Diseases Of Turtles   
By Dr.Saba Badar

Diseases mean anything that causes Dis-ease, anything that is deviating from normal is count under the heading of disease.

Turtles are supposed to be a group that can never catch any disease, whatever kind of environment they live in they are thought to be a part of that and thought to be immune against all the possible threats which other aquatic or terrestrial life is supposed pro vulnerable.

It is a general idea regarding the Turtle species in our country. But facts say things far different.

Turtles are found to be very sensitive for their hygienic environment, for a balanced diet.

For a suitable temperature and even for a rest place in their aquatic environment that could prevent them from drowning. It is seen that if no proper sunlight is provided to the turtles, their shell doesn’t get harder enough to make them look like a turtle but only like a prawn!!

Turtles are prone to malnutrition as fishes or human beings or any other domestic animal. In fact they show clear signs for lacking one nutrient or the other. Their skin, eyes, oral cavity, respiratory tract, nose and their over all appearance and performance is disturbed. They show swelling, mucous flow, abscess formation, redness, weakness, anorexia (lack of appetite) as symptoms of their malnutrition. Moreover some don’t go to water to swim, coz they know they are not able to swim.

Vitamin A deficiency leads to manifestation in the form of swollen eyes. Vitamin A is essential for the intactness of the membranes and this helps for the defense mechanism of the individual. The lack of Vit. A leads to fragility of the optic membranes and allows bacterial invasion from the air and from the aquatic environment. This complicates the situation depending upon the kind of bacteria has invaded.

Calcium, obviously, that is part and parcel of the skeleton, essential for muscle contraction, salts and mineral balance, and particularly in case of turtles, it results in strengthening the shell. That makes it resistant to predators and enemies. In case of calcium deficiency shell is not able to attain its due strength and remains fragile. Lack of calcium affects a pregnant turtle mother badly. Egg binding is a phenomenon in which a turtle mother is not able to lay a single egg at one time but eggs remain inside the uterus and don’t come out.

It is more due to calcium deficiency in pregnant turtles. Muscles of the uterus are not able to contract and relax properly in the deficiency of calcium. Further the shells of the eggs don’t get harder enough to stay as separate entity in the uterus and retain the property of liquid to stick with each other; no doubt calcium deficiency is playing a central role in that. This is a life threatening point to a mature turtle, so in expecting turtles nutrition must be balanced.

Some people use to place “Turtle-Blocks”, they are actually the blocks of calcium carbonate and plaster of Paris in the niche of turtles, but unfortunately this practice not at all helps the turtles. Rather experts suggest that hormones and calcium injections must be injected to the turtle as a precautionary measure and extra care for expecting turtles.

It also causes deformed shells of eggs, which are an additional problem for laying them. Deformed shells of eggs during their laying cause severe damage to the tract and extensive bleeding may occur which can lead to the death of turtle and other sequences like long-term weakness, fever, non-productivity etc may also follow or result.

Vitamin D3 is important too. There are three important components for shell hardening in the turtles, they are: Ultraviolet light, calcium and Vit. D3. Each of these are so important that if the growing turtle is deprived of any of these, its shell doesn’t get enough harder. It remains fragile and frail. Vitamin D3 can be fed through diet using feeding formulae and so does the calcium. But most limiting factor is the UV light, because it is not even provided naturally.

The role of UV light is not known properly but whatever it is, it is crucial one. Probably this light helps the turtle to retain the vitamin from the hypodermis, as it is the normal filtered sunlight in other cases. UV radiations, due to high frequency are more penetrateable than normal visible light and so they affect the body of turtle inside the hard shell. They cause the melting of fat layer underneath the skin and this penetrates the shell and strengthens it, in a similar fashion as this layer strengthens the bone by the action of normal visible light.

Turtles require all kinds of nutrients in a suitable amount, rather a balanced diet. Some turtles have specific demands for example Diamond Terrapin turtle likes brackish water with no-iodine salt. Similarly some live naturally in more vegetable areas to have good amount of carbohydrates and other nutrients.

Though this is true that deficiency of any nutrient has a suppressive effect on turtle but excess is bad also. More iron, metal dust like in factory areas is harmful. Similarly over feeding of one type of food, all vegetable and no meat or vice versa is harmful too.

Turtles are not only susceptible to nutritive deficiency, which is an internal weakness if malnourished or internal strength and resistance against diseases if properly nourished. External hazards are still there anyway.

And bacterial diseases are first to affect them taking advantage of a suitable substrate in the form of a weak turtle; and there are several causes for weakness malnourishment is one of them that can make the turtle vulnerable to bacteria.

This is to be remembered that bacteria can enter the turtle’s body even through the diet, they are always present in the environment and always in a try to enter the body, but whether they show their presence or not depends upon the condition of the turtle; if it has a powerful resistance (immunity) against them then saved otherwise susceptible.

