I am new to owning a red foot or any type of tortoise. He has a few dry patches on the bottom of his shell and I have no idea what it is and if he needs to see a vet? I keep him very clean and well cared for with food and shelter. Can anyone please tell me what is wrong if anything is wrong? Thank you gina
Bottom of the shell issue?
- Thread starter Smith141
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Hi there. Please explain the conditions you are keeping him in, including the type of substrate, and post pictures of his enclosures indoor and outdoor if both, then we can help you better.
@ZEROPILOT @Cathie G
Hello! Can you please tell me if there is something wrong with the bottom of Buddy's shell? do I need a vet? Thank you so much ... have a great day! gina
Hello! Can you please tell me if there is something wrong with the bottom of Buddy's shell? do I need a vet? Thank you so much ... have a great day! gina
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Thank you so much for trying to help me. He was sleeping on sand/soil mix mostly sand then two days ago we bought him organik's coconut coir husk for inside his gray house bin...?
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Those are new plants in the enclosure that have tags on them. I am planting them today. This is a pretty large space for him. But more sand than anything. We also live in Florida where it is hot everyday with some rain but not enough lately.
I agree, it looks a little funky.
I would give the tort a soak in warm water, then a gentle scrub of the shell with a toothbrush and white vinegar, a quick rinse, then rub some dollar store athlete's foot cream all over the shell... and repeat that process in 3 days.
If it's fungus, it should help... if it's not fungus, it won't hurt anything.
Jamie
I would give the tort a soak in warm water, then a gentle scrub of the shell with a toothbrush and white vinegar, a quick rinse, then rub some dollar store athlete's foot cream all over the shell... and repeat that process in 3 days.
If it's fungus, it should help... if it's not fungus, it won't hurt anything.
Jamie
hi! I have another question maybe you can help me? The last couple of days he is pooping in his sleeping house. I clean it right away and throw away the substrate but I know its not a good thing. I have had him for a month now as of today and he never did it until the last two days?
Not long after I started keeping tortoises, I added pillbugs and earthworms to each of my enclosures, and they take care of almost all of the poop and the leftover food in all of the enclosures, plus they provide some food and entertainment for my torts.
Jamie
Sand is not a good substrate for any tortoise. Better to just use earth from your yard if it's not chemically treated. Sand can and will cause impaction problems. Great advice was given as to how to treat the plastron issue.
what do you use for substrate?
I bought bagged plain white clean kids play sand from closed bags not from a beach i picked up.
I use cypress mulch and orchid bark and coconut husk... whatever is cheap in quantity when I'm looking.
Jamie
Jamie
why is a problem to use sand? if its clean bagged sand from the store?
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This is a mild case of shell rot. It has most likely been there for quite a while and you just happened to notice it now.
The athlete's foot cream recommended by jsheffield should cure it. You may need to debride the areas fairly vigorously and repeat the treatment every few days or so for a while to get a good result.
Thank you. This is my first tortoise!
Because the tortoise tracks it onto the food then he eats the sand covered food. Eating sand causes impaction and eventually death.
Sand is an impaction risk and a skin and eye irritant.
RFs are prone to fungal infections of the plastron when they are kept on substrate that is too wet too often."Shell rot". I would remove the sand ASAP and replace it with something that allows better drainage and will remain dry on top. Cypress mulch is readily available there and cheap.
The tortoise also needs a temperature controlled night box for sleeping that is dry inside and off the ground just a bit. You won't need much heat most of every year, but its nice to have it set up that way anyway and dry sleeping quarters off the wet ground in your rainy climate will prevent future episodes of this. Best to keep this species around 80 at night, all year. Here is an example:
Single Tortoise Night Box
I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...
tortoiseforum.org
I know this is going to be crazy sounding but I put buddy's food on a large placemat with his food plate on top of it. I bought coconut coir husk chips...?
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Lots of times, a previous scrape or nick in the shell plastron can develop a fungal issue. I've seen that dozens of times and I think that's what's going on.
I'd do exactly as you've described.
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He or she is a decent size.
I'd sift out some cypress mulch to cover up that sand. I say sift, because I've found things like metal wire and plastic in my cypress mulch. Pure Cypress is our most common type here in south Florida and I've been using it with no issues for decades.
The best part is that as the mulch breaks down. You ad more and it becomes a nice humid layer of the best plant soil ever. And the plants love it.
Sand needs to be avoided in outdoors pens when you can. I know that's difficult if not impossible. But covering it is the option that I use.
Tortoises can't digest sand and neighborhood cats like to poop in it.
I'd sift out some cypress mulch to cover up that sand. I say sift, because I've found things like metal wire and plastic in my cypress mulch. Pure Cypress is our most common type here in south Florida and I've been using it with no issues for decades.
The best part is that as the mulch breaks down. You ad more and it becomes a nice humid layer of the best plant soil ever. And the plants love it.
Sand needs to be avoided in outdoors pens when you can. I know that's difficult if not impossible. But covering it is the option that I use.
Tortoises can't digest sand and neighborhood cats like to poop in it.
