Concerns About Crush's Shell

[Squirt the Dalmation]

I always have a tube of Athlete's Foot Cream sitting in reserve. (Get the cheap kind from the dollar store, no point in paying $8 for something you can get for $1,50.) Its cheap enough, try it. It won't hurt if that isn't the problem, and if it is the problem, it is soooo easy to deal with.
I hadn't seen fungus on the top before, only the plastron, but that doesn't mean it couldn't grow there. Your tort would have to have been in damp situations though.

I'll try it. I also am taking him to a vet. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Sarah2020]

I think you have an adult tort that has got some battle wounds and lots of growth. I recommend to get 2 x high sided containers similar to washing up bowls. Use them dedicated for your tortoise soaks. Fill with warm shallow water up the the edge where the top and the bottom shell meet. Carefully move your tortpise out of the enclosure in the spare container to avoid dropping and soak for 30 mins. It will move around and drink and empty it's bowls. Switch over to the other bowl when water cools. Get some coconut oil on kitchen paper and rub on the shell to moisture particularly at the growth between the scutes. Over time you will see mew lighter shell growth. Your aiming for slow smooth growth NOT pyramids.
Ask questions as required...

 

[Tom]

Hey everyone.

I wanted to ask the community if they had any thoughts or ideas on a few things regarding my little guy's shell. Big side note concerning all of the following information: He was housed in a VERY tiny tank, with another male Russian, and poorly poorly cared for at the reptile store.

First, it sort of seems dry, however, I am a new tortoise owner so I don't have much reference. Here's a pictures that shows the dusty/white areas in parts of his shell. I soak him and mist him. He drinks water too but not much, and he doesn't like soaks. Crawls out of the bowl and/or gets very agitated and I don't want to stress him out.
View attachment 384720
Second, there are some white spots on his shell. The brown/beige parts of the shell that border those spots have an edge or lip to them. One time I was petting him and caught an edge with my finger (on accident) and he jumped. I'm guessing that means it either a) hurt him, or b) scared him. When I posted asking how old he was, others pointed out his dents/dings, however, I wanted to know are these fresh, healed, or still healing? Is there anything I can do for them?
View attachment 384721
View attachment 384722
Third, there are these 'rings,' or inward ridges, on both sides of his shell. I haven't noticed these in pictures I've seen of other Russian Torts. I was wondering if they are normal/abnormal. If they are abnormal, what should I do?
View attachment 384725
View attachment 384726
Other information that may help someone to help me (and/or be asked): he has the proper basking lamp (12h timer, with temp 95-100°F), ambient lighting (12h timer), UV light on 4hr timer, and CHE on thermostat. I give him a multivitamin supplement, calcium with Vit D, and a cuttlebone. Diet, so far, has been Dandelion greens, spring mix, collard greens, and Mazuri Tortoise LS Diet pellets.

Thanks in advance for helping me take care of him. If I didn't provide some information you need, please ask. His health is my priority.

@Alex and the Redfoot @Littleredfootbigredheart @Tom @Yvonne G

This looks like a typical wild caught Russian carapace to me. They are frequently beat up and chipped. Those growth lines are normal and not a problem. Nothing to do about any of that. Just provide the best conditions you can for this little tortoise, which I think you are doing.

I don't know about the fungal idea, but treatment won't hurt anything if there is not fungus present.

I would not spray this tortoise, or the enclosure. Shell spraying is for little growing babies. As other posters mentioned, keep the substrate damp by dumping water into it. Spraying the surface is just not effective.

 

[Squirt the Dalmation]

This looks like a typical wild caught Russian carapace to me. They are frequently beat up and chipped. Those growth lines are normal and not a problem. Nothing to do about any of that. Just provide the best conditions you can for this little tortoise, which I think you are doing.

I don't know about the fungal idea, but treatment won't hurt anything if there is not fungus present.

I would not spray this tortoise, or the enclosure. Shell spraying is for little growing babies. As other posters mentioned, keep the substrate damp by dumping water into it. Spraying the surface is just not effective.

Thank you for the advice.

