What are the common disease prevention and treatment methods for the golden coin turtle?

During the rearing of golden coin turtles, deteriorating pond water, excessively high stocking density, mixed rearing of large and small turtles, improper feeding, cold damage and heat damage and other causes often lead to illness or death of the turtles.

1. Red neck disease

Pathogen: It is an infectious disease; its pathogen may be a virus, or it may be an Aeromonas bacterium.

Symptoms: This disease mostly occurs in the plum rain season. Sick turtles show red spots on the abdomen, swelling of the throat and neck, an elongated neck that cannot be retracted, slow movement, reduced appetite and dulled responses. In severe cases, there is bleeding from the mouth and nose, intestinal inflammation and erosion, generalized redness and swelling, cloudy white eyes leading to blindness, and death soon after.

Prevention and treatment: Once the disease is found, isolate and treat immediately, disinfect the turtle pond with quicklime, and replace with fresh water; treat with antibiotics such as chlortetracycline, chloramphenicol or oxytetracycline, injecting 150,000 international units at the base of the leg per kilogram of turtle. Also use Bie Jian Kang at a 1.5% ratio, mix into the feed and feed for 3-5 days.

2. Water mold disease

Pathogen: The pathogen is a fungus; the hyphae are white and soft, resembling white cotton fluff.

Symptoms: Initially the sick turtle has reduced appetite, is restless, emaciated and weak; in severe cases the water mold parasitizes the turtle's neck, limbs, plastron and carapace. The shell is corroded, becoming soft and thin, leading to cessation of feeding, slow movement and finally death.

Prevention and treatment: When the disease is found, let the sick turtle move on land and bask in the sun to reduce the environmental conditions for water mold growth; completely replace the turtle pond water with fresh water, and disinfect and sterilize with 0.04% table salt plus 0.04% baking soda; sprinkle 3 g/m3 Zhi Mei Ling over the whole pond.

3. Turtle skin rot disease

Pathogen: The pathogen of this disease may be bacteria.

Symptoms: Visible to the naked eye, the skin of the turtle's limbs, neck, tail and marginal scutes is decayed, eroded and necrotic; in severe cases the skin of the limbs rots away, the claws also fall off, and the bones are exposed.

Prevention and treatment: When the disease is found, isolate promptly, and soak the turtle body in 10 g/m3 (cubic meter) of sulfonamide drugs or antibiotics for 48 hours; for initial onset, 2-3 times per week, and it can be cured in 1 month. Bathing with 0.4 g/m3 Bie Jing every 2 weeks can prevent mutual biting among turtles and the occurrence of skin rot disease.

4. Mucor disease

Pathogen: It is a common infectious disease. Its pathogen is a mold of the genus Mucor, family Mucoraceae, order Mucorales.

Symptoms: Spots appear on the limbs, marginal scutes and other parts of the sick turtle, initially at the edges, then gradually expanding to form patches of white spots, causing necrosis of the epidermis and partial disintegration, reduced appetite and restlessness. However, deaths of sick turtles are relatively few; when the mold parasitizes the throat, it can obstruct breathing and cause death. This disease can occur in all four seasons, but is most prevalent from April to June.

Prevention and treatment:

(1) Thoroughly disinfect the turtle pond with quicklime, and regularly keep the pond water a tender green color, which can reduce the occurrence of this disease.

(2) Bath with 150 g/m3 Bai Ban Jing for 15 hours; when the white spots on the sick fish's body have all fallen off, drain the medicinal solution and add fresh water again up to the rearing water level.