Turtles are susceptible to bacteria similarly as the other species and diseases can be similarly complicated. Bacteria can invade all the systems of turtles to infect and affect them. Turtles are susceptible to septicemia, which means bacteria can be found in their blood. These bacteria can enter the blood cells, may stay in the plasma and divide and redivide there to give a large number of progenies. (This cycle is similar to the lifecycle of malarial parasite of human beings Plasmodium).

Which can lead to weakness, anemia, fever, and recurrent pyrexia. This weakness and drowsiness may lead to the drowning of water turtles. Bacteria can make colonies in different sites inside the body of turtles. These colonies can block pathways of blood, ingesta, respiratory tract, may even attack the heart.

There has been evidence that a blockage of ear canal by bacterial colonies can affect the respiratory tract in turtles. The ears either one of the two or both appear red and swollen in the infectious state. If the infection is deeply affecting the respiratory tract the turtle appears very restless. It is reluctant to eat anything. It shows gasping, open mouth, and sneezing.

As it is the ear affected first completely then the infection moves to the respiratory and nasal passageways, so the balance center in the ear is disturbed and turtle is not able to keep its balance in water, shows tilting to one side. It can’t detect its target and destination and so does the case with feed, it can’t reach to the feed; ultimately gets even weaker.

Cannot recover and resume the powerful immune system gets more prone to the complexity of this disease and vulnerable to other problems also. Later on the disease moves to the respiratory and nasal passage that blocks its breathing, now one can better understand if breathing stops what one experiences!!! if left to experience….

Shell-rot is another disease that is not only affecting the productivity, health and activity of a turtle but also it reduces the beauty and attraction of the shell, which is of many uses due to its durability. In shell-rot disease the shell is cracked, breaches appear in it and the underlying viscera of the turtle are exposed to the environment. Bacteria love such openings like wounds, injuries, and cracks in the body of any creature to enter into them.

So here in the case of shell rot the bacteria soon come to attack the cracks in the shell where they form colonies, from where they do enter into the body as the primary defense line is broken and then onwards inside the body can go any place that suits to them. Superficial colonies that are not penetrating deep inside the body can be treated with some antiseptic solution, can be removed manually by a veterinarian, but to treat the deeply penetrating ones, surgical treatment of the shell is necessary.

Cracks and injuries can occur on both the carapace and plastron (top and bottom shell respectively) by many ways. In case water is hazy by pollutants or by feed turtles strike against surrounding walls and stones that can lead to minor injuries to the first defense line. If it is recurrent and repeatedly practiced then severe injuries are not a big deal. Most commonly the injury to shell occur during mating and female turtles are more affected.

Sometimes as in Torpor (hibernation of turtle) the algae and fungus from the environment grow on the shell, which shows the non-hygienic water. Fungus gives its rhizoids (root like in function and position) in to the shell layer can be stronger itself but weakening the shell, this is possible mostly in captive turtles due to static water for most of the time of the year. It is avoided by not allowing the captive turtle to go for torpor. In wild water is moving and turtle do hibernate but not in water but only in moist sand. It is a rare phenomenon however.

As it is mentioned earlier that after entering the body bacteria may go to any place and cause infection depending upon the state of victim and population of bacteria. So they also cause a disease of oral cavity of turtles. Mouth-rot; the disease starts first when bacteria do not have to face the resistance of the body and they make a basic colony in the oral cavity. This is actually because bacteria find a suitable pH and salt concentration in the oral cavity and start growing there. As no treatment is done they keep on multiplying leading to the full damage of the oral lining.

This is called as Stomatitis when the normal lining of the mouth is rotten. Further it leads to a pyometra (pus formation) like formation that is a white fluid, accompanied by the bleeding, blisters, and flow of mucous from the mouth. Eventually the bacteria seep into the muscle layer of mouth and deteriorate all the musculature, further destroying the covering of mouth and oral cavity, thus not only infecting from inside but also inviting other hazards from outside by exposing the cavity.

Mouth cavity and its boundaries get red, inflamed, and may be swollen if some resistance is shown otherwise keeps on being deteriorated by the attacking bacteria. Obviously turtle is not able to intake anything thus continually looses its resistance undergoes malnutrition and liable to all the hazards possible in its environment and to all that threats its health status and productivity state.

Most effecting bacterial disease is Salmonellosis, caused by bacteria Salmonella. Its importance is because this disease is transmittable to human beings. This bacterium resides in the intestinal tract of turtles and follows an oral-fecal route. Human beings can confront this bacterium that are particularly in contact with turtles.

