Terrapin shell

Question
My terrapins shell has turned green and is peeling.  It looks like algae on the surface but the shell seems to peeling and rotting.  Not sure what to do and no one seems to know. Please help

Answer
1. Make sure your turtle is getting the right care, diet, temps, tank size, lighting, etc. Check the care sheets at http://www.austinsturtlepage.com This is often the result of basic care issues and needs to be corrected or it will just happen again.

2. Scrub your tutle's shell with a salt and water paste and a decent brush, like a toothbrush. Scrub as much as you can off, but do not worry about getting every little bit- you'll be doing this over several days and it will all come off eventually.

3. Rinse and dry the shell. Apply a good coat of Betadine Solution (Providone iodine) and let it dry for about an hour. (This is a good time to let it walk in some warm sunshine, but be sure there is a shady hiding space to avoid overheating!) Apply some antibiotic ointment to any sore or raw looking areas, and let this dry a while as well.

6. Rinse off any remaining medicines and return to the tank. Leave alone as much as possible until the next treatment time. Try to clean the cage, etc. while the turtle's shell is drying.

7. Repeat daily until the shell is clean of all crud and showing signs of healing tissues. This might take a while. After the first week or so, you can skip a day every so often, and when the shell is spanking clean, you can skip more days between treatments. If the crud starts to return, though, restart daily treatments.

You can purchase a product called 'turtle sulfa dip' which can also help- use it after the scrubbing and before the Betadine. Follow label directions. Do not bother with the solid 'sulfa block' for the water- it is not strong enough to help.

Another thing that can help is a product called 'stress coat', sold in the fish medicine section. If possible, use the version with aloe vera. Follow label directions.