My red eared turtle has white patch over its shell moreover I am getting worms in the turtle tank . How to get rid of it and what is the cause of white patch over its shell.

Updated On July 18th, 2017

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

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If all you see are a few well-defined white spots, you can first try the "drying out" approach. * Keep your turtle out of the water overnight in a warm (85F) box; do this nightly for at least a week. * If this helps, continue until improvement shows. * Then make sure he basks a lot. * Make sure he is exposed to natural sunlight for 1/2 hour a day. * Add 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon of water. Iodine free cooking salt is fine. * In addition, review your husbandry practices, in particular the water quality and the basking spot available to the turtle. If drying out does not help, he needs to be examined by a veterinarian. DO NOT use antibiotic cremes, anti-fungal cremes, washes, etc. without consulting with a veterinarian. Using the wrong medication can make it worse. For a simple fungal skin infection, drying out is all that's necessary. Anything that does not respond to the "warm and dry" approach needs to be evaluated by a veterinarian. If there are many spots, or the whole body is covered, or the eyes are also whitish, your turtle needs to see a veterinarian. If your turtle shows additional symptoms, like sluggishness or lack of appetite, you turtle needs to see a veterinarian. If there are lesions, cracks, or bloody sores and scabs, take your turtle to a veterinarian immediately. There is a good chance the condition will require treatment with medication internally (for example antibiotics) in addition to drying out, cleaning, and prescription creams. As for the worms, they are coming from your turtle's poop. Likely they are nematodes. You should consult with a veterinarian to get a dewormer. I hope this helps. Best wishes.

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