This doesn't really resemble shell rot... Its just chipping away but the underneath looks healed already!
What is this?
- Thread starter chase thorn
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Appears to be a bacterial infection. Pushing its way out causing the exterior to flake off as you described. Always best to get a vets professional opinion and treatment advice. But I would recommend scribing with betadine twice a day with a very soft tooth brush and rinsing te betadine off after. May need some oral antibiotics to clear up totally. So I would definitely take him to a vet.
Where do I get that betadine?
Walgreens has it. It's around $20 a bottle. But a very handy item all tort owners should have. I always scrub my tortoises shell (especially my stars) once a month to disenfect any microbes that could cause infections or shell rot in the future. Just make sure to keep away from the head and ingestion.
That is old Shell Rot damage.......It will keep flaking off untill all the dead keratin is gone.......As you can see, new has already started to take its place.......
You can either do one of two things - Completely debride all the old Keratin off, or wait untill it naturally chips off.......Either way it will heal just fine.......
You can either do one of two things - Completely debride all the old Keratin off, or wait untill it naturally chips off.......Either way it will heal just fine.......
I personally can't tell you for sure what it is. Seeing how you got two different opinions, and you really don't know who is right, I would take him to a reptile vet so you will know what it is and how to treat it if needed.
This happened to my Russian tortoise, and it was kinda bad, worse than this. If it's not soft or anything, been gettin calcium and D3 and sunlight, then it is prolly a bacterial infection. That is what the vet told me. If it's flakey and white like that (could be spotted with a little black shell) and still hard, then it's prolly the bacterial infection. The vet would administer an oral antibiotic, keep cleaning with the betadine daily and use athlete foot cream afterwards. May take a while to heal properly, mind still hasn't and I used the antibiotic for almost two months. Still working on it, it will take a lot of time.
Prolly continue to peel and flake, possibly all over the plastron, looks like it has in a couple spots in the picture. It will take time, I've been battling mine since feb, will probably start back on the antibiotics and the cleaning.
Prolly continue to peel and flake, possibly all over the plastron, looks like it has in a couple spots in the picture. It will take time, I've been battling mine since feb, will probably start back on the antibiotics and the cleaning.
It looks like its healing, if it gets any worst take him to the vet.
But until them just soak him twice daily, and scrub the shell clean, or as mentioned you can try betadine to be extra safe.
But until them just soak him twice daily, and scrub the shell clean, or as mentioned you can try betadine to be extra safe.
Shell rot: This is another 'catch-all' term for a variety of conditions that can include bacterial, fungal, or environmental factors. In most forms of shell rot, micro-organisms get under the protective layers of the scutes and begin to 'eat away' at the tissues they find there. This means that there needs to be a pathogen in the habitat, and usually some form of damage to allow it to get under the top layer of scutes. An example of a specific form of this type of shell rot is Septic Cutaneous Ulcerative Disease (SCUD), which is caused by the bacteria Citobacter freundii, most often associated with shellfish. SCUD is most often associated with aquatic chelonians.
'Wet' shell rot is most often bacterial, while 'dry' shell rot is rarer and usually fungal, but any form of rot causes damage that invites secondary infections and other complications. Shell rot can eat deeply into the shell, causing more severe issues, and even death.
Prevention-
Minimize the growth of bacteria, viruses, molds and mildew in the habitat.
Arrange things to minimize scratches, abrasions, and chips to the shell.
Prevent overly-wet substrates, especially acidic materials such as mosses, and especially for susceptible species like Red-foots. These conditions can lead to environmental 'rots' that behave like 'immersion foot' does for humans.
Many forms of shell rot are infectious, so new animals should be quarantined and if one animal shows it, all animals should be monitored.
Signals-
All forms of rot will show damage to some or all of the layers of scute material. More severe forms of rot actually loosen scutes and cause them to slough off.
Treatment-
Remove the affected tortoise(s) from the others.
Correct any issues in the habitat, environment, cares, and diet.
Clean the affected area with gentle scrubbing or scraping to remove loosened materials. Try to remove all dead, dried-out, or damaged scute materials, but do not force anything.
Swab the area completely with a multipurpose skin disinfectant such as Betadine Solution. Let dry completely. Betadine is effective against many micro-organisms, but also inhibits healthy growth so do not use it past the first 2-3 days. (This may be all you need to do for a very minor rot.)
