Problem: The turtle's shell appears pitted and discoloured.

Solution: This is a very common problem. The shell initially becomes damaged through trauma from sharp objects within the tank, or because of environmental factors. Turtles are messy feeders and the water in their tank may soon become contaminated. A regular check for nitrites and ammonia is a must. Many turtles are also kept indoors, but they need exposure to sunlight for at least 30 minutes, twice a week, which is why you see them basking on a rock in the wild. UV tubes mounted over the tank are ok, but need to be changed every six months. In this instance, bacteria have moved into the turtle's damaged shell and caused an infection. We were able to treat the problem by:

a) Giving the turtle more exposure to the sun about two hours a day

b) Replacing the UV tubes above the tank

c) Changing the water in the tank

d) Applying Betadine (iodine) on the shell and leaving it to dry for two hours while the turtle is out of the tank. The shell must be rinsed before the turtle returns to the tank.

The progress will be slow, but given 4-6 months, the shell should return to normal.