This unfortunate image leads people to ignore both the needs of the animal, and any signs of illness it may display until it's too late. Over 100 turtle societies exist across the United States and Europe. Most provide hot lines, educational meetings and care sheets. Excellent material on turtle care is now available. Unfortunately, the most basic questions are still being asked, indicating that although good information is available, not much of it is getting through to the general public.
Vets can be great sources of health information.
But they rarely give free advice over the phone. It is, after all, cheaper to replace the turtle that dies. So most people ask pet shops for advice. Overcrowded tanks, dirty water, and water turtles exhibiting fungus and shell rot are common sights in pet stores, many of which keep turtles incorrectly housed and fed. Turtles are often sold with inadequate information about housing or diet.