Health and Diet Pg 2

MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease) is a nutritional disorder and is a major cause of mortality in captive bred hatchlings. The body becomes distorted, the bones of the jaw are soft and weak and the carapace becomes 'pyramided'. Internal organs are also affected by MBD. In some cases, the hind legs are at an unusual angle and it may appear to be taking small steps when walking. This is caused by an improper diet. This is another reason to educate yourself on the needs of your turtle or tortoise.

SHELL INFECTIONS AND INJURIES: You will see at some pet stores, turtle shell cream you can purchase for the shell of your turtle. One thing to ask yourself when considering buying these type of supplies: 'Would a turtle or tortoise have cream for its shell if it lived in the wild?' It is not natural for a turtle to have cream applied to its shell, so that answers the question. These creams are sometimes sold to the consumer as a medical cream for shell infections. While it makes the shell appear attractive, there is no medicinal advantage to most, if not all, of them.

Shell rot is a condition that can cause areas on a shell to cause scutes or parts of a scute to peel. It is usually caused by shell damage where bacteria can enter under the top layer of the shell. Peeling is normal but shell rot causes a foul odor and goes much deeper than the superficial layer. Removal of the affected areas is a must with medication being applied. This requires keeping the area dry for certain periods of time as well long term care.

Dietary related illnesses are the main cause of loss of captive bred young turtles. Kidney problems are also contributing factor. This can be caused, again, by improper diet. For instance, herbivores do not require as much protein as omnivores which effects some internal digestive organs as well as visual problems such as shell deformities.

Bacterial and viral infections, as well as parasites, are common problems with turtles. Good hygiene and careful handling will be somewhat helpful in managing these illnesses and diseases.

This painted turtle became a dog toy. It was found in a backyard in a dog's mouth.

The person who found it was hoping to keep the turtle as a pet and took it to a pet store to see what could be done for the shell injuries. The employee suggested she by some shell cream and 'it would do fantastic'. She applied the cream but contacted Indiana Turtle Care 2 days later as the turtle was not improving. Unfortunately, the turtle died within an hour after arriving. As you can see, many internal organs are quite visible.

This musk turtle was purchased almost 30 years ago and lived in a small shallow bowl with no special lighting, diet or heat. As you can see, the top of the carapace is damaged and diseased. He also has no use of his rear legs due to improper size of his habitat, causing lack of proper growth.

PARASITES: One of the most common health issues with box turtles is having parasites both externally and internally. Most wild-caught turtles will have parasites, with roundworms being the most common. The intestine is the internal organ that is usually attacked. There are many reasons for parasite development, with cleanliness and food being the two most common. Internal parasites can cause various symptoms: lethargy, dehydration, lack of appetite, and diarrhea. For diagnosis, a veterinarian will do a fecal float from a stool sample. Medication will then be given to eradicate the internal parasites. External parasites are much easier to detect for obvious reasons. They include: ticks, mites, and bot flies. Ticks need to be removed making sure that you remove the entire parasite. Mites are a bit more difficult to see as they are very small. Cleaning the turtle's pen thoroughly and bathing the turtle should take care of the problem. It should be repeated a week or so later. Bot flies lay their eggs under the skin. To remove the maggots from these flies, you need to remove them with tweezers then flush the area with Betadyne solution