African side-neck turtles are unique aquatic reptiles that require specific care to thrive in captivity. Like most aquatic turtles, African side-necks are omnivores.
They eat some plant material but they also eat insects, fish, crustaceans, and aquatic turtle pellets while swimming. One of the most common health issues affecting these turtles is shell rot, a condition that can be both painful and detrimental to their well-being.
Shell rot is a fungal and/or bacterial infection that occurs on the turtle’s carapace or plastron. If you suspect that your turtle has shell rot, make an appointment with an experienced reptile veterinarian immediately! This condition is likely very painful for the turtle, and must be aggressively treated to resolve. Shell rot is a common problem that can be treated with the right tools and knowledge.
Turtles tend to get sick slowly and there for heal slowly so remember to be patient when treating a case (or be patient with your vet who is treating your turtle) because it may take weeks to completely heal.
What is Shell Rot?
Shell-rot is a generic term which describes the visible effects of bacterial, fungal or even algal (in aquatic species) diseases of a tortoise's or turtle's shell. 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.
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These diseases often follow damage or abrasions, even those that are seemingly minor in extent. In actuality, any penetrative damage to the shell may result in unwelcome bacteria, or other pathogens gaining access to the blood-rich living tissue present just below the outer, hard, layer of keratin.
Another common term heard in connection with shell-rot is SCUD; "Septicaemic Cutaneous Ulcerative Disease" a very serious condition involving septicaemia - or growth of bacteria in the blood stream. This condition can prove rapidly fatal as the pathogens begin to attack vital internal organs as they are distributed via the blood supply.
Urgent systemic (injected) antibiotics are required in such cases if the tortoise or turtle is to be saved. Shell rot can be highly contagious, and one infected animal can spread it rapidly to all others it comes into contact with.
It is not a condition that should be ignored or underestimated. Seek professional advice at an early stage if you believe you have an affected tortoise or turtle. In the long term, untreated diseases of this nature are killers - but given appropriate treatment at an early stage, a complete recovery is usually assured.
Wild turtles generally present dehydrated and in poor body condition with a mosscovered malodorous shell. 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.
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Shell discoloration in African Side Neck turtles can indicate shell rot or hard water calcification. Shell rot presents as soft, foul-smelling patches, while calcification appears as white, hard deposits. Symptoms include shedding and changes in shell texture.
I have an African side neck turtle with some shell discoloration (whitening). I can’t tell whether it’s hard water calcification or shell rot. This condition can arise from various factors, including bacterial or fungal infections, commonly referred to as "shell rot," and vitamin A deficiency.
Causes of Shell Rot
There are several factors that can contribute to the development of shell rot in African side-neck turtles:
- Poor pen or vivarium hygiene: Dirty substrates will harbor innumerable pathogens.
- Incorrect substrate humidity: If turtles from humid environments are allowed to over-dry, shell and skin condition will rapidly deteriorate. If animals from arid environments are kept on damp substrates, the outer keratin may become soft and distorted and may permit pathogens to gain access.
- Water hygiene: Good filtration is essential. If a turtle injures its shell in filthy water, shell disease often follows. Use of a UV-C sterilizer in the filtration circuit can substantially reduce the danger of shell and skin infections. Soft-shell turtles are especially susceptible to problems of this nature.
- Aggression by other tortoises: Some males are especially aggressive and will repeatedly "beat up" other males or females. At the typical main impact site, just above the tail, instances of shell rot are especially common. Mixing incompatible species is one sure way to initiate the problem - keeping aggressive T. ibera and T. marginata with T. hermanni, or North African T. graeca, for example.
Other potential causes include:
- Bacterial or fungal infections
- Poor husbandry (e.g. unclean living conditions, inadequate nutrition, or inadequate lighting and heating)
- Injuries or abrasions to the shell
Proper hygiene is crucial in preventing shell rot.
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Treatment and Prevention
There a few steps that I take in almost every case of shell rot which I have outline below.
