PLEASE HELP! (shell rot?)

EmmetTheTortoise

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I got my russian tortoise, Emmet, a couple weeks back. She is in a 50in long, 16in wide, and around 12 inches high wood enclosure built by my dad. I am new to owning a tortoise though i tried doing as much research as possible, she is near a window, has a heat lamp, is on an assorted veggie diet, has a hide and clean water. Bedding with enough dig room, a shade area, theres nothing else i can think of to help! But recently, my little Emmet has shown signs of what (i think) is shell rot. Please help me! (Her enclosure is a bit messy as i havent gotten to tidying her today.)
 

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Maro2Bear

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Greetings & Welcome to the Forum. Lots of good info here in the Russian section. First off, have you started soaking your new guy yet? If so, during the next soak today or tomorrow, get a soft tooth brush & give your tortoise’s shell a good scrubbing. Do that every couple soaks.

Good luck - read up all the info here in this section. Ogh, PS - sunlight through the window doesnt really help at all other than to illuminate. The good UVA/UVB doesnt pass through glass.

Happy torting

ogh… Some folks like to rub a small amount of cold compressed coconut oil on their tort’s shell.

➡️➡️ Coconut Oil is a natural remedy for improving your nails. It supposedly makes them stronger and fights anti-fungal infections.

As a tortoise shell consists of keratin it therefore follows that a shell could be improved by coconut oil to make it stronger and to fight local fungis.

That being said, I wouldn't expect a turtle/tortoise to naturally come across coconut oil in the wild (except maybe for a Leatherback having a lazy day on the beach) so I would therefore be tempted to leave and try to replicate the natural habitat in other ways.
 
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EmmetTheTortoise

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I see absolutely nothing wrong with that shell.
Phew, thank you. I was torn between trying to start her on these iodine solutions and such but wasnt sure if it was needed! I got her a better water bowl and it had came to my attention that she probably wasnt getting enough uvb so i bought a light for that as well.
 

EmmetTheTortoise

New Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2021
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
Pennsylvania
Greetings & Welcome to the Forum. Lots of good info here in the Russian section. First off, have you started soaking your new guy yet? If so, during the next soak today or tomorrow, get a soft tooth brush & give your tortoise’s shell a good scrubbing. Do that every couple soaks.

Good luck - read up all the info here in this section. Ogh, PS - sunlight through the window doesnt really help at all other than to illuminate. The good UVA/UVB doesnt pass through glass.

Happy torting

ogh… Some folks like to rub a small amount of cold compressed coconut oil on their tort’s shell.

➡️➡️ Coconut Oil is a natural remedy for improving your nails. It supposedly makes them stronger and fights anti-fungal infections.

As a tortoise shell consists of keratin it therefore follows that a shell could be improved by coconut oil to make it stronger and to fight local fungis.

That being said, I wouldn't expect a turtle/tortoise to naturally come across coconut oil in the wild (except maybe for a Leatherback having a lazy day on the beach) so I would therefore be tempted to leave and try to replicate the natural habitat in other ways.
Thank you! This helps.
 

RosemaryDW

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Welcome! Russians aren’t prone to shell rot but I sure thought mine had it and every other affliction under the sun when we got her. Eggbound? Parasites? Dehydrated? Metabolic bone disease? No to all but it’s hard to sort out all this info day one.

Her enclosure is way too small I’m afraid—that is the one thing we often get wrong as pet stores house them that way.

Start with the care sheet here; enclosure size is the first thing. https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
 

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