Burned plastrons!?!

[duckie4477]

Hi all,
I've had three cherry heads for several years, and they now have odd markings on their plastrons. I recently moved and set them up in their table a few weeks ago, and I think maybe I put heat pads on too hot? It almost looks like the plastrons are burned or dehydrated vs shellrot. After doing some research I'm not going to use heat pads anymore, but any advice on how to treat this and prevent it from worsening would be appreciated!

 

[wellington]

Yikes, maybe @Yvonne G can help.

 

[wellington]

For now I would keep it clean and put antibiotic cream on it.

 

[Tom]

Yep. No heat mats.

Also, CHs need to be in a large closed chamber for heat and humidity. Not in open tables.

What substrate are you using? How wet is it? Most people keep it too wet with an open topped enclosure in a futile effort to keep humidity up.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Heat from above is best.
Can you photograph the entire enclosure and describe your heating setup?

 

[Maggie3fan]

I have been using the same Stansfield heat mat set at 80 degrees for almost 20 years and every large Sulcata that I have kept prefers the mat to a CHE or other. I am not at all contradicting Tom, just contradicting the statement about the mats. I know my sister uses them also. If used correctly they work great, mine is on a thermostat and that stays the same 80 degrees, the ambient temp stays at 85. I say use the heat mats...just use them correctly. The problem is the keeper not the mat. You must have a rheostat or thermostat. Sulcata have the option...hanging CHE, incandescent bulb for heat, (black) or basking, 65 watts normal. Every Sulcata chooses the heat mat. It is in a sleeping box that is big enuf to move off the mat but stay in the box...also, those Sulcata go outside everyday
Set rheostat...80 degrees
Sleeping box...or "hide"
mat...mine is triangular shaped and fits in the corner as Sulcata like to sleep w/face in cornerYep, you are right, it is not very pretty inside that shed. But no ,matter what the temp outside, it's 85 degrees in that tort shed...there's a tort table with 2 small enclosures under it for short timers...also, I can stand and walk around in it. I sit in the shed for hours sometimes talking to and messing with the torts who are there...There's 3 right now, but the Russian is leaving this week. I was just helping while a friend moves...My point is the shed is big enuf for the torts and me as well, it's 20'x12'...that way I get to spend time with then...and this is my shed and my opinion...

 

[Yvonne G]

I'd be willing to bet it's not burned, but shell rot or fungus.

 

[Markw84]

Agree with @Yvonne G Looks like rot/fungus issues to me.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Agree with @Yvonne G Looks like rot/fungus issues to me.

That one does especially. But they all look like the carapace is super dry.
(Which is odd)

 

[wellington]

Okay so either burned or possible shell rot.
If you keep using the heat mats a heat source needs to hang above it so the tortoise doesn't sit forever on the mat trying to get its carapace/top shell warm.
For shell rotting, clean the area and apply athlets foot cream on the area cleaning and applying daily.

 

[duckie4477]

Thanks guys, if it is a burn would the athletes foot make it worse? They were in temporary enclosures for about a month during the move, so it's definitely possible I got the substrate too wet and they couldn't get to a dry enough spot. I just didn't see anything when I put them in their table, that's why I thought a burn. Can shell rot happen that fast? Is it bad enough that they won't recover? It's most of the surface area of the plastrons. Ugh I'm so frustrated with myself!

 

[nootnootbu]

I would do athlete's foot cream. You can buy it over the counter and it's really cheap too. The best method is to do daily soaks, and after the soak, dry the plastron and apply a light coat of the athlete's foot cream. It should not make burns worse, and the soaking will help rehydrate and heal them if it is burns instead of fungus. You will only need to do this for about 14 days and the round white spots should clear up.

Interestingly, I have only had shell fungus develop in my redfoots when kept on coconut coir bedding that was too wet. Kept in a bedding that's a mix of wood and soil, even sometimes getting very wet, I have never had any shell fungus develop there. I'm unsure if others have had similar experiences with their red foots and coco coir bedding, but I stopped using it after their fungus cleared up, and 2 years later have never again had fungus issues.


Regardless of what their old bedding was, you should change it out once the fungus has cleared up. I put my guys on newspaper while I was treating the fungus and gave them entirely new bedding once the fungus was gone. As the fungal spores can be in the bedding.

If their appetites are all still good, then they should recover fine. If you notice any poor appetites, add some carrot puree/baby food to their daily soak to help perk them up.


The daily soaks will help regardless of whether it's burns or fungus.