How to prevent and treat white mold disease in turtles? A detailed guide to practical methods

White mold disease in turtles, also known as water mold disease, mold disease and fungal dermatitis, is caused by fungi infecting the skin of turtles and then multiplying in large numbers.

1. Symptoms. In the early stage of the disease, grayish-white lesions appear successively on the turtle's carapace, plastron, neck and limbs, followed by a large amount of grayish-white cotton-like mycelium. Congestion and ulceration occur at the wound. In severe cases, the mycelium becomes thick and dense, causing the affected turtle to respond slowly, move sluggishly, lose appetite, become emaciated, and finally die of exhaustion, with small turtles being especially severely affected.

2. Prevention. For white mold disease, prevention should be given priority, with emphasis on the following points: ① Handle turtles carefully during purchase, capture or transport, lifting and setting them down gently to avoid injuring the turtle's body. ② Turtle breeding ponds should have appropriate sunlight, and turtles kept indoors should be regularly moved outdoors to bask in the sun, or exposed to ultraviolet light, to inhibit mold growth. ③ Adding 1% vitamin E to the daily diet can effectively prevent the occurrence of white mold disease in turtles. ④ Evenly splash fresh lime solution at 100-150 mg/kg over the whole pond to eliminate mold spores in the water. ⑤ When external injuries are found on turtles, apply 1% potassium permanganate solution to the wound, keep them resting in a dry place for 2 hours before returning them to the water, 1-2 times daily; apply 1% furazolidone solution to the wound, or soak the turtle in 20-30 mg/kg furazolidone solution for 20-30 minutes, twice daily; evenly splash 1.5 mg/kg furazolidone solution over the whole pond, which both treats external injuries and eliminates mold spores in the water.

3. Treatment. ① Place the turtle in a mixed solution of 1% salt and 0.04% baking soda to disinfect for 20 minutes, once daily. ② Gather the diseased turtles in a small pond and splash the whole pond with a mixed solution of 0.05% sodium bicarbonate and 9.05% salt. ③ Soak the diseased turtles in 3%-5% salt water for 5-10 minutes, twice daily. ④ Apply 5% salt water to the affected areas of the diseased turtles, and after the affected areas dry, return them to the pond, using it 3-4 times consecutively.