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areas and deep infections should only be cleaned by an experienced veterinarian. Extensive debriding is
incredibly painful for the animal and should be done under anesthesia.
Step 3: Disinfect the shell with a general antiseptic. In years past, antiseptics such as hydrogen peroxide
or Betadine (povidone-iodine) or antibiotic ointments have been used. These will generally kill the
pathogens successfully, however recent research indicates that these things actually slow the healing
process by preventing the regrowth of the epithelial cells over the damaged area. The antiseptic of
choice is often Nolvasan (chlorhexidine) which is available from veterinary clinics (non-prescription),
some pet stores and herp supply stores on the internet. Healing is noticably quicker with Nolvasan, so it
is worth the effort to find some and use it. Nolvasan liquid solution is generally made with one part
Nolvasan, 100 parts water. (Read the directions on the bottle.) If you cannot find chlorhexidine,
povidone-iodine can be used successfully, even it it takes a little bit longer to heal completely. If there
are just a few discolored areas, swab those areas with the weak antiseptic solution. Reapply the
solution every ten minutes or so for about a half-hour. If there are a large number of tiny discolored
areas, it might work better to soak the turtle. If you choose to soak, make the liquid shallow enough for
the turtle to easily hold its head up out of the water, because any antiseptic, even Nolvasan, can cause
some minor eye irritation. A follow-up application of silver sulfadiazine cream can be beneficial,
however SSD cream is available by prescription only in the US.
Step 4: Air! Place the turtle in a dry container for at least 2 hours. Some turtles are not overly stressed
if left in the dry container overnight (in complete darkness), returning it to the aquarium for at least a
portion of the day. Air is the enemy of shell rot pathogens, so it is important to keep the animal dry for
a lengthy period of time. But dehydration and excessive stress must also be prevented. So the turtle
MUST spend some time each day in water.
Continue to clean, disinfect and air dry the turtle each day for a 5 to 7 days. By that time, all the white
pits will have loosened and been removed. If not, continue treatment.You will need to remove all the
whitened material to get to the healthy shell underneath, so that it can heal and grow normally. If there
are discolored areas remaining after 2 weeks, consult a veterinarian.
When the turtle has been returned to the aquarium full time, it is vital that you maintain conditions that
will prevent a recurrence. Keep the water clean. Provide a dry area with a warming light for basking.
Natural healing will continue until the damaged areas are filled in (or nearly) with new epithial cells.
For a filtration system that is easy to maintain and produces excellent quality water, visit this link: One
effective setup for aquatic turtles in small tanks
This Malayan box turtle (Cuora amboinensis)
was turned over to a pet store when the owner
grew tired of it. An aquatic species, it had been
kept in dry conditions for an extended period of
time and had a flaking shell condition common to
that species. The flaking shell allowed bacteria to
move in under several damaged laminae. When
the animal was returned to an aquarium, the
pathogens flourished and mild "dry shell rot" was
the result. Treated with the above method, the
larger white area loosened and fell out after 3
days. Numerous other small pits cleared out
after one day. Complete healing (new epithelial
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