Pink spots on leopard tortoise skin

[Madeline_]

Today I noticed pink spots on the arms, legs, neck and head of one of my two 13-year-old leopard tortoises today after a soak. The other one lives in a separate enclosure and looks normal. I'm sorry if this has already been discussed in another thread; I searched the forum but haven't seen anything similar posted. This is a recent symptom, developing within the last few weeks. I received these girls in May of this year, and the previous owners said they have no knowledge of prior issues with their skin. I attached some pictures below. The spots are more pink than they appear in these pictures, so I circled the spots to make them easier to find. Does anyone have an idea of what might be causing this? Should I put anything (like an over the counter cream) on the spots? Thanks in advance for anyone who responds!

 

[DDLVT]

Today I noticed pink spots on the arms, legs, neck and head of one of my two 13-year-old leopard tortoises today after a soak. The other one lives in a separate enclosure and looks normal. I'm sorry if this has already been discussed in another thread; I searched the forum but haven't seen anything similar posted. This is a recent symptom, developing within the last few weeks. I received these girls in May of this year, and the previous owners said they have no knowledge of prior issues with their skin. I attached some pictures below. The spots are more pink than they appear in these pictures, so I circled the spots to make them easier to find. Does anyone have an idea of what might be causing this? Should I put anything (like an over the counter cream) on the spots? Thanks in advance for anyone who responds!

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These look like irritated areas, kind alike a small rash does your tortoise soak in a plastic container? I had to get a larger bin for my sulcata bc they kept trying to climb out. Could be the same for your tortoise if they try to climb out but get hung up on the edges.

 

[wellington]

They look like rubbed spots, like they are being rubbed on something. However, with it being on the head too, I'm not sure. Get some OTC antibiotic cream and put on daily. Wash area first with warm water and gently wipe. Then dry and put the cream on. Do this until the areas are gone. If it just gets worse then I would see a vet
In the meantime, check for anything that could be irritating those areas, in enclosure and even in the tortoise. Some times the shell can have sharp edges that causes sores.

 

[Madeline_]

These look like irritated areas, kind alike a small rash does your tortoise soak in a plastic container? I had to get a larger bin for my sulcata bc they kept trying to climb out. Could be the same for your tortoise if they try to climb out but get hung up on the edges.

Hi! Thanks for your reply!
Yes, I soak her in a plastic kiddie pool that's about 3.5 ft in diameter, but the walls are probably 6–8 inches high. She definitely tries to climb out a lot— she hates it!
I'll look for something else with higher walls.

 

[Madeline_]

They look like rubbed spots, like they are being rubbed on something. However, with it being on the head too, I'm not sure. Get some OTC antibiotic cream and put on daily. Wash area first with warm water and gently wipe. Then dry and put the cream on. Do this until the areas are gone. If it just gets worse then I would see a vet
In the meantime, check for anything that could be irritating those areas, in enclosure and even in the tortoise. Some times the shell can have sharp edges that causes sores.

Hi, thanks for the info! I'll check her and her enclosure, clean her up and get some cream, and keep an eye on her. Thank you!