# Hermanns shell peeling off help!



## Mweigel (Oct 28, 2020)

So I just noticed this after her bath. I though it was from scratching on her calcium block so I scratched it and more came off. What could this be? There’s nothing like it anywhere else on her shell and she’s still very active


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## Sarah2020 (Oct 28, 2020)

Not sure but I would get a small tooth brush during next soak and brush it to remove it.


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## zovick (Oct 28, 2020)

Mweigel said:


> View attachment 310039
> So I just noticed this after her bath. I though it was from scratching on her calcium block so I scratched it and more came off. What could this be? There’s nothing like it anywhere else on her shell and she’s still very active


That is shell rot. Have you looked to see if there is more on the bottom shell?


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## Mweigel (Oct 28, 2020)

zovick said:


> That is shell rot. Have you looked to see if there is more on the bottom shell?


Really? I looked everywhere else on her shell and saw nothing. I even went over everywhere with my fingernail and nothing else came up and nothing is soft


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## zovick (Oct 28, 2020)

Mweigel said:


> Really? I looked everywhere else on her shell and saw nothing. I even went over everywhere with my fingernail and nothing else came up and nothing is soft


That spot is shell rot, believe me. You need to take a very stiff bristle brush and clean it off, or scrape it with a metal instrument to remove the dead (white) debris, then apply athlete's foot cream on it to get it to stop.


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## Mweigel (Oct 28, 2020)

zovick said:


> That spot is shell rot, believe me. You need to take a very stiff bristle brush and clean it off, or scrape it with a metal instrument to remove the dead (white) debris, then apply athlete's foot cream on it to get it to stop.


Ok I will do that, How long should I wait to take her to the vet? I wouldn't be able to take her until the 4th due to the vet being 2 hours from me and not open this weekend....do you think she will be ok until then if I clean it and add the foot creme? Also any type of foot creme?


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## zovick (Oct 29, 2020)

Mweigel said:


> Ok I will do that, How long should I wait to take her to the vet? I wouldn't be able to take her until the 4th due to the vet being 2 hours from me and not open this weekend....do you think she will be ok until then if I clean it and add the foot creme? Also any type of foot creme?


You don't need a vet visit if that is the only spot with the rot. Just clean off the white areas (dead shell tissue) and then put any brand of antifungal athlete's foot foot cream on it. It will kill the fungus which is causing the shell rot. Usually it works in a few days to a week. Then just keep checking that area and repeat the process if it comes back.

Can you post a photo of the entire bottom shell of your tortoise? I would like to see if there are any other spots visible on the underside of the shell which need treatment.


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## Mweigel (Oct 29, 2020)

@zovik

I’m going to do the athletes foot cream now. I called thevet for advice but haven’t heard back from them yet


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## zovick (Oct 29, 2020)

Mweigel said:


> View attachment 310103
> @zovik
> View attachment 310104
> I’m going to do the athletes foot cream now. I called thevet for advice but haven’t heard back from them yet


Thanks for the pix. You are right, the rest of the tortoise's shell looks pretty good. I do see one other tiny spot of possible shell rot on the inside of the left rear leg hole at the junction between two of the marginal scutes. Do you see that? I would clean that area and apply the antifungal cream to it also.


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## Mweigel (Oct 29, 2020)

zovick said:


> Thanks for the pix. You are right, the rest of the tortoise's shell looks pretty good. I do see one other tiny spot of possible shell rot on the inside of the left rear leg hole at the junction between two of the marginal scutes. Do you see that? I would clean that area and apply the antifungal cream to it also.


The dark brown spot? I can do that just in case. I just soaked her and tried scraping by her tail and the white won’t come off so I stopped messing with it.


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## zovick (Oct 29, 2020)

Mweigel said:


> The dark brown spot? I can do that just in case. I just soaked her and tried scraping by her tail and the white won’t come off so I stopped messing with it.
> View attachment 310122


The spot in the leg hole is not brown; it is another white area right where two of the scutes come together.

the white area left showing under the tail should come off if you scrape it harder. Use the tip of a knife blade and gently go back and forth. If you still can't get it, just put the cream on it the way it is and then go back to try scraping it off again in a few days. Do the same with the white area in the leg hole.

Good luck.


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## Mweigel (Oct 29, 2020)

zovick said:


> The spot in the leg hole is not brown; it is another white area right where two of the scutes come together.
> 
> the white area left showing under the tail should come off if you scrape it harder. Use the tip of a knife blade and gently go back and forth. If you still can't get it, just put the cream on it the way it is and then go back to try scraping it off again in a few days. Do the same with the white area in the leg hole.
> 
> Good luck.


Oh I see, when I bathed her it wasn't there. When I scrape near her tail again the white stuff what it's supposed to look like? Thank you for all your help I super appreciate it!


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## zovick (Oct 29, 2020)

Mweigel said:


> Oh I see, when I bathed her it wasn't there. When I scrape near her tail again the white stuff what it's supposed to look like? Thank you for all your help I super appreciate it!


It will still look whitish in color, but will be a cleaner looking surface. You are trying to remove the dead and infected bone tissue so the part underneath it can heal and not become infected. Does that make sense? You might see a few tiny drops of blood as you scrape, too. If you see the blood drops, you have scraped enough off for that time.


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## Mweigel (Nov 1, 2020)

zovick said:


> It will still look whitish in color, but will be a cleaner looking surface. You are trying to remove the dead and infected bone tissue so the part underneath it can heal and not become infected. Does that make sense? You might see a few tiny drops of blood as you scrape, too. If you see the blood drops, you have scraped enough off for that time.




Here’s an update. Do you think it is healing how it’s suppose to? This is after 5 uses of athletes foot cream. And I’ve scraped there 3 times.


