Does my tortoise have dry shell rot?

[Thortoise the Tortoise]

My boyfriend and I have owned our tortoise, Thor, for about 7 months now. He's an awesome little guy however, this is our first time owning a tortoise so we are still learning. Recently I have become concerned with his shell because it has been looking pretty dry and there are little parts that look flaky. I don't know if he has dry shell rot, isn't getting the proper nutrients or if he is just dehydrated. I'm starting to get really worried because I just want him to be happy and healthy. Any suggestions as to what it could be and what I can do to help?

 

[Souptugo]

Hi there. That is not shell rot. Most often times shell rot occurs on the plastron from what I've seen.

Is your tortoise wild caught? Looks older than 7 months so depending where you got him from, previous injuries or abrasion could cause this.

The absence of a uniform shell could mean either your humidity and heat is off. Are you using a very hot bulb?

It would be best to post a photos of the enclosure to see what could be wrong with the set up.

Are you soaking him often? Pouring water over the shell etc...? I would put him in a warm bath and use a soup spoon and pour water over the shell when you bathe him (see photo).

 

[Thortoise the Tortoise]

Hi there. That is not shell rot. Most often times shell rot occurs on the plastron from what I've seen.

Is your tortoise wild caught? Looks older than 7 months so depending where you got him from, previous injuries or abrasion could cause this.

The absence of a uniform shell could mean either your humidity and heat is off. Are you using a very hot bulb?

It would be best to post a photos of the enclosure to see what could be wrong with the set up.

Are you soaking him often? Pouring water over the shell etc...? I would put him in a warm bath and use a soup spoon and pour water over the shell when you bathe him (see photo).

View attachment 205830

I got him from Petsmart which I know isn't the best place to buy pets from. Inside his enclosure the hottest spot gets to about 95-98 degrees. And the cool side is in the mid to low 80's. I try to bathe him everyday or every other day and I pour water over him. I usually let him soak for about 20 minutes.

 

[Souptugo]

You are not going to like this but the enclosure is too small for your Russian. In the wild, they walk a lot in search of food and to graze. Most will say a minimum 4 x 8 enclosure but if room is limited, you should try and get a 3x5 at the minimum.

Glass is not good as a retaining wall because they will be able to see through it and are desperate to try and walk through it. This causes a lot of stress in the long run. You need to block out the view. Tortoises do not understand the concept of glass.

If that is a compact fluorescent bulb you have for heat, that is no good, can cause blindness. What bulbs are you using for UVB and heat?

Also the water bowl ramp is probably the most dangerous thing you can have in there. Your tortoise will try to climb the wall or slip and can get inverted. The deep bowl design will drown him. I would use a saucer about .5 inches deep of water, sink it into your substrate.

 

[Thortoise the Tortoise]

You are not going to like this but the enclosure is too small for your Russian. In the wild, they walk a lot in search of food and to graze. Most will say a minimum 4 x 8 enclosure but if room is limited, you should try and get a 3x5 at the minimum.

Glass is not good as a retaining wall because they will be able to see through it and are desperate to try and walk through it. This causes a lot of stress in the long run. You need to block out the view. Tortoises do not understand the concept of glass.

If that is a compact fluorescent bulb you have for heat, that is no good, can cause blindness. What bulbs are you using for UVB and heat?

Also the water bowl ramp is probably the most dangerous thing you can have in there. Your tortoise will try to climb the wall or slip and can get inverted. The deep bowl design will drown him. I would use a saucer about .5 inches deep of water, sink it into your substrate.

Oh wow! I honestly had no idea I had so much wrong but I will try and fix these as soon as possible! And I was afraid the enclosure was too small so I try to take him outside often to get more exercise. And for heat I have a 80 watt halogen flood light and for UVB I have a UVB light (can't remember wattage) that I got from the pet store