Detailed Explanation of Prevention and Treatment Methods for Common Diseases in Turtles

Turtles have strong vitality and disease resistance, and suffer from relatively few illnesses. However, under artificial rearing conditions, various diseases can sometimes occur due to the influence of multiple factors such as rearing site, temperature, and feed. Therefore, routine observation is necessary, and once abnormalities are found, timely and targeted treatment should be applied to avoid economic losses. The following is an introduction to the prevention and treatment methods for common turtle diseases summarized over 10 years by Jiang Zhanglin, the "@#@238@#@ King" at Longtouge Animal Farm in Yuanhua Town, Haining City, Zhejiang Province:

1. Trauma and Inflammation. When the skin is scraped due to the rough surface of the rearing pond, or bacterial infection causes dermatitis from mutual scratching during transport, the wound can be disinfected with hydrogen peroxide, coated with red mercurochrome or gentian violet, or applied with anti-inflammatory ointment, then kept out of water for dry care for a few days to heal. If inflammation is not discovered in time, tetracycline or spiramycin can be mixed into the feed for treatment. Each dose: 500 g of turtle receives 1/2 of the adult single dose; once daily for 3 consecutive days.

2. Gastroenteritis. Feeding unclean or spoiled and deteriorated feed in summer can easily cause gastroenteritis. Affected turtles vomit and have diarrhea, and all turtles in the pond show poor appetite with a noticeable drop in food intake. If not treated promptly, it can cause dehydration and death of sick turtles. For treatment, chloramphenicol or gentamicin can be injected, using 0.2 g per 500 g of turtle, once daily, and the pond water should be disinfected, with isolation of sick turtles properly carried out.

3. Indigestion. If feed is given in excess over a long period or large amounts of hard-to-digest feed are fed, it often causes indigestion in turtles and even refusal to eat. Therefore, feed should be diversified, not single. If indigestion is found, first switch to fresh, fragrant, and soft feed to stimulate appetite, and administer a multi-enzyme tablet solution orally to the sick turtle, 1 tablet per 500 g of turtle per dose, or use other digestion-aiding drugs (such as yeast tablets, etc.). Special attention should be paid not to overfeed high-fat foods such as silkworm pupae and fatty meat, otherwise over time it will lead to poor fat metabolism and increase treatment difficulty.

4. Cold. In early spring or early winter when the climate is changeable, if rearing management is improper, turtles may catch cold, especially in greenhouses when ventilation is poor and temperature drops suddenly. Symptoms include audible breathing, blocked nostrils, occasional mucus discharge or scabbing; some shed tears, and some even make sounds from the mouth. After onset, virus-inhibiting drugs can be added to the feed, feeding half a tablet per 500 g of turtle daily; if laryngitis is present, watermelon frost powder can be sprayed into the turtle's mouth, twice daily, generally for 3 to 4 consecutive days to cure.

5. Saprolegniasis. Saprolegniasis is a disease caused by aquatic fungi, mainly fungal parasitism caused by lack of sunlight in winter or poor water quality, and sometimes also occurs in autumn and spring. When this disease generally occurs, white thread-like sticky material can be seen drifting in the water around the turtle's neck, on the limbs, and even on the shell. It is also called water mold disease. Saprolegniasis has little effect on large turtles, but may cause death in small turtles. Sick turtles can be soaked and washed in salt water for 15 minutes.

6. Shell Rot. This disease is mainly caused by bacteria invading the turtle shell and causing decay. Its symptoms are that white spots first appear on the turtle's dorsal shell or plastron, slowly forming red patches, and when pressed hard, bloody fluid is squeezed out. For treatment, the epidermis at the affected area can be picked open, the bloody fluid squeezed out, and salt applied by rubbing, then rinsed immediately, once daily for 5 consecutive days. Alternatively, Zijinding (available in pharmacies) can be mixed with vinegar into a paste and applied to the affected area, and it can be cured after several applications.