does anyone know what is happening to my tortise shell? Help

[Shannon Milek]

Hi everyone and thank you for reading and any feed back!
My turtle lost a scute one day two months ago because she kept digging under our barrier in our Garden and it appeared to pop off then it seemed like another was growing underneath and now there are three scutes gone and it appears that possibly there is fungus or something. I just found a Herbalist to see her they are closed i am hoping i can see them tomorrow! but i thought i would ask you all if anyone else has seen this before. I am so worried about her it was looking OK then the third scute fell off and that really bad looking part was under it. I am a fairly new owner i ve had them for 2 years and i read so many conflicting thing's about how to care for them. The lady i got them from doesn't believe in doing anything for them because they are desert tortoises and we live in the desert she says to build them a house with hay and give them water and that is it. As long as they can get to grass to eat. I however have had them inside for a year and a half and i did everything that i was told like uv heat, calcium ,cuddle bones, i feed them grass, leafy dark greens i give them fruit once in a blue moon for a treat I spoil them. I now have two more turtles they we rescued and i am hoping that whatever Lilly has on her shell is not contagious

 

[lismar79]

I would take to a vet asap. I hope a pro answers you soon on here to let you know what that is

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

im not a pro but that looks like shell rot to me

 

[stojanovski92113]

I never seen anything like that nor what would cause that!!! That looks VERY serious! There may be others on here that can help guide you in the right direction. I hope your tortoise gets better real fast!!

 

[mike taylor]

How close is your heat lamp? It looks like a burn . If its shell rot then you need to clean it with mild saop and water .Then put bedadine on it . The next day clean with soap and dry the shell then put foot cream on it . Repeat the soap and foot cream until healed . If it a burn clean it then use a antibacterial cream like neosporin. Can you post pictures of the enclosure? Can you place a rock under heat lamp the same size as your tort then measure the temperature of the rock? This is so we can rule out the burn theory.

 

[stojanovski92113]

How close is your heat lamp? It looks like a burn . If its shell rot then you need to clean it with mild saop and water .Then put bedadine on it . The next day clean with soap and dry the shell then put foot cream on it . Repeat the soap and foot cream until healed . If it a burn clean it then use a antibacterial cream like neosporin. Can you post pictures of the enclosure? Can you place a rock under heat lamp the same size as your tort then measure the temperature of the rock? This is so we can rule out the burn theory.

That is good stuff to know!!!

 

[Jabuticaba]

I'd take her to the vet and have them diagnose it. Good luck and hope it heals quickly.


May
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Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[mike taylor]

A vet trip maybe necessary for antibiotics.

 

[mike taylor]

YVONNE HELP!

 

[Shannon Milek]

Thank you everyone!!! We do not have a heat lamp currently because they live outside. They live outside in an enclosure that was my garden we turn it into a place the turtles can be safe when sleeping and not in the backyard grass I can't leave them alone back there they can get out of my back yard. The reason no heat lamp is we live arizona and it's very hot here. They have half shade, half none. The enclosure is 200 sq ft and they love it they tunnel a lot and feel safe. So it's not a burn. When it's very hot outside I bring them in. When it's very cold I bring them inside. I am worried and hope the herpetologist calls us tomorrow so we can in. My poor baby... She eating like normal pooping and being active. It doesn't seem to bother her. I'm calling her her because when we got our first two we let our daughter name them. We just got two more so I hope this is not contagious. Thank you all your amazing for getting back to me.

 

[stojanovski92113]

Thank you everyone!!! We do not have a heat lamp currently because they live outside. They live outside in an enclosure that was my garden we turn it into a place the turtles can be safe when sleeping and not in the backyard grass I can't leave them alone back there they can get out of my back yard. The reason no heat lamp is we live arizona and it's very hot here. They have half shade, half none. The enclosure is 200 sq ft and they love it they tunnel a lot and feel safe. So it's not a burn. When it's very hot outside I bring them in. When it's very cold I bring them inside. I am worried and hope the herpetologist calls us tomorrow so we can in. My poor baby... She eating like normal pooping and being active. It doesn't seem to bother her. I'm calling her her because when we got our first two we let our daughter name them. We just got two more so I hope this is not contagious. Thank you all your amazing for getting back to me.

Keep us informed!

 

[ascott]

From what you described with the fencing and the pic here..."in my opinion" that injury has festered into a nasty infection....and while the tort may be able to continue to pop scutes without much apparent issue...that one is seriously concerning....I would not be surprised if antibiotics are not in line as well as medicated flushing of the most affected area....is any of that area wet or smelly?

 

[Shannon Milek]

Ascott,
No it's not smelly or ruuny it feels like it's just shell it's not but a tiny bit softer than the healthy party of any of my tortises shells. I hoping we get her into the doc today! Thank you I appreciate your thoughts! I thought about the abscess under the shell in that spot too. If she needs antibiotics or any things else she's going to get it. They are my babies thank you again!!!

 

[AmRoKo]

@Yvonne G @Tom @DeanS

And hopefully more people can chime in here to help you. I hope your baby gets better! Please update his progress whenever you can.

 

[Jacqui]

Will be interesting hearing back from the Vet visit on what it is and how he/she thinks it should be treated.

 

[stojanovski92113]

Will be interesting hearing back from the Vet visit on what it is and how he/she thinks it should be treated.

I'm very curious myself!

 

[Shannon Milek]

Hi everyone!
So her shell is actually quite hard! She goes to the Herpetologist Thursday morning and i will let you all know what is going on!! Thanks you for all your help!!

 

[Shannon Milek]

Morning everyone!!
It Breaks my heart to say this but it's a burn from the heating lamp from a year ago! he said she's totally fine ! It only affected the shell and it wasn't bad but it it's going to end up popping off most of her scutes and that she may have a scar but it did not affect her spine or anything else. I'm still so upset about it however She is otherwise a completely perfect tortoise!! he says that we should not use heating lamps that we should use a heater that's more controlled and not so concentrated so when we build their winter enclosure for this year that's what we're going to do is use the heater instead he told my husband which kind to get something about an oil-based I don't know and that everything we do for our turtles we doing absolutely perfect ...besides that heat lamp and we were told to use a heat lamp initially from the breeder and we used the lowest wattage possible and it wasn't even on 24 seven and no they were never that close to it so it's weird that I happen to her and not him ,no I don't know if they're male female but that's just how I call them. However while there my husband was asked if we would adopt a turtle about the same age as our other four! This one was bit by a dog and the owner just dropped it off at the vet and didn' want the tortoise any longer because he was going to keep the dog instead so the vet has been caring for the tortoise for three weeks and no one would take him. he has a clean bill of health and so my husband said sure we would take care of him ! So now we went from having to two to having five in the matter of three weeks! Thank you everyone for your support and I look forward to being on this website more an reading as much it is I can .I'm grateful that there is a place where we can all communicate so thank you everyone I really appreciated it

 

[TigsMom]

Good to see your follow-up, very sorry to read that it was heat lamp caused, but happy it's not something that is contagious or deadly. Really tickled to read you have a new addition as well. I'll have to be cautious taking mine to the vet, lol pretty sure I wouldn't say "no vacancy" to a vet and really don't need another to care for, but couldn't say "No". Hubby doesn't allow me to go to animal shelters because he knows I'll end up caving in and bringing something home. But guess what? LOL He and I are going to our local Humane Society with our classic car club to make a donation. Wonder if we'll wander inside or just make the donation out in the parking lot.

 

[lismar79]

So glad to hear she will be ok!