Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: 2 words: screw up

[Herbietheturtle]

hey people!

i'm totally new to this. and my turtle is already sick. he's got a bloody shell infection most likely and i'm taking him in to the vet tomorrow, first thing. so yeah, i'm feeling pretty horrible as a turtle owner. i was so excited to get him and he seemed so happy the first couple days...*sigh* i just hope he gets better soon!!

right, well thought i would say hi and i'll be around asking TONS of questions since i'm new to this (haha i already have). i really appreciate all the advice you guys can give.

pray for my baby!
-em

[missibsu]

Glad that you have a vet appt. Be sure to keep us updated! Oh, and welcome aboard!

[wetchikn]

Welcome and please keep us posted. How long have you had the turtle

[marisa]

Welcome. How long have you had your turtle? It's good he's being seen by a (herp) vet.

Do some reading on the site to make sure your turtle has what he needs. Let us know how he's doing.

[CountryGirl68]

Welcome and glad to see your getting the needed help to make your turtle better.

[Herbietheturtle]

hey!

i've had herbie for only a week now...anyway, he seems to be doing a little better now. i've moved him to a bigger box now so that he has a little more room. i'm still going to keep him dry for a while until his bleeding is down some more. anyway, he's moving around a lot and my hopes are high!!

thanx for being so friendly and caring!
-em

[Kallistos]

Hey herbie, can you tell me how well the vet you took him to cared for him. Was he clueless or was he good with turtles. I live in Wisconsin too, could you tell me which vet you took him to?

[Herbietheturtle]

i went to New Berlin and saw Dr Jennifer R. Bloss...she wasn't bad i guess. i just hope that the injection she gave him works. i guess that they don't see many turts so she knew what to do, but it threw her off a little. so idk if that's what ur looking for or not.

oooo! new question: so has anyone you guys know someone who has had a turt that survived a bloody shell infection?? i'm still really worried about my little guy...is this a common thing?? oh, and do you know how it's caused?

[CountryGirl68]

Hard to say without a picture but advanced shell rot can cause a bloody shell. It can be caused by a fungus or an injury to the shell but is most commonly caused by poor habitat (no proper lighting, basking, poor water quality). I've read that shell rot in turtles is like skin ulcers in humans.

You did the right thing by taking your turtle to the vet. I've found in other sites that suggest regular cleaning with povidone iodine solution (usually found in first aid kits) or topical antibiotics. But you should check with your vet about this first.

[Herbietheturtle]

has anyone known of their turts surviving this rot/bloody shell infection?

[marisa]

Yes, they can survive shell rot with proper treatment. You have to be persistent and don't give up on the treatment. Aside from the injection, what is the vet having you do for your turtle?

[Herbietheturtle]

soaking him for a hr a day...cleaning him with Hibiclens stuffs and keeping him warm and dry. she said for me to keep her updated with his condition so that eventually i can get him back into his tank.

i'm really glad to hear that. i'm still not sure how he's going to do though since the damage to his shell was so bad. i guess that it's from lack of vitamin A? i only have a heat lamp and he wasn't getting the right amount of UV rays like he would get from the sun. anyway, i've also got some pellets that will give him that A until i get the dome light...which will be very soon and i also have some other pills for him to strengthen his shell.