In wild turtles eat several kinds of things, may be contaminated, but they become carriers of the cause without showing the signs of disease. But human handlers have not a powerful immune system as that of a wild turtle, and they fall a victim to the disease. Human beings can catch the disease by handling the turtle and not washing the hands after handling them.

Turtles feces may be present on their shell, which carries the oocytes of the disease that can stick to the handler during contact. They can even release their fecal material on a carpet, in living place, or at any place wherever they go, even they can contaminate human food directly or indirectly, and cause the spread of the disease to humans that are very vulnerable for that.

So the experts, veterinarians and human doctors suggest it that turtles must be kept away from living places, kitchen or any place where food is present. Every person handling the turtle must be cautious to wash his hands before touching anything after turtles. Also the pet and reptile dealers always suggest that reptile dishes, cages or aquariums should never be washed in the kitchen sink.

Salmonellosis is a disease causing epithelial lining damage of the intestinal tract. They stay in the tract to develop and multiply there. Persons suffering from immune suppressed diseases like AIDS fall an easy victim to the disease. Healthy persons do recover before the disease gets worse.

But if it goes on it leads to diarrhea, followed by extreme loss of salts and water from the body that could be fatal in most cases because in such a crude condition of intestinal tract epithelium even the antibiotics do not stay in the body.

The cells of epithelium slough off more ghastly than they are replaced and body is not able to perform the function to retain the vital nutrients. Finally extreme weakness that can’t be over come leads to death. Not only that during severe conditions it causes septicemia by producing porosity in the intact wall of intestine, and finally reaches to brain by producing meningitis.

If we think that somehow the reptiles and turtles could be treated for Salmonellosis that they carry, then by now there is no foolproof method or antibiotic suggested or discovered for that.

And their this carriage without showing signs is a reason that turtles are not cultures widely because shedding occurs before they get mature in few progenies. In human beings children under or equal to 3-5years of age and immunosuppressed people are extremely susceptible to this disease and its lethal affects.

Like the human society, turtles’ society is also not free from parasites. There are external and internal parasites in turtles. They can harm or can’t harm depending upon the health status of the host. Round worms are their intestinal parasites, can be ingested by the turtles along with the food in wild.

Accompanying them there are tapeworms and flukes. WBC count and fecal analysis can be done in order to diagnose the type of parasite dwelling inside the turtles’ body. Turtles should be analyzed and dewormed at least once in the year in order to know the parasitic condition of the turtles.

There are blood parasites too who not only live inside the blood cells but also in the plasma. They can cause anemia of RBCs. There are no zoonosis of parasitic diseases but owner of turtle or any captive turtle or turtles seen in the wild must be diagnosed for their parasitic infestations. Ironical is that the treatment of haemoparasites of turtles is difficult and not practiced!!!

Leeches are common external parasites for turtles. A veterinarian should remove them and injections are given to turtles for making their blood toxic to leeches.

There are certain reproductive problems rather than disease that male turtles are to face. One of them is Paraphimosis that is the erected penis remains engorged and can’t be retracted.

For its recovery a veterinarian is involved in order to low or avoid the damage to penis. Similarly sometimes penis undergoes paralysis for that commonly it is amputated and turtle is no more able to copulate. Sometimes prolapse also occurs, leaving the turtle not able to copulate until undergone a proper medical treatment.

There are certain problems related to ingestion of abnormal particles, which can be traced by X-ray treatment, by ultrasound and even treated by laser therapy if more severe.

Injuries to shell are a major problem. They occur mostly during copulation, when male turtles become over aggressive and may bite the female turtles. Premature withdrawal of engorged penis may also result in severe injuries. Shell injuries must be given early attention as this may lead to several complexities as discussed above.

Veterinarians to repair the shell use some resins and acrylic glues. For precautionary measure the turtles are kept away from water in order to allow the injuries to heal.

Above cited problems are most common among turtles, which are thought to be resistant to any kind of danger. But studies show they are sensitive as even a slight imbalance in their needs occurs, that costs a turtle very high. For UV light they require a suitable amount essentially as it helps them to retain the Vit. D3 for the shell and bone strength.

Any excess or any scarcity in the provision of UV light may cause problems by increasing or decreasing the temperature of the niche of turtle. For that it is found that they require a photoperiod phenomenon i.e. 10 to12 hours of light time and 12 to 14hours of darkness with gradual increase in spring and gradual decrease in winter.

It is suggested that turtle should allow to take sunlight by placing them in the sun for two to three hours and in aquariums certain UV light emitting bulbs may be introduced. However the practice in aquarium may lead to high temperatures enough to cause fading of turtles so care must be taken.

The purpose of the article is to raise a sense of understanding the problems, sensitivity and significance of turtles among the communities. Try to solve the problems of this specie and its endangered members. It is unique in its most characters, needs care and attention as other pets do.