 

[Squirt the Dalmation]

I think you have an adult tort that has got some battle wounds and lots of growth. I recommend to get 2 x high sided containers similar to washing up bowls. Use them dedicated for your tortoise soaks. Fill with warm shallow water up the the edge where the top and the bottom shell meet. Carefully move your tortpise out of the enclosure in the spare container to avoid dropping and soak for 30 mins. It will move around and drink and empty it's bowls. Switch over to the other bowl when water cools. Get some coconut oil on kitchen paper and rub on the shell to moisture particularly at the growth between the scutes. Over time you will see mew lighter shell growth. Your aiming for slow smooth growth NOT pyramids.
Ask questions as required...

Thank you. I'll add this in his routine.

 

[Squirt the Dalmation]

Thank you to everyone for their ideas, responses and input. He saw the vet today. Here was the discharge instructions they gave me.

Discharge instructions
On the physical exam, Crush had a lesion with purulent discharge in it. Luckily, when the scab was removed, so did the discharge. We also noticed that his shell is really flaky. That could be secondary to infection or prior malnutrition. Please follow the treatment recommended below and monitor his weight weekly. We will let you know once we have bloodwork and fecal results.

Medications recommended:
- Ceftazedime 100 mg/ml: inject 0.1 CC in front arm/ breast muscle once every 72 hours for ten injections.
- Kopertox: Gently apply to shell once every seven days. Wait for it to dry out before placing him back into the enclosure. This treatment should be performed for four weeks.

Wound Care for open lesion: clean once daily with diluted iodine. After, apply a small amount of triple antibiotic on it once daily for two weeks.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Thank you to everyone for their ideas, responses and input. He saw the vet today. Here was the discharge instructions they gave me.

Discharge instructions
On the physical exam, Crush had a lesion with purulent discharge in it. Luckily, when the scab was removed, so did the discharge. We also noticed that his shell is really flaky. That could be secondary to infection or prior malnutrition. Please follow the treatment recommended below and monitor his weight weekly. We will let you know once we have bloodwork and fecal results.

Medications recommended:
- Ceftazedime 100 mg/ml: inject 0.1 CC in front arm/ breast muscle once every 72 hours for ten injections.
- Kopertox: Gently apply to shell once every seven days. Wait for it to dry out before placing him back into the enclosure. This treatment should be performed for four weeks.

Wound Care for open lesion: clean once daily with diluted iodine. After, apply a small amount of triple antibiotic on it once daily for two weeks.

@Yvonne G or @zovick might be able to comment on these meds.

 

[Yvonne G]

Never thought about using Koppertox on tort shell. I've used it a lot on horse hooves.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Never thought about using Koppertox on tort shell. I've used it a lot on horse hooves.

I have never heard of it being used either. Do you think it could be a good idea?

 

[Squirt the Dalmation]

Never thought about using Koppertox on tort shell. I've used it a lot on horse hooves.

The vet said it would help treat a possible infection on/of his shell. Let me know if you think differently. Here's is a picture of the infection/pus that came out where, apparently, the pet store improperly removed the tick that he had.

 

[Squirt the Dalmation]

The vet said it would help treat a possible infection on/of his shell. Let me know if you think differently. Here's is a picture of the infection/pus that came out where, apparently, the pet store improperly removed the tick that he had.
View attachment 385071

For what it's worth, @Yvonne G , thrush (at least in humans) is a fungal infection. Also, I'm a registered Nurse. I know we use horse medications in humans. I've read on this forum where human meds are used for tortoises (namely neosporin and athlete's foot cream). So is it that weird that horse meds could be used for tortoises?? I'm not sure. I've come to trust everyone here's opinion. So I'd love to know your thoughts.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

The vet said it would help treat a possible infection on/of his shell. Let me know if you think differently. Here's is a picture of the infection/pus that came out where, apparently, the pet store improperly removed the tick that he had.
View attachment 385071

Good thing you took him to the vet, that definitely needs medical attention!

 

[Squirt the Dalmation]

Good thing you took him to the vet, that definitely needs medical attention!

