
I generally dry dock turtles with shell fractures or shell rot. For shell rot cases I put them in water four one hour a day to eat and toilet then dry dock them in a soft towel with a small, shallow water bowl for the remainder of the day. It is also important to get these turtles some UV light!
Full Answer
How do you Dry Dock a turtle with shell rot?
I generally dry dock turtles with shell fractures or shell rot. For shell rot cases I put them in water four one hour a day to eat and toilet then dry dock them in a soft towel with a small, shallow water bowl for the remainder of the day.
How do you prepare a ship for dry docking?
Preparing the Ship for Dry Docking: Make a repair and maintenance list, create or obtain a drydock handbook if required, and assign responsible ship staff to their duties on the list. Divide staff into groups to oversee the work carried out by yard gangs. All spare parts must be checked and repair items kept ready for use.
When is it best to avoid dry docking?
It is best to avoid dry docking if there is a chance of a rough weather. The cleaners and dock master then board the vessel. Once the ship has successfully achieved the pre-docking conditions, the ship is to be tugged into the dock since its engine is not available.
How do you clean a shell with shell rot?
I then scrub the shell with a surgeons hand brush and toothbrush to remove any left over flakes or debris, and finally rinse with fresh water. This process can be repeated in severe cases every few days. I generally dry dock turtles with shell fractures or shell rot.

How long does it take to heal shell rot?
All in all, this full treatment regimen will need to be one to two times a day for 5 to 7 days or until your turtle or tortoise's shell is back to normal.
How long does it take for a turtle shell to heal?
Turtle and tortoise shells grow at a very slow rate and can take months to heal if not years to properly heal. The underlying soft tissue injuries usually heal in 2 to 3 weeks, where the shell fractures can easily take 4 to 18 months to become fully stable.
How do you know if shell rot is healing?
The shell is healed when it is free of discharge and odor, and is “smooth” (irregular scars may remain for life). I don't recommend dry docking which can result in decreased food and water intake.
How do you treat severe shell rot?
If the shell rot has a foul odor, apply an antibacterial or antibiotic cream (silver sulfadiazine ointment or 2% mupirocin ointment) to the affected area as well. Do this twice a day for a week. Make sure to keep the turtle away from water after swabbing for 30-40 minutes to let the medicine work.
What helps a turtle shell heal?
Antibiotic cover is essentially in severe shell rot cases or if the shell has been fractured. Topical antibiotics such as silver sulfazadine cream applied daily can be enough for many cases. If they need systemic treatment as well I generally use ceftazadine injection.
Does a turtle's shell repair itself?
Since tortoise and turtle shells are made of living, organic, natural materials, they have the ability to heal on their own. Just as your broken arm will slowly knit itself back together, a tortoise shell can heal on its own.
Why does shell rot happen?
Shell rot occurs when bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause serious infection. Dirty environments mean bacteria will thrive so you need to keep on top of the regular cleaning of their home. This includes: Daily spot cleaning of faeces and urates.
How do you identify shell rot?
1:103:46How to Tell if your Turtle's Shell is Healthy, Spot Shell Rot ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou can also see white patches in the shell. And they can appear soft. In severe cases of shell rotMoreYou can also see white patches in the shell. And they can appear soft. In severe cases of shell rot you can start to see the flesh underneath you will start to see pink.
Why is my turtle's shell turning white?
Most of the time your turtle's shell is turning white due to hard water. You can fix this by using distilled/treated water and by cleaning the turtle's shell. It may be due to a fungal infection as well. This can be treated through OTC topical medication.
Is shell rot contagious?
Shell rot can be highly contagious, and one infected animal can spread it rapidly to all others it comes into contact with. It is not a condition that should be ignored or underestimated. Seek professional advice at an early stage if you believe you have an affected tortoise or turtle.
Can you use hydrogen peroxide on turtles?
3) Clean the wound area gently with hydrogen peroxide and clean water. No need for ointments or medicines, as that may inhibit healing or make the turtle sick. (You can also use Betadine, if that's what you have.)
Can I use Betadine on my turtle?
Your best two options are Betadine and Povidone-Iodine. They're both turtle-safe and will get the job done.
What is dry docking?
The process of dry-docking refers to when a vessel is taken to the service yard and brought to dry land so that submerged portions of the hull can be cleaned and inspected. This work is both preventative as well as a regulatory requirement within the industry.
How often do second hand boats dry dock?
At Teekay, vessels are scheduled for dry-docking once every five years, with intermediate surveys taking place in between. Once the vessels are put back into service, they are more eco-friendly and fuel-efficient.
How long does it take to pump down a boat?
Pumping Down the Dock and Vessel “Taking” the Blocks. The water is drained from the dry-dock (generally overnight) over the course of about eight to ten hours, depending on the size of the vessel. Before the vessel is rested on the block, specialized dive teams ensure the block structures are in the correct location.
How often do ships need to be dry docked?
Hence, ships are expected to be dry docked twice in every five years. The process is obviously an important one, but the cost of dry docking a ship is massive. It is necessary for the ship to spend the minimum time being dry docked. The more time a ship spends on the dock, the lesser it will make financially.
