Shell rot?

Spencertretter

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
75
Hello, I've had my Red Foot for about 8 months now. Healthy. Eats every other day.

Diet: consists of mango, romaine lettuce, spinach, strawberries, red bell pepper, Mazuri and carrots.

He's always had an odd brownish spot on his belly...never changed...I tried betadine followed by foot cream for quite some time. No improvement. He also has parts of his shell that are whitish almost like it's dry.

I have a enclosure that has a top. Regulates 81 degrees to 70 on the cool side. I have a cuddle bone and mist frequently. Humidity is around 70. I just wanna know people's thoughts on what's going on with his shell do you think it's shell rot? Also if anyone wants to share their diet routine please feel free.

ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1462410253.443202.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1462410270.163701.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1462410281.706079.jpg
 

Sara G.

Active Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2016
Messages
526
Location (City and/or State)
Long Island, New York
I can't tell you if that's shell rot or not. It looks like it could be the start of it. But other more experienced members will probably be able to let you know.
Personally, I think you might need more variety in your RF's diet. I would add in more weeds and greens and see if you can add some animal protein in it as well.
@Pearly has two RF babies and can give you good advice on their diet.
I would also feed your baby every day instead of every other day. I know if I was a baby tort I wouldn't want to spend the day hungry! ;) in the wild these guys would be wandering and searching for food every day, and eating every day.

And I think 70* is too cold. I know most keepers of RF babies like to maintain an overall temp of 80-85*F without a cooler side. But again, I don't keep Redfoots so I'm not an expert on this species.
 

JakeDevoe

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2016
Messages
158
Looks like there could be bacteria growing but that can be healed by putting some antibacterial cream or athletes foot cream on the sketchy spots
 

Anyfoot

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
6,309
Location (City and/or State)
UK Sheffield
We feed weeds/greens and fruit, the following day weeds/greens and mushrooms and repeat. 1 day a week I feed protein with weeds/greens. Protein is either pinkies, scrambled egg(with shell) chicken or occasionally catfood. I always make the amounts of fruit mushrooms or protein small enough that they move on to the weeds/greens after they have gobbled that up. If they ever leave the weeds/greens then the following day or 2 they just get weeds/greens. I also feed dandilion flowers with the weeds/greens.
If given the option we choose weeds over grocery greens everytime.
Dont feed spinach to often, it is very high in oxalates, oxalates stop the absorption of calcium. Feed sparingly.
Dont let any part of your enclosure drop below 80f for a juvenile. 80f to 89f seems to be the choice of most redfoot keepers. Mine is 82 to 88f. My air humidity does not drop below 80%. If I put the humidity tester in amongst the spaghnum moss where they sleep it's always above 90% humidity, usually 99%.

Yolk of egg and mushrooms contain small amounts of Vitamin d. So for me in the UK I see that as a must. Obviously they get vitamin D from the uvb strip light too, and when possible from the sun.
Without vitamin D your calcium won't be absorbed.

Put athletes foot cream on your torts plastron every day for a week and see if it changes anything. If not it may well just be scaring. It won't do any harm putting it on either way.
 

jockma

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2015
Messages
641
Location (City and/or State)
Los Angeles County
Mine sleeps at around 70° so daytime ambient temps would be about 85° with a 95° basking spot and 75° "cool" area. Their immune system weakens when they're kept too cold. I know a lot of RF owners just keep ambient temps at about 85° and don't bother with cool/warm areas because RFs aren't as picky as, say, YFs when it comes to temps but I provide them anyway.

I'd keep the top layer of substrate as dry as possible for now in case it is rot.

IMO, it looks like rot and I would treat it now. If you can gently scrape off a kind of powdery/"fungus-y" substance from the suspicious areas, it's probably rot.
 

allegraf

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jul 23, 2008
Messages
1,433
There are many different types/active ingredients of athletes foot cream. I use the one that has clotrimazol. Check which one you used.
 

New Posts

Top