Urgent Care :: Shell Rot?

[jenaero]

This is my 2yo female res. She's a good basker and always has a constant supply of cuttlebone. Any pellet food is fortified with calcium/d3. She's had a uvb since day 1. All other necessities are there. Water/basking temp is fine. She just stopped eating the other day. I know it's normal for turts but she's the pig out of the two and she didn't even care that I was offering crickets or worms (her favourite foods).

I'm attaching the album because there are 17 pics. It started a few months ago as just 2 little spots on the left of her carapace towards the back. I figured it was probably nothing but now it's spreading and getting worse. I can scrape a bit off with my nail and it doesn't seem to hurt her. There is no smell to it and it's not that soft except for the tiny layer I can scrape. It seems to be pitting a bit and it's also spread to her plastron. Any insight is appreciated. BTW, the spot in the middle of the carapace is actually just scutes ready to shed but they appear white in the pic. Oh, and the green spot is just lettuce.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v513/ ... cks-Aug06/

[CountryGirl68]

Are those the only symptoms you've noticed? Could it be that she's shedding?

[Kallistos]

I have no right to give you advice lol, but since you take such great care of your turtles, maybe I'm not sure, the water you put in their could've had calcium or salts in it and when he went to bask it evaporated and got on his shell?

No idea, just a wild guess.

[marisa]

Truthfully, I'm not really sure what area I'm supposed to be looking at (I know you said carapace toward the back, but I'm not seeing anything that really stands out as shell rot). Which pic/s show the area you're concerned about the best?

The stuff that comes off is dark/black? Before Tilly shed (he's just finished with most of his carapace, but we've still got the rear marginal scutes to go) he would get a dark build-up in spots, especially near the seam, kind of a combination of algae and debris. I could scrape/rub it off, but the shell wouldn't look that great---until he shed. Is what's coming off dark? The pitting could be bacterial.

[CountryGirl68]

I posted elsewhere (for someone whose turtle appears to have advanced shell rot) that you can use povidone iodine solution (an antiseptic microbicide - can be found in first aid kits) on the affected areas but I'd only do that if I were sure it was shell rot.

[jenaero]

I'm not exactly a whiz when it comes to photoshop or I would have circled the areas. The stuff that comes off is white and there is a greyish colour underneath. I really think it's rot because of the pitting. My vet called about my boxie last night and I asked him about this while I was at it. He said to apply neosporin to the areas and if it doesn't show improvement soon that she'd need to be treated. I know what shedding looks like and she is shedding, but I know this isn't part of it.

She's still basking all day (almost the full 12 hours) and still not eating.

[marisa]

I hope she gets to see your vet. JMHO, but if it is shell rot, I would think that since Neosporin is oily, it would trap in the rot/bacteria. Air is the enemy of shell rot. Silverdyne cream (from a vet) is very effective in treating shell rot.

[jenaero]

The neosporin only stays on for an hour or so while she's basking. I wipe it off and she goes back to basking.

[jenaero]

She's still not taking any interest in food and I'm starting to get worried. It's just not in her personality yknow? Her shell is actually starting to look better but she's still under the basking light from the second I turn it on to about 10 min after it goes off. Even if she has shell rot, why would that affect her appetite? I thought at such an early stage it was still mostly cosmetic.

Should I make a vet appointment? She's never gone this long without eating. She could care less that there's wiggly worm right in front of her nose. Her eyes/nose are clear and she looks fine but she's just not herself.

What could it be? What can I do?

[missibsu]

I'd go the vet route. I don't think you are going to be satisfied until you know what's going on and you have some answers. I think you'll feel better if you do. Just my opinion!

[marisa]

I'd make that vet appt., especially since you say this is so different from her usual nature. If an infection is systemic, it can affect the appetite and cause lethargy; shell rot can get into the system if not treated (I'm NOT saying this is your turtle's problem, just that this can happen).

Just wondering, but has the turtle's stool ever been checked for parasites? That can also cause loss of appetite.

[jenaero]

No the stool's never been checked. If I could even find any, I wouldn't know which turt it came from.

I called to make an appointment and there aren't any next week. They said just drop her off in the morn on thursday and he'd look at her in between surgeries. I don't like that idea but I guess it'll have to do.

I'm going to try tuna tonight but I'm not hopeful.