Urgent Care :: Seeking help with RES shell pitting

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Post Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 1:39 am   Seeking help with RES shell pitting

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Hi all, I'm looking for some help diagnosing the strange specks appearing on my RES's side (photo link above). I noticed this today, and her scales near this area fell off as I touched them. She has been staying in a smaller tank while her main tank was being worked on, and I think she might have caught something from there. There was some redness on the shell too, before I tried to clean and dry her. Anyone know what this is? Is it shell rot? She doesn't seem to show any behavioral symptoms otherwise.

I'm very worried and hoping someone can help as I can't get to a vet until the weekday. Thanks in advance.


Basic info:
Turtle is a bit larger than the size of a human hand, fingers extended
23 years old
Water temperature about 70f
She has not had the option of basking recently due to being in the alternate tank - could be part of the problem
Normal diet is pellets
Normal tank has sunlight but the alternate tank where she has been staying has much less sunlight

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Post Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:17 am   Re: Seeking help with RES shell pitting

You said they fell off, did she have some retained scutes that just came off? My guess would be fungus+retained scutes leaving an infection underneath. If those retained scutes are shed, then a gently cleaning (with diluted Betadine) and some dry docking should help stop the infection. It'll then take a shed or two to clean up those pits but that depends on the existing damage.
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steve
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Post Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 4:10 pm   Re: Seeking help with RES shell pitting

Yes, they were more or less retained scutes that fell off with a gentle touch. There's still some that are slightly more firmly attached which I left in place. You can sort of see in the photo where they "split" off, revealing the pitting - there was some redness along those scutes before I cleaned/dried her.

Thanks for the tip, I'll try a diluted betadine brushing and a few hours dry docking until we can get to a vet. Do you think the pits need to be cleaned out, or is it safer to leave them in place and just use the antiseptic?
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Post Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 10:54 pm   Re: Seeking help with RES shell pitting

It depends on the depth of those pits. You probably don't need any help from the vet but if the fungus is still an issue, ask for some silver sulfadiazine cream (for the fungus). She doesn't need a vitamin injection, calcium injection, tests, etc. After you brush, wipe her down and make sure she dries off. I would probably dry dock 20 hours a day, for 3-5 days and see how it goes. The pits themselves won't fill up, you will have to wait until the next shed.

The only concern, and I'm not sure if you need the vet to confirm or you can yourself, is finding any deep pits that have penetrated the outer layers. If they are deep, there might be a tiny bit of blood but they usually scab up and heal quickly with a bit of cleaning and drying too.

Any of the other scutes that have not shed need to be checked out. I would gently try to remove any loose ones. If they have been retained that long, water/debris under there will likely have caused problems as well.
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Post Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 4:45 pm   Re: Seeking help with RES shell pitting

Hi all,

I have a follow up problem with my RES that may or may not be related. Her shell is starting to look better (although the pits themselves are still there) and no longer looks infected.

However, about a week ago, she started to exhibit some unusual skin redness around the chin, armpits, and bottom of right rear foot. I've seen small patches of this redness in the past, particularly around her chin, and it's passed without incident after a couple weeks. But this is worse than I've seen before, particularly the foot, and seems to be gradually getting worse. She's still not showing any behavioral changes and appears to be eating normally. I'm trying drydocking for the time being but not seeing much improvement. This is worse than anything I've seen before. I've attached pictures. Have a vet appointment in about a week. Has anyone seen this before or have ideas on what to do?

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brc324
 
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Post Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 9:07 pm   Re: Seeking help with RES shell pitting

I would move up that appointment , possibility of septicemia is strong , but only a blood test can tell for sure! Has she been peeing ? Are those small bubbles from her ? Pinkish / reddish skin , sores , lesions , like blood poisoning ! Caused by bacteria or their toxins. Previous illness , infection maybe an indirect cause of this.
Sorry for your girl. Only qualified (HERP VET ) medical care can assist this condition !
Wish the best to you and her.

Read here septicemia : http://www.redearslider.com/major_illne ... uries.html
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Post Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 5:30 am   Re: Seeking help with RES shell pitting

Could also be aggressive fungus. I'd seek some vet guidance as well and I would expect a lot of dry docking, some silver sulfadiazine cream, and maybe a round of antibiotics.
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