shell issues?

[marcy4hope]

i've noticed in the past couple of weeks that the front 3 scutes on my sulcata's shell have some strange lighter looking places on them. you'll notice it more on the scute on the left side of the photo. he actually has this overall in some form, but it's worse on the front three scutes.

i have been soaking him twice a day because he's been ill and those front three scutes are the ones that get less water than anywhere else on them, so are they just drier and that's why the lighter streaks are going on in places?

not sure if this picture shows it well or not. maybe i'm being too picky, but just want to make sure i'm not seeing the start of a fungal going on.

(oh, he's soaking in gatorade and pumpkin so that's why the water is strange colored. we are just doing clear water soaks now, but that was taken a week or so ago.)

 

[Baoh]

Looks like very mild shell rub to me from the photo. Caused by abrasion, if so.

 

[marcy4hope]

Looks like very mild shell rub to me from the photo. Caused by abrasion, if so.

i wondered about that, but am not sure where it would be coming from. it did start at the same time i increased his soaking each day. if it's mild abrasion, then it could possibly be from his hide. sometimes his shell does rub the top of the hide when he goes in. thanks.

 

[Baoh]

Looks like very mild shell rub to me from the photo. Caused by abrasion, if so.

i wondered about that, but am not sure where it would be coming from. it did start at the same time i increased his soaking each day. if it's mild abrasion, then it could possibly be from his hide. sometimes his shell does rub the top of the hide when he goes in. thanks.

It is probably that.

 

[ottosmom18]

Looks like a tiny bit of mild pyramiding, which is (sadly) common in some captive tortoises.

 

[marcy4hope]

Looks like a tiny bit of mild pyramiding, which is (sadly) common in some captive tortoises.

actually, the picture above is a bit deceiving. he has no pyramiding that i can tell. he's very smooth. he has two scutes in the middle, back that are actually just the slightest bit concave. but, he is actually extremely smooth.

 

[BowandWalter]

He looks lovely!
I think it's just scuff marks, Walter get them occasionally from his hide too.

 

[marcy4hope]

thanks, i agree. i scrubbed him good last night and put a little vitashell on there. i scrubbed most of the stuff off the back part of his shell. i think that was hard water residue from his soakings, but the front part must be scuffs because that part of his shell stays up out of the water more.