Sorry about how long this post is, but please read it, and help if you can.

At Work today (petco), a Red Eared Slider was dropped off at the store, to be adopted out. Like many other pet turtles, it was purchased by someone who wanted a cute little easy pet, and Guess what, it got big, and harder to take care of. It was housed in horrible, disgusting conditions. A ten Gallon tank, no lid, a 5.5" clamp lamp with a normal 100 watt incandecant bulb, river rock on the bottom and a small floating dock that sits on top of the water. The water was disgusting, and the tank along with everything in it (including the turtle) was covered in filth and algae. I Completely cleaned the tank out right away, scrubbed it out, cleaned the river rock and dock off, and replaced the water with clean water. along with cleaning off the turtle.
The turtle looks in bad shape, The scutes on the top look dried out, and have peeled off, you can see through to the shell. I have no digital camera, and am temporarily without a phone, so no way of taking pictures, but I will try to find a way to post a few, but it looks like it may be shell rot, and a rather nasty case, however I did not notice any pus, the area actualy looked dry, and hes got some spunk, still active and does'nt have many of the other symptoms. Ive been googling everthing on treatment, and have come up with a little bit. But essentialy this turtle needs a vet, however this was a drop off at the store, so petco is not going to foot the bill, and I really cant afford to pay the bills myself on a reptile I don't own, theres only so far I can go on a animal not my pet, i know it sounds horrible, and I don't like it, but I have to provide for my own.
However, i also cannot just sit back and do nothing.
Ive come up with a few things that may help, Betadine would stop most fungus, so on, but has shown to lengthen healing time, So I may try to get my hands on some Nolvasan (Chlorhexidine) but if im wrong about whats ailing him im not sure if I should treat with that, additionaly I do have a container of Silver Sulfadiazine I got on my last trip to the E.R. in my first aid kit, so I could use that along with the nolvasan. The problem is im not sure if that is what he has or not. For now he is still at the store, but I am debating bringing him home temporarily so I can better monitor him. (probaly a bad idea on my part, i have enough I have to do around here already)
Anyone see, or hear of anything like this before, or any suggestions?
I realize realisticaly I could just keep his tank clean, hope it does'nt get worse, and let someone adopt him and it become their problem, but I dont know if I can really do that. Thats perpetuating the problem.
So, any help on this topic would be appreciated.

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"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

I have got a ton odf sliders in with shell rot. The first thing you need to do is remove the water from the tank and put only a bowl in. He needs to stay as dry as possible. The chlorahexidine is okay to soak him in twice a day. Just mke sure you dilute appropriatly. He needs a uvb light, that is a must. Most people think that sliders dont need them, but that is wrong. You also need to make sure he has an appropriate basking spot. Shell rot is a long drawn out ordeal, it can sometimes take months before the turtle can be returned to the water for swimming.
As far as it not being soft and mooshy, that is good, it just means that the infection has not settled in for months and months.
I would also say that the animal needs a vet, but I understand that it is not yours.
The petco up here does have a vet that comes in and treats them, I was told that it was the law, but I could have been misinformed.

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I have sucker tattood on my forehead

ill change out the water when I go to work tommorow. were it an animal sent in for sale, the store would be required to have it checked out by a vet, but it was dropped off by someone as a adoption (more like a rescue) It'll be tough to get the store to let me put a uvb light on him, especially because he is not an animal for sale. Im trying to talk myself out of bringing him home temporarily, but I kinda know thats probaly what ill have to do.

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"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

contact the mid atlantic turtle society. They may be able to rescue it off your hands.
Turtles, Tortoises, Chelonians: Mid-Atlantic Turtle and Tortoise Society

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

I brought the turtle home tonight after work, Got off too late to call the turtle rescue, i wrote an email, and plan on giving them a call tommorow. If there willing to take him, then I will most likely surrender him over, but if there not, ill be rehabbing him myself as best I can. I couldnt find Nolvasan at the pharmacy today, but they did have something called hibiclens, it said it contained chlorhexidine, but it also had other things in it I was not sure about so I didnt buy it. I bought a iodine tintcture, but want to look around and make sure thats okay before I soak him in it (diluted).

Anyone know about either?
Ill have pictures of his shell posted up here very soon.

So for now I have removed the water from his tank, and have configured it to have a hide on one side, and a basking light on the other. I dont have a uvb light on his cage now, but if it warms up outside tommorow I may let him bask for a bit there. As far as the bottom of the tank goes, should I leave the river rock in dry, leave it bare, lay paper towels down? Also, about what size bowl should I put in the tank with water?
Also, most things ive read have suggested debriding the shell, how far should I take that, and whats the best way for me to do it?
Please help, and Thanks.

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"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

These Pictures are not the Prettiest sight, The quality is not high but regardless, you can tell how bad this has gotten.
Anyone who has turtles, or plans on getting turtles, please take a look at these pictures, because without proper care this is what you may get.

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"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

wowo thats really bad! I would say he definately needs antibiotics. So you said the top is not soft where all the dacay is?? He also probably needs to have some of taht professionally drilled out. I hope the rescue can take him for you as that looks to be a spendy ordeal for you.

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I have sucker tattood on my forehead

oh as far as debriding his shell (drilling) do not do it unless you have a lot of experience with that. You might cause more damage than good. I have taken in a lot of sliders over the years with shell rot, and I stil do not do it.

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I have sucker tattood on my forehead

Yikes! That shell is terrible. I don't understand how people let them get so bad!

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“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

~Lacey~

My Photos

I don't think theres any excuse for it either.
as for debriding, I may have used the wrong word, i don't plan on drilling into the shell, i don't think im up to that, i googled shell rot, and found a few articles on treating extreme shell rot. One of the things that they all seemed to agree on was cleaning the shell with an old tooth brush, softly scrubbing away what you could, there it was reffered to as debriding. after a closer inspection though I have found that the pitted spots are slightly soft, the rest of his shell however remains hard.
ive also visualy sexed him, and am almost positive he is indeed a he.
I hope the rescue will take him, but if theres limited space there, i could see them not accepting him, he will need alot of work.
Like I mentioned, theres only so much I can afford to spend. im trying to get some nolvasan, but have'nt found any at the local pharmacies, or pet suppliers. Ive been told to check vetrinary clinics, but the closest exotic vet is quite a drive, and I wouldnt be able to get up there for a few days, i may purchase some online and have it sent priority, but it depends on whether the rescue takes him or not.

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"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."