Urgent Care :: Smooth part on shell

[Mobat555]

I have had the turtles just over 2 months and have been constantly learning and just barely geting them into a liveable enviroment. However the female I have, her shell has a smooth grey spot on it. But the spot is not soft. Not sure how worried I should be. It almost looks like a flash relfection but that spot is just grey and smooth.

Take a look below:
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[jenaero]

That looks like shell rot to me. Totally fixable if you go to the right vet. Call around and make an appointment today.

[marisa]

Looks like shell rot to me as well. Does the area smell at all? There's info on the condition here: http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/medshell.htm

Clean the area with betadine as a starter (see the treatment on the link). A vet, however, would be able to give you sulfadine cream, which is really effective in treating the condition (as is Nolvasan, an antimicrobial agent, which you could also get from a vet).

What is your turtle's set-up like? What kind of filter are you using? How often do you change the water?

[Mobat555]

Marisa,

This RES and another male the same size spent 3 years in a 20 gallon tank with the previous owner. Now they are both in a 55 gallon tank with a XP3.

It looks like its starting to heal.

[marisa]

I'd still clean the area. Also make sure your turtle has proper lighting to basking under (UVB light and heat light/lightbulb) as well as a diet with plenty of calcium in it.

[Mobat555]

Just so everyone knows The smooth spots on the shell seemed to spread so I took Gamera in to the vet.

Aparently this is a good sigh, its new growth. This is the old parts of the shell flaking away. Spending such a long time in a bad enviroment both turtles are showing a great amount of new growth in the shells bottom and tops. Which indicates they are healing and in a better place.

[sonyj]

That's good news. They must be thriving in the new healthy environment that you've provided them since rescuing them. Great job!