Russian Tortoise Potential Shell Rot?

Reinhardtr1988

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Aug 1, 2019
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Hi there. I'm looking for some help. I am new to owning a Russian Tortoise. Scooter has just recently been to the vet for a upper respiratory infection. She has been on meds for about two weeks. Today though while giving her a soak I noticed on her underside a acute is missing. Is this shell rot? How do I treat it if it is?
20191016_103312.jpg
 

Yvonne G

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Hm. That's interesting. No, not rot or fungus. I have no idea what may have caused that scute to come off, but it will just dry out and be ok without any kind of treatment. What you see there is the bone. Normally bone doesn't have any 'rivers' in it like what we're seeing in your picture. I don't know what could have caused that, but it might be the reason why the scute shed off. ????? Being exposed causes that portion of bone to die, and turn white. Now new bone and keratin start to grow UNDER that section of dead bone. And as the tortoise gets bigger, that piece of dead bone doesn't get bigger and the growth under it causes it to pop off, showing the new stuff underneath. This takes a very long time, maybe over a year.
 

Reinhardtr1988

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Joined
Aug 1, 2019
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Location (City and/or State)
Sacramento
Thank you for your response Yvonne G. I am glad to know it isn't shell rot. I'm hoping to get Scooter into the vet soon to have it checked out. She has been very inactive lately recovering from the infection so to see this scute missing was quite a surprise. I appreciate you being able to tell me more. I will ask if you think it would be good to wash the area just in case?
 

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