Bad Smell possibly shell rot?

[Fujininja]

Hi I was giving my Hermanns tortoise a bath today when I noticed he smelled quite bad. I think it is shell rot due to these marks on his shell. I was told originally that it was just from the acidity in the substrate and I did not have to worry. At the time he just smelled like dirt but now he has a funny smell. His basking area is 95-100 degrees and the rest of his enclosure stays around 75. At night his enclosure is about 70 degrees. I bath him pretty much every day. Please let me know as soon as possible! Thank you!

 

[jockma]

What substrate are you using and how wet do you keep it?

Is the rot dry or wet?

Do you have athlete's foot cream on you and if not is it possible for you get some?

 

[Fujininja]

What substrate are you using and how wet do you keep it?

Is the rot dry or wet?

Do you have athlete's foot cream on you and if not is it possible for you get some?

I am currently using coco fiber as his substrate. The first few cm are dry but if you dig into the substrate it is moist. I am not sure what you mean if the rot is dry or wet. It feels dry an is just more rough than the rest of his shell.

 

[jockma]

It sounds like dry rot. I haven't had a rot problem in years but back then the treatment plan was to soak the tort in a betadine solution (water with betadine, tea-colored solution) to kill the rot fungus. You only need to/should only use betadine once or twice, and I believe some people treat rot without betadine at all. I'd also use a soft-bristled tooth brush to gently debride the affected areas before soaking. Afterwards, apply athlete's foot cream on all affected areas until the rot clears up.

 

[Fujininja]

It sounds like dry rot. I haven't had a rot problem in years but back then the treatment plan was to soak the tort in a betadine solution (water with betadine, tea-colored solution) to kill the rot fungus. You only need to/should only use betadine once or twice, and I believe some people treat rot without betadine at all. I'd also use a soft-bristled tooth brush to gently debride the affected areas before soaking. Afterwards, apply athlete's foot cream on all affected areas until the rot clears up.

Okay thank you for your help! Are the rots the marks on his shell? Also where can I get betadine? Thanks!

 

[jockma]

It sounds like you're not keeping the substrate too wet which lowers the chances of that being the culprit. Do you frequently spot clean the enclosure? How old is the substrate you're using?

 

[Fujininja]

It sounds like you're not keeping the substrate too wet which lowers the chances of that being the culprit. Do you frequently spot clean the enclosure? How old is the substrate you're using?

The substrate is currently only 2 months old. I do pick up all the poop I see.

 

[jockma]

I'd wait for someone else to chime in before you grab betadine because I'm not sure if that's still a part of the treatment plan. You can find it in any drugstore/pharmacy, though!

 

[Fujininja]

I'd wait for someone else to chime in before you grab betadine because I'm not sure if that's still a part of the treatment plan. You can find it in any drugstore/pharmacy, though!

Okay thank you! Do I need to hurry? What if no one else responds quickly?

 

[jockma]

I think you can go ahead and get the betadine/athlete's foot cream. Rot is SO common and people have treated it with that combo for quite a while now. If you're not sure where exactly the rot is you can just put athlete's foot cream on every single suspicious area. If it's rot, good. If it isn't, no harm done!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I pick up Athletes Foot cream at any DOLLAR store.
Save some money. Same active ingredient. You can also dab the betadine/ water solution on with a cotton ball.
I use something like a credit card to gently scrape the area first. But on my Redfoot, it's usually soft like wax.