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## Sarah2020 (Nov 1, 2020)

Looks better than when you started!


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## Mweigel (Nov 1, 2020)

Sarah2020 said:


> Looks better than when you started!


Thanks, I wonder when I will see growth back, I also don't know how long I should keep this process going, the vet never called me back


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## zovick (Nov 1, 2020)

Mweigel said:


> View attachment 310297
> Here’s an update. Do you think it is healing how it’s suppose to? This is after 5 uses of athletes foot cream. And I’ve scraped there 3 times.


It looks much better. I would keep using the athlete's foot cream for another 5 days or so (10 days total). That is usually enough to kill off the fungus. Then just keep an eye on it and if it starts up again, you will know what to do.

Did you do the area I mentioned to you in the leg hole also?


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## KarenSoCal (Nov 2, 2020)

@zovick 
Maybe this will help? Is this the area you are referring to?


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## Mweigel (Nov 2, 2020)

zovick said:


> It looks much better. I would keep using the athlete's foot cream for another 5 days or so (10 days total). That is usually enough to kill off the fungus. Then just keep an eye on it and if it starts up again, you will know what to do.
> 
> Did you do the area I mentioned to you in the leg hole also?


I tried scraping it and nothing came off so I focused more on the tail. but I decided to try scraping it today and she bled a little bit which made me feel bad. So not I will focus on that area too along with the same on the other side since it looks the same. I originally thought it was shell growth. I can't get any more to scrape off her tail so that's good right?

Is it ok if I start doing it once a day instead of 2? My job is getting stupid with the hours and today i could only do the treatment once.


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## Mweigel (Nov 2, 2020)

KarenSoCal said:


> @zovick
> Maybe this will help? Is this the area you are referring to?
> View attachment 310332


When i originally scraped it nothing happened but today I decided to try again and it started to bleed, poor Poe. It didn't bleed a lot just a little


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## Sarah2020 (Nov 2, 2020)

I think you keep applying the ointment and stop scaping. The original tail area is much cleaner than when you started , then just observe and monitor.


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## KarenSoCal (Nov 2, 2020)

I agree with Sarah2020. If you're hitting blood, I think that's enough.

Keep putting the athlete foot cream on both places.

Don't forget that new growth is also white. You have to look close.

If zovick comes back and advises you, follow what he says. He knows more than I will ever know in my lifetime.


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## zovick (Nov 2, 2020)

KarenSoCal said:


> @zovick
> Maybe this will help? Is this the area you are referring to?
> View attachment 310332


Yes, thank you. That is another area of shell rot which I have been trying to describe verbally. The circling in red is much more definitive.


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## zovick (Nov 2, 2020)

Mweigel said:


> I tried scraping it and nothing came off so I focused more on the tail. but I decided to try scraping it today and she bled a little bit which made me feel bad. So not I will focus on that area too along with the same on the other side since it looks the same. I originally thought it was shell growth. I can't get any more to scrape off her tail so that's good right?
> 
> Is it ok if I start doing it once a day instead of 2? My job is getting stupid with the hours and today i could only do the treatment once.


Yes, once a day will be fine. Just keep watching the areas and make sure they don't start to get the fungus again after you have treated them for about 7-10 days each.


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## zovick (Nov 2, 2020)

Mweigel said:


> When i originally scraped it nothing happened but today I decided to try again and it started to bleed, poor Poe. It didn't bleed a lot just a little


You live in Oneonta, NY? Do you know Gary Bright? He is from Davenport and is a very knowledgeable tortoise breeder. Maybe he would be willing to help you if things don't improve.

My in-laws lived in Charlotteville for many years. I go up to that area at least once yearly to visit the Charlotteville Cemetery where they now are.


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## Mweigel (Nov 2, 2020)

zovick said:


> You live in Oneonta, NY? Do you know Gary Bright? He is from Davenport and is a very knowledgeable tortoise breeder. Maybe he would be willing to help you if things don't improve.
> 
> My in-laws lived in Charlotteville for many years. I go up to that area at least once yearly to visit the Charlotteville Cemetery where they now are.


 I do live in Oneonta NY, I got my tortoise last October from Petco and then realized I should have gotten one from a breeder instead, but something about that tort at the pet store made me want that one.

I do not recognize the name but maybe I will look him up and reach out to see what he says. I really appreciate all the help you have given me!


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## zovick (Nov 2, 2020)

Mweigel said:


> I do live in Oneonta NY, I got my tortoise last October from Petco and then realized I should have gotten one from a breeder instead, but something about that tort at the pet store made me want that one.
> 
> I do not recognize the name but maybe I will look him up and reach out to see what he says. I really appreciate all the help you have given me!


Gary comes on this site at times. He goes by GBtortoises as a user name. He also advertises on Fauna from time to time. Here is a link to one of his recent ads: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=728748&highlight=anamur+greek


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## KarenSoCal (Nov 2, 2020)

zovick said:


> Gary comes on this site at times. He goes by GBtortoises as a user name. He also advertises on Fauna from time to time. Here is a link to one of his recent ads: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=728748&highlight=anamur+greek



He was on the forum early this morning. Commenting on this thread





Natural sunlight or UVB fixture?


Hello I have a 5mo old Egyptian hatchling currently kept in an open table enclosure. Currently using UVB light and a heat lamp (obviously). I give her a soak outside everyday when then the sun is out, and let her run around for about 30 minutes as well. If I’m doing this already, is it still...




www.tortoiseforum.org


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## YukdaTortoise (Nov 4, 2020)

By your tortoises shell might just be dried urates that stuck to it's shell but I don't really know but just try to give it a bath and maybe it will come off


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