Debridement
The first step I take when treating shell rot is to debride (remove) the dead areas of shell. This can be done by gently scraping at them with a scalpel blade or sometimes we even have to cut dead areas away. I think soak the shell with a dilute betadine preparation for ten minutes, as picture below. I then scrub the shell with a surgeons hand brush and toothbrush to remove any left over flakes or debris, and finally rinse with fresh water.
Housing
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. It is also important to get these turtles some UV light! At least twenty minutes a day in the sunshine or a set up with a UV lamp works well.
It is also important the species are kept at their preferred body temperature to encourage the body to heal, a cold turtle can not mount an immune response. As a general rule around 25C suits most Australian turtles, with a heat lamp or heat source they can move to and from as they please.
Effective water filtration is essential for aquatic turtle health.
Antibiotics
Antibiotic cover is essentially in severe shell rot cases or if the shell has been fractured. Topical antibiotics such as silver sulfazadine cream applied daily can be enough for many cases. If they need systemic treatment as well I generally use ceftazadine injection. Regular cleaning as described above will also help.
Nutrition
Many sick turtles won't eat which makes it hard for them to have enough energy to heal. Feeding the turtle an appropriate diet for the species is very important. If they refuse to eat and are in poor body condition I generally place a feeding tube into the oesophagus. This allows them to be fed daily and given water to keep them hydrated through the tube.
Additional Tips
- You can clean the affected areas with povidone iodine (betadine) and a toothbrush, or soak her in a diluted betadine solution (similar to the color of iced tea).
- It's important to reassess her husbandry and diet, and increasing the frequency of water changes may also be beneficial.
- Maintain proper UVB lighting.
- Use antifungal or antibacterial medications if rot is confirmed.
- Regular tank cleaning and balanced diet with calcium supplements help prevent issues.
To address (what I think may be fungus). Begin dry-docking your turtle each night. Put it in a box with a towel at the bottom. It does not need a light. When you remove the turtles from the tank, dry them with a towel and consider liberally applying betadine anticeptic solution to their shells (you can buy this at Walgreens, CVS, etc). As with any cleaning solution, try to keep this away from their eyes.
The solution should remain on the shell the entire night. In the morning, use a toddlers soft toothbrush and clean the solution off the shell and return them to the tank. This should be repeated over and over again until it clears up.
I am unable to opine on how long it will take without physically seeing your turtle but, I can tell you that I once had to dry dock a RES each night for six months for a moderate case of fungus/shell rot. If the nightly dry dock is not possible, you can pick one day of the week and dry dock with the betadine for a 24 hour period (this is what the New England Wildlife Center in Weymouth, MA recommends for thinning, fungus or mild shell rot). They will not dehydrate during this period and one day without lighting will not hurt them either.
Most cases of simple "shell-rot", however, respond well to debridement of loose or soft (affected) tissue and thorough cleansing, at least twice daily, with a povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine solution. This should be fairly vigorously applied using an old toothbrush or nail brush. Rinse off after each application.
It is important that the affected area is kept dry and air is allowed to circulate freely - many of the organisms typically responsible for this condition are anaerobic, or do best when actually deprived of oxygen. If it should become necessary to cover the affected area (to prevent fly-strike, for example) then do so with a fine gauze which does not "seal" the area. All such cases require very careful follow-up and long term monitoring.
The longer an infection of this type persists untreated, the greater the danger of it turning into a much more serious systemic infection or ulcerating abscess, deep in the bony tissue. Veterinary attention should be sought in all cases.
Deep-seated shell abscesses are particularly serious. These invariably require surgical draining and removal, followed by selective treatment with systemic anti-microbials, based upon laboratory culture of the causal organisms. Shell abscesses can persist for many years if untreated, gradually becoming worse and worse, before finally turning into a generalised septicaemia. Substantial tissue damage can also result. X-rays and surgical investigation can help to establish the extent of such damage.
Remember, early detection and consistent care are key to ensuring your African side-neck turtle remains healthy and happy.
