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Please ad to this post any thoughts you have on this matter.
The term "shell rot" has been used a lot for what is essentially a matter of plain old "shell fungus".
To me these are totally different issues. They require totally different treatments. One is simple and easy to treat with an Antifungal cream. While the other is serious and involves missing shell. Rotting tissue and requires antibiotics and often a veterinarians help.
Shell fungus is caused by the enclosure being too wet. It's simple. Topical and easy to treat with an Antifungal cream. Shell fungus is very, very common and is probably 95% of the cases we see called shell rot.
Shell rot is started by a bite or other wound or by the tortoise sitting in its own waste, etc. Bacteria sets in and a festering and infected wound results. Often with some shell missing and a horrible rotting smell. This requires anti biotics. An Antifungal would have no effect. This has no quick fix and probably needs a veterinarians assistance.
Shell rot is very uncommon.
I feel uncomfortable not pointing these differences out from time to time. Usually what we are talking about is a simple fungal issue.
What are your thoughts?
The term "shell rot" has been used a lot for what is essentially a matter of plain old "shell fungus".
To me these are totally different issues. They require totally different treatments. One is simple and easy to treat with an Antifungal cream. While the other is serious and involves missing shell. Rotting tissue and requires antibiotics and often a veterinarians help.
Shell fungus is caused by the enclosure being too wet. It's simple. Topical and easy to treat with an Antifungal cream. Shell fungus is very, very common and is probably 95% of the cases we see called shell rot.
Shell rot is started by a bite or other wound or by the tortoise sitting in its own waste, etc. Bacteria sets in and a festering and infected wound results. Often with some shell missing and a horrible rotting smell. This requires anti biotics. An Antifungal would have no effect. This has no quick fix and probably needs a veterinarians assistance.
Shell rot is very uncommon.
I feel uncomfortable not pointing these differences out from time to time. Usually what we are talking about is a simple fungal issue.
What are your thoughts?
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