HELP!!! Leopard tortoise shell advice

[Destben]

hi, I have had my baby leopard tortoise a month and it's 2 months old. I noticed last week that his/her plastron is getting red flaky bits near the center. Is this shell rot and how would you treat it? I keep the tank in the 80s (Fahrenheit) with a basking spot of about 110 (he doesn't get that close and stays in the area in the 90s). He gets soaked once a day and dried afterwards. I have been using Vetercyn to clean it and it seemed to work but now it's back. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[wellington]

Leopards don't really get shell rot. We've never seen it. Lots of times they will get red/pink looking along the plastron growth line that runs straight down the middle.
What kind of substrate are you using?

 

[Destben]

Leopards don't really get shell rot. We've never seen it. Lots of times they will get red/pink looking along the plastron growth line that runs straight down the middle.
What kind of substrate are you using?

I'm using a mix of reptisoil and cypress bark

 

[JoesMum]

If you post photos of your enclosure and lighting we will be happy to check them over for you.

I recommend you read the TFO care guides if you haven't already

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

How to raise a healthy Leopard Tortoise
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

For those that have a young Sulcata/Leopard Tortoise
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[Destben]

If you post photos of your enclosure and lighting we will be happy to check them over for you.

I recommend you read the TFO care guides if you haven't already

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

How to raise a healthy Leopard Tortoise
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

For those that have a young Sulcata/Leopard Tortoise
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Here is the tank I can't remember the wattage off the top of my head. He has a day bulb and infrared night bulb and a UVB bulb that is on 12 hours a day. That tank is temporary I have a tortoise house too. But I was having issues regulating temperature because of the temperature fluctuations outside and the changing seasons.

 

[JoesMum]

Infrared bulbs aren’t recommended. Your tort needs complete darkness at night.

Also, red bulbs colour tank decor and substrate. Tortoises have excellent colour vision not matched by their IQ and we frequently see tortoises eating substrate coloured red by lamps because they associate red foods with being tasty

If you need supplementary heat then you should use a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) with a thermostat - this provides heat without light and can be left on 24/7 as it will only cut in if temperatures drop too low.

By day your tortoise needs to be able to bask at 95-100F/35-37C under a reflector type basking bulb. This must be on for 12-14 hours; it’s easier to use a timer.

It also needs UVB light. This is best from a UVB tube light. The compact UVB bulbs that look like low energy light bulb cause eye problems in tortoises and are not recommended.

Alternatively you can combine UVB and Basking in one bulb by getting a Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) but be aware that the UVB output of MVBs drops off after 6-9 months, long before the bulb actually fails, and they must be replaced regularly.

Mesh isn’t recommended on top of a tortoise’s enclosure. It obstructs the UVB output of the bulbs and it doesn’t hold in the humidity or warmth which makes temperature and humidity regulation very difficult.

Please read the threads I linked to earlier, especially with regard to closed chamber setups, and compare them with what you have.

 

[Destben]

Infrared bulbs aren’t recommended. Your tort needs complete darkness at night.

Also, red bulbs colour tank decor and substrate. Tortoises have excellent colour vision not matched by their IQ and frequently see tortoises eating substrate coloured red by lamps because they associate red foods with being tasty

If you need supplementary heat then you should use a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) with a thermostat - this provides heat without light and can be left on 24/7 as it will only cut in if temperatures drop too low.

By day your tortoise needs to be able to bask at 95-100F/35-37C under a reflector type basking bulb. This must be on for 12-14 hours; it’s easier to use a timer.

It also needs UVB light. This is best from a UVB tube light. The compact UVB bulbs that look like low energy light bulb cause eye problems in tortoises and are not recommended.

Alternatively you can combine UVB and Basking in one bulb by getting a Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) but be aware that the UVB output of MVBs drops off after 6-9 months, long before the bulb actually fails, and they must be replaced regularly.

Mesh isn’t recommended on top of a tortoise’s enclosure. It obstructs the UVB output of the bulbs and it doesn’t hold in the humidity or warmth which makes temperature and humidity regulation very difficult.

Please read the threads I linked to earlier, especially with regard to closed chamber setups, and compare them with what you have.

I have a ceramic bulb but switched to the infrared because it wasn't keeping the tank warm enough. I will get a higher wattage one and try that.Thanks for the links I have been reading them.

 

[Destben]

Update, the vet said it's probably growth but the flaky spots worried him a little so he gave me an antibiotic cream to put on it.

 

[Destben]

Here is an update photo of the trouble area after a couple days treatment with silver sulfadiazine cream.

 

[Destben]

Just thought i would post an update. Torterra's shell has sustained some I guess you could say scarring, but the shell is growing perfectly fine. I had issues with the flaky bits coming back after I thought it had gone so I upped the dose of silver sulfadiazine cream to twice a day and applied it for about 3 weeks. After that it stayed gone. This picture is from recently so about 3-4 months later. hopefully this helps someone in the future.