboy420

evilcowboy420

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Hi,

Today I received a red ear slider from a friend that had a shell rot problem. He told me when he got the turtle it had a very soft mushy shell. After a visit to the vet the rot is no long progressing and the shell is hard again. The problem is that he is missing the back part of the schutes about 3 or 4 are affected. They are pink in color and parts are actually missing leaving his hind end exposed a little (nothing bad just you see more of his bottom than normal) my concern is what is the proper care for a turtle that is recovering from this? I have read that some people recommend he stay mostly dry and others say to at least take him out for a couple hours a day. Also is there any preventative measures other than clean water, UVB and basking area that can help?

I also would like to know how long such damage would take to repair itself? I was told about a year. I took him cause the friend did not want to put him in with other turtles for fear they might bite the exposed area and cause damage so I figured he would be no worse off as I had an empty area I could house him. He is eating fine he has eaten fish so far and I already know I need to get some veggies for him and balance his diet. Normally I have only kept snakes and I have never owned a turtle before other than a box turtle I found as a kid.

Also I read that putting 1 tsp of salt per gallon of water helps in prevention of bacteria in the water. Is this true and will it hurt him? I am also a bit concerned because I have not seen him use the basking area yet but he was out of water for a bit so he may just be enjoying it. I know these guys are mostly aquatic and only use a basking spot every so often but I just don't want his shell to become infected or anything again being exposed like that. One last question is there anything I can put on it to help aid and speed up recovery? I am not concerned with the way he looks but more or less just want the little guy to have the protection of his full shell. He is missing about 1/3 of it right now. I will work on getting some pics up tomorrow to help get a visual.

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
Shell Injuries

I am no expert, first and foremost, but I have rehabbed a few sliders over the years. You can add salt, make sure it is aquarium salt, follow the directions on the carton. It is a very slight amount.

I also recommend "vita shell cream" to help speed the healing, again, follow the directions on the label. Occasional trips outside for natural sunlight is nice... The rest is just keeping his environment clean, vet checks and feeding a proper diet.

I really do wish you the best of luck!! They are such wonderful little guys:D
 
Thanks for the reply. I will check into getting the shell cream he seems to be doing well and although his shell dont look great he seems to not be having any problems. I am planning to do the outdoor thing for some sunlight during the day.
 
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