Urgent Care :: Shell Damage

[garydenness]

One of my turts has some shell damage, and I'm hoping someone might have some info. I'm hoping she just damaged it on the basking rock, but I'm very worried it might be some sort of infection. She'll be off to the vet, but because herp vets are few and far between in Mexico City, and our nearest is hours away, it'll be next week. Not least because she seems otherwise ok.

The photos below show the damage. It doesn't look very nice at all. There's no odour, no reaction when I touch it, her shell is otherwise hard and healthy. Rosita is eating, basking and otherwise going about her daily routine normally and seems in no discomfort. She's about three or four years old - I rescued her in 2007.

Anyone have any helpful input? Por favor...

[marisa]

How could that possibly have been done on the basking area? It looks more like it's rotted.

Is the plastron itself OK, or is it abraided?

I hope the basking rock has been replaced with something more suitable...

Until she's seen by a herp vet, I'd clean the area periodically with chlorohexidine (if you can get something called Hibiclens in a pharmacy, dilute it 50/50 with water), wash it, rinse it and let it dry. Make sure the water she's kept in is super clean and that there's a good basking area under proper lighting for her to bask. If she doesn't want to bask, I'd take her out of the water for part of the day and let some air on it. Some unfiltered sunlight would be good (but make sure there's access to shade).