What Causes Scabies (Abscess) Disease in Turtles?

1 Turtle Scabies: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Symptoms of Turtle Scabies

In early stages, one or more soybean-sized white abscesses appear on the neck, shell (top and bottom), head and limbs. They grow and protrude, breaking the skin; squeezing them releases yellow-white, cheesy matter with a fishy smell. As it progresses, the abscess ruptures on its own, inflammation worsens, the skin ulcerates into cavities, often with perforating disease. The sick turtle loses appetite or stops eating, becomes thin, can’t open its eyes, reacts sluggishly, and eventually weakens and dies, usually within 2–3 weeks. A necropsy shows an enlarged liver, congested spleen, congested lungs, congested gut lining and black gut contents.

Causes of Turtle Scabies

The disease has high incidence, strong contagion and high fatality, peaking in May–September (to October in warmer areas). May–July is the high season; it strikes most at 20–30°C air and ~30°C water. In good water the turtle is just a carrier; once the environment is polluted or the body is wounded, bacteria multiply and the turtle falls ill.

Treatment of Turtle Scabies

First, isolate the sick turtle at once, squeeze all contents from the abscess, disinfect the wound with iodine tincture, then apply oxytetracycline powder.

Next, insert a cotton ball coated with oxytetracycline or chlortetracycline eye ointment into the wound.

Finally, keep the turtle in shallow water. As it eats little or refuses food, the owner must force-feed and add a suitable antibiotic to the feed. But if the turtle is very young, don’t force-feed.

Also, because the disease is sensitive to gentamicin, an older turtle may get an intramuscular gentamicin injection. But if the owner has no injection experience, just change the dressing normally to avoid other harm.

Like turtle skin rot, scabies is best prevented. Remove all hazards from the habitat — no sharp basking rocks or sharp objects that could scratch the turtle. After hibernation ends, or every six months, soak the turtle in erythromycin solution and disinfect the equipment and environment; keeping the habitat clean with good water quality helps prevent external infections.

The above covers the causes, symptoms and prevention of turtle scabies. Prevention is key: keep the turtle and its environment clean to lower the risk.