What is dry docking?
As we have seen previously, dry docking is a commonly used procedure for the inspection, repair and maintenance of ships and boats. The primary objective of this method is to expose the parts of a vessel that have been submerged underwater for a long time. These submerged portions of the ship need to be checked regularly for damage they endure due ...
Why is dry docking reduced?
There are several advantages of reduced dry docking. A reduced dry docking period will ensure a more efficient way of fixing ships. The faster ships are dry docked and repaired, the more vessels can come in.
Why is dry docking important?
The process is absolutely necessary for maintaining ships, submarines, and other vessels, so that they can function at optimum efficiency for a longer duration.
What happens when a ship is dry docked?
When a vessel is dry docked, the crew starts with checking the most important parts of the ship for any visible and internal damage. Repairing all major as well as minor faults in the ship goes a long way in increasing its productivity.
What is underwater repair?
Underwater repair deals with the inspection and repair of the ship while it is in the sea. A number of companies who offer these services specialise in examining the ship’s surface for flaws that can only be seen in water. They make use of advance machinery, such as underwater welding, to repair damaged propellers while the ship is in the water.
Guest MrsPolitte
how long do you dry dock a turtle? what is the difference between shell rot and dry shell rot? if it is dry why is it considered rot?
Xavier
The amount of tiem will depend on how bad the infection is it could be as little as 2 weeks to many months.
Gaby C
Dry docking is pretty much up to what you believe, how long it should last and you keep doing it until the turtle heals up. Normally, for bigger turtles, you leave them out all day except for an hour or 2 hour breaks for food and to go potty, it could be much less if it isn't such a bad injury, could be left overnight.
Guest MrsPolitte
ok thanks that helps. my turtle has either dry shell rot or non shedding shutes on half its shell
Guest MrsPolitte
i don't have a pic nor a digital, but Dawn U posted this pic of hers and it looks just like this except more on top.
Wendy
I the case of the picture shown it is not shell rot its an incomplete shed
What is Dry Docking?
Dry docking is similar to quarantine, although without any water. The purpose of dry docking is to keep your turtle warm and dry. This is especially important for promoting the healing of external wounds and respiratory disease.
Why Dry Docking is Important
Although red-eared sliders are semi-aquatic and water is a big part of keeping them healthy and well, the aquatic aspect of their habitat can make them sick if something is off about the overall husbandry. For example, shell rot and fungal infections set in when a turtle doesn’t have adequate opportunities to get out of the water and dry off.
How to Dry Dock Your Turtle
First — Dry docking should not be done without a diagnosis and primary medical care. If you suspect that your turtle is sick or injured, make an appointment with an experienced reptile vet first. Then you can proceed to dry dock your turtle if instructed to do so.
How Long Does Your Turtle Need to Be Dry Docked?
It depends on how long your turtle’s wound/illness needs to heal, and what your vet recommends.
What is the most dangerous time to dry dock?
The most dangerous time in drydocking occurs when support for the ship is changing from water buoyancy to dry dock blocks. If the strength of the blocks is insufficient, they can be crushed, overturning the ship. 1.
What is dry docking?
In dry docking, a ship is removed from the water to enable work to be performed on the exterior part of the ship below the waterline. Ships are constructed on dry docks. In launching, the new or repaired ship is either floated in place or slid from its berth.
How is water pumped out of a ship?
Water is pumped out of the wing walls to raise the ship clear of the water line. Water is pumped back into the wing walls to lower the ship back into the water. 1. Graving Dock - an excavation in the ground that can be flooded when a caisson (i.e., gate) is opened.
How to launch a ship from a building dock?
2. Launching from a building dock is performed by flooding the dock to the depth required to float the ship. Careful planning and considerable expertise are required to launch a ship by sliding it into the water. Drag chains of predetermined weights are used ...
What is the OSHA number for ship repair?
Alert: Due to routine maintenance on the OSHA website, some pages may be temporarily unavailable. To report an emergency, file a complaint with OSHA or ask a safety and health question, call 1-800-321-6742 (OSHA).
How often do vessels dry dock?
How often does a vessel dry-dock? Typically, vessels are scheduled for dry-dock once every five years for a special survey. Nevertheless, midway surveys may be conducted in between dry-docking period for various inspections, maintenance and repairs of the underwater structure of the vessel.
What is dry docking?
The term ‘dry-docking’ refers to when a vessel is taken into the dry-dock of a shipyard so that the underwater area of the hull can be inspected, cleaned, and repaired if required.
Why is dry docking important?
Dry-docking is an essential and integral part of maintaining a vessel because: it is part of a vessel’s life cycle maintenance. ensures optimal performance. ultimately plays a key role in enabling safe and reliable operations. it is a regulatory requirement by the vessel Flag State and for certification by the Classification society.
How does hull treatment help a ship?
Hull treatment can improve ships’ energy efficiency and significantly reduce a ship’s daily fuel consumption. Once the dock is dried up, the ship undergoes a hull cleaning procedure where high water pressure cleaning equipment is used to remove marine growth from the vessel’s underwater structure.