In the discharge instructions, they told me to bathe him with diluted iodine. How much do I dilute it? I don't want to do it wrong.
@The_Four_Toed_Edward @Yvonne G @Tom

 

[jaizei]

In the discharge instructions, they told me to bathe him with diluted iodine. How much do I dilute it? I don't want to do it wrong.
@The_Four_Toed_Edward @Yvonne G @Tom

Bathe or just clean the wound area? For wound cleaning, the typical solution that comes diluted to 1% should work.

 

[Stan N.]

If you’re worried about infection in the shell, Virkon S works great and absolutely safe. You don’t want dirt getting in. It’s sprayed on after a bath . One tablet to 15oz water in a spray bottle and leave it on. Been using it for years on reptiles

 

[Squirt the Dalmation]

Bathe or just clean the wound area? For wound cleaning, the typical solution that comes diluted to 1% should work.

I apologize, I meant clean. I could only find 'pure' iodine. 10%. So how would I dilute it down enough?

 

[jaizei]

I apologize, I meant clean. I could only find 'pure' iodine. 10%. So how would I dilute it down enough?

If it's the OTC iodine antiseptic (povidone-iodine/betadine), you can dilute it with saline or distilled water, 1 part iodine to 9 parts water/saline would dilute it to 1%. example: 10ml iodine with 90ml saline/water

 

[Squirt the Dalmation]

If it's the OTC iodine antiseptic (povidone-iodine/betadine), you can dilute it with saline or distilled water, 1 part iodine to 9 parts water/saline would dilute it to 1%. example: 10ml iodine with 90ml saline/water

Thank you

 

[Squirt the Dalmation]

I just wanted to update everyone. I got Crush's bloodwork back from the vet. Kept forgetting to post it over the weekend

Crush's blood work results:
CBC (Complete Blood Count): Crush's CBC is largely unremarkable, which indicates that the skin infection is localized rather than systemic. This is excellent news!
Biochemistry:
Calcium: His calcium levels are mildly low. Since you’ve recently adopted him and are already providing the appropriate lighting and oral supplementation, I expect his levels to normalize within 3–4 months. We can plan to recheck his calcium during that time.
Uric Acid: There is a mild increase in his uric acid levels.
High uric acid levels, a condition called hyperuricemia, can indicate underlying issues such as:
Dehydration – Often due to inadequate water intake or environmental factors.
Kidney Dysfunction – Impaired kidney function can affect uric acid excretion.
Excessive Protein Intake – Overfeeding animal-based proteins can contribute to elevated levels.
If left unaddressed, chronic hyperuricemia can lead to gout, where uric acid crystals deposit in tissues, causing pain and inflammation.
In Crush's case, I believe this mild elevation is likely due to dehydration. To address this, I recommend soaking him daily and wetting his salads before offering them. These measures usually resolve mild elevations. We’ll recheck his levels during his next visit to ensure progress.
Additionally, remember that tortoises don’t need to eat every day. It’s okay if they skip up to three meals per week, as long as their weight remains stable. Weekly weight checks are ideal to monitor this.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Uric Acid: There is a mild increase in his uric acid levels.
High uric acid levels, a condition called hyperuricemia, can indicate underlying issues such as:
Dehydration – Often due to inadequate water intake or environmental factors.
Kidney Dysfunction – Impaired kidney function can affect uric acid excretion.
Excessive Protein Intake – Overfeeding animal-based proteins can contribute to elevated levels.
If left unaddressed, chronic hyperuricemia can lead to gout, where uric acid crystals deposit in tissues, causing pain and inflammation.

I would keep an eye on his urates to monitor his hydration and protein digestion. Soak him daily or every other day for now to combat the possible dehydration. It won't do harm.

Additionally, remember that tortoises don’t need to eat every day. It’s okay if they skip up to three meals per week, as long as their weight remains stable.

I am not sure about what the vet means by this. Tortoises are grazers and food should be offered daily. There is an old myth about "Starve days" being necessary for tortoise digestion but it has been since debunked. I think @Tom might know more about this.