Treat the affected area twice a day with an antibiotic ointment, preferably something like silver sulfadiazine ointment or 2% mupirocin ointment. Keep the tortoise on newspaper or paper towel for a couple hours or so to let the ointment work.
Repeat ointment for about a week. Re-evaluate.
If the antibacterial is not doing anything, switch to or add an anti-fungal ointment. Any over-the-counter antifungal used for humans will work, such as that for athlete's foot or 'jock itch'. Use for a week like #5 and 6 above.
The signs of healing are when the plastron is smooth, dry, odor-free, and shows no signs of discharge. Continue using the ointment until this occurs.
If it does not help, see a vet or other expert
Outcomes-
Most forms of shell rot, caught early and treated aggressively, should be OK although it may take months or even years for some of the shell damage to fully heal and there may always be scars.
Like I said, I'm still fighting mine on my russian
'Wet' shell rot is most often bacterial, while 'dry' shell rot is rarer and usually fungal, but any form of rot causes damage that invites secondary infections and other complications. Shell rot can eat deeply into the shell, causing more severe issues, and even death.
Prevention-
Minimize the growth of bacteria, viruses, molds and mildew in the habitat.
Arrange things to minimize scratches, abrasions, and chips to the shell.
Prevent overly-wet substrates, especially acidic materials such as mosses, and especially for susceptible species like Red-foots. These conditions can lead to environmental 'rots' that behave like 'immersion foot' does for humans.
Many forms of shell rot are infectious, so new animals should be quarantined and if one animal shows it, all animals should be monitored.
Signals-
All forms of rot will show damage to some or all of the layers of scute material. More severe forms of rot actually loosen scutes and cause them to slough off.
Treatment-
Remove the affected tortoise(s) from the others.
Correct any issues in the habitat, environment, cares, and diet.
Clean the affected area with gentle scrubbing or scraping to remove loosened materials. Try to remove all dead, dried-out, or damaged scute materials, but do not force anything.
Swab the area completely with a multipurpose skin disinfectant such as Betadine Solution. Let dry completely. Betadine is effective against many micro-organisms, but also inhibits healthy growth so do not use it past the first 2-3 days. (This may be all you need to do for a very minor rot.)
Treat the affected area twice a day with an antibiotic ointment, preferably something like silver sulfadiazine ointment or 2% mupirocin ointment. Keep the tortoise on newspaper or paper towel for a couple hours or so to let the ointment work.
Repeat ointment for about a week. Re-evaluate.
If the antibacterial is not doing anything, switch to or add an anti-fungal ointment. Any over-the-counter antifungal used for humans will work, such as that for athlete's foot or 'jock itch'. Use for a week like #5 and 6 above.
The signs of healing are when the plastron is smooth, dry, odor-free, and shows no signs of discharge. Continue using the ointment until this occurs.
If it does not help, see a vet or other expert
Outcomes-
Most forms of shell rot, caught early and treated aggressively, should be OK although it may take months or even years for some of the shell damage to fully heal and there may always be scars.
Like I said, I'm still fighting mine on my russian
So the shell is as described....
The peeling is like after a sun burn. It is peeling up and flaking off but under the flake is a new shell looking layer. Very hard and clean looking. The flakes are what seems just an old layer of shell. Is this ok? There is no smell, no odd color, no redness or irritation, he acts like nothing is wrong! So what does this sound like? old shell rot that is healing?
The peeling is like after a sun burn. It is peeling up and flaking off but under the flake is a new shell looking layer. Very hard and clean looking. The flakes are what seems just an old layer of shell. Is this ok? There is no smell, no odd color, no redness or irritation, he acts like nothing is wrong! So what does this sound like? old shell rot that is healing?
Has your tort burned itself on a lamp at some time? It sounds like the repair growth after that sort of injury.
No burns that I know of! I keep him under good watch!
Since most Russian tortoises are wild-caught, they get shell damage right in that exact spot (on both sides) by being stacked one on top of the other in crates shipped from Central Asia to America. My guys have this, and so do most other pet Russians. But not to worry. It's only superficial, and as long as you use good husbandry, it will gradually heal over just fine.
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