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my sliders shell is slothing off2007-11-24 2:01:47

my turtles shell is lifting at the very top and like peeling. i took him to a vet and he said to dip him in sulfa a few hours everyday (his shell is green/black) for 2 weeks. its been 1 week 4 days and nothing has changed whats going on?

Answers:

Ask your vet. He or she is more qualified than anyone who has the time to answer these questions.

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While what Nanaboss said is not precisely true -- there are some real experts, including some vets, who answer questions here -- she is correct in saying that you should consult your vet on this. He has seen your turtle; the rest of us are just going on a few words in a question.

While you're waiting for your vet appointment, or for the vet to call you back, you might want to do some searching on Google or Clusty for websites that address the problem, so you will know more about it when you talk to your vet and be able to get somewhat better answers.

Also, if your vet isn't a reptile specialist, you might want to consider finding one, or asking him for a referral to one. Reptiles are weird, and a vet who specializes in their unique problems will naturally know more about this problem than one who sees a turtle once every couple of weeks.

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Make sure this isn't simply normal shedding. If the peeling panels are relatively clear in appearance (there may be slight coloration where, say, a stripe was previously located) and the shell underneath appears normal, then that's all it is. Shell panels aren't elastic, so as they grow, the outter layer has to shed to give way to the larger shell tile underneath. Sure, if in doubt, take it to a vet -- but shedding is quite common, and happens fairly steadilly throughout your turtle's life. It's rarely an all-at-once deal, like it would be for a snake. It's usually a tile here, a tile there. So long as the turtle's environment is kept clean, the temperature's within ideal ranges (75-85 degrees), and the turtle's actively feeding, there's usually no problem.

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Your sliders shell is coming off because of a very severe lack of calcium and/or lack of cleanliness of the water. You don't state the size of the aquarium you are using either. Generally when I see a turtle in this state it is almost too late to save it because the wrong care has been going on a long time. This is one reason we discourage people from keeping any kind of turtle. If the turtle is over 4", (illegal in all 50 states to purchase under 4"), then a minimum of a 20-29 gallon long tank is needed and the tank needs to have filtered water, a UV/UB light(10-12 hours daily)