shell rot?

[greta]

so we've had Shelly for about 3 weeks now and she had those darker spots on her shell since we got her. i saw some posts about shell rot on here and was wondering if thats what it is. i will post picture later, ihave to load them on the computer first.

its not soft, it is dark and kinda peeling with some wjite stuff under it.
i know its better with a picture for you to see.

and i read you guys put betadine on it. now if it is shell rot, is there something else i could use? i am highly allergic to betadine/iodine. even with cloves on, one little sprinkle on it on me and i am on my way to the er. and i wouldnt let my kids do it. i havent looked for a vet here yet.

i am going to go get a picture of it real quick for you guys to see what i am talking about

---

---

 

[ascott]

Welcome and hang tight...someone will give their opinion and advice about the spores...I have ne direct experience with this species/ailment .....

 

[cdmay]

Hi Greta,
That is a pretty tortoise. When she (he?) is larger she will be very nice looking.
OK yes, there is some signs of fungal issues on the older part of each scute. But the newer growth all looks good.
If you take an old toothbrush (or one of your kid's--they will never know the difference) and lightly scrub the shell with some plain old anti-bacterial soap that will help clean up those places. After the shell dries then you can apply a little dab of some anti-fungal cream (that you can purchase over the counter at your drug store) to the affected places. I use Lotrimin and it works quite well. Repeat the antifungal cream treatment daily for about a week and you should notice that those places clear up quickly. But, the pitted areas will remain that way until the tortoise wears down that part of the shell in a few years.
One thing to keep in mind about the creams though...be careful when feeding the tortoise and try and prevent it from walking all over its food and then smearing the cream in it. You don't want it to ingest that stuff. After the week long treatment lightly wash the plastron with soap to remove the antifungal cream.
Also, make sure the place you are keeping the tortoise is clean and not soaking wet as this will help prevent a re-infection.
Check out some of the threads here about treating for shell rot or fungus too.

 

[greta]

thank you so much for the info. i will go do that right now
and i think we might have some antifungual cream here somewhere.

you guys are the best