yellow bellied terrapins (turtles)

Question
QUESTION: i have two yellow bellied terrapins both about 1 year old. one female, one male i have a large tank which is temp until i finish putting the pond in. i have a 250 watt heater in the tank its set at 24 degrees. i have a uva lamp but i dont no what watt it is cause its my dad who set it up i have a filter and pump. it has gavel in the bottom has a large rock for them to rest on away from the light and has a basking floating dock underneath the uva lamp so the can bask. also i have calcium blocks inside the tank. my problem is i put plants in the tank a few days ago now iv noticed when i took the basking dock out for cleaning that there was some sort of parasite on it. there brown shelled and look like small snails but they were alive cause they were moving. it isnt from there food since i feed them in a different tank and i feed them dead dried food. i'v removed the terrapins from there tank and have brushed them down with a soft brush and i'm boiling everything and trowing the plants out but do you think that is enough to get rid of the parasites cause i'm scared for the well being of my yellow bellies can you help me please.

ANSWER: Hi Natalie,

Don't panic.  It sounds like the plants had pond snails on them or possibly another small aquatic insect.  Most parasites are undetectable to the naked eye, so most likely your turtles won't be harmed.  If you boil or bake the tank accessories and then clean the tank out with a 10% bleach solution you'll be fine (rinse the tank out VERY well before putting the turtles back in).

I'd suggest getting more variety into your turtles' diet to improve their health.  Pellets and/or dried food can be part of the diet, but not all.  You can feed boiled chicken/egg/shrimp, worms, crickets, mealworms, guppies, etc., along with greens such as turnip, mustard, collards, kale, etc.  As your turtles mature, they'll become less carnivorous so greens will be an important part of the diet.  When the pond is completed you can put plants in that they can eat.  Other than that, it sounds like you're doing a great job taking care of your turtles.  Congratulations!  

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QUESTION: Any chance do you have any idea how to great rid of intestinal parasites (worms) cause my female turt has them and i have looked on the internet but i dont understand half of the stuff they say and its manly how you know if they have them that is coming up in my search. i have even went to several reptile shops where they sell sliders but they all had no clue that the turts could get worms. Also have went to several vets but they only care for cats, dogs, rabbits etc. Can you help please and do you no where i can buy the dewormer from? thank you and sorry to be a bother.

ANSWER: Hi Natalie,

Are you sure what you're seeing is worms?  Typically they are very small and only seen under a microscope, so if you can visually see worms it means your turtle has a very heavy parasite load.  Sometimes what they eat will make it look like they have worms, but they don't, so you want to be sure there really are worms.  There are also various types of parasites and some require different medications than others.  This means that you really do need to consult a vet who can run a fecal check (look at your turtle's poop under a microscope) to determine what the parasites are and the proper medication.  Don't go to shops for advice on anything.  They rarely have accurate information and may give you very bad, even deadly, advice.  

Here's some listings for UK vets from the Tortoise Trust forum.  See if there are any in your area.  Alternatively a local vet might be able to run a fecal check for you and consult with a tortoise vet on medication.  http://www.tortoisetrustforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=662.  You can also post in the forums and may be able to get more specific information than I can give you since I'm in the States.

Just one warning:  make sure that no one gives your turtle ivermectin!  It's a common wormer used for livestock, dogs, and snakes/lizards, but it's fatal to turtles and tortoises.  Even a very small amount will kill your turtle, so make sure that isn't the medication used.

Good luck with your turtle.  Please post back and let me know what you find out.

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QUESTION: I was looking at the vet site you gave me a link to and theres nothing in my area i'm in Peterborough England any chance can you refer me to any vets down this way that will be able to look at my turtle for me please cause i don't want it to be left to long untreated cause it'l only start getting worse and the last thing i want for my turtle is for it to die i haven't even had it long just a few weeks.

Answer
Hi Natalie,

Why do you think your turtle has worms?  As I said, it would be unusual for them to be visible to the naked eye, so it's possible you're seeing something else.  I found this list that might help:  http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/272051-reptile-vets-cambridgeshire.  I'm sorry I can't be of more direct help in finding a vet, but being in the States I have no idea where anything in the UK is!

Here's another list, but I don't know how close any of them are:  http://www.hermann-tortoise.co.uk/care%20sheets/list_of_vets.htm