MemeTrash
New Member
These white blotches are kind of soft. Is this shell rot? I want to make sure before I treat him.
Shell rot?
- Thread starter MemeTrash
- Start date
Shell rot occurs because the shell is continually subjected to moisture, urine, wet poop. Desert tortoises are NOT prone to shell rot. Besides that, shell rot usually shows up first on the plastron.
I've taken in rescued desert tortoises in the past with this dry, white shell. I don't know what causes it, but my guess is it's some sort of dryness. What I did for them was to wash them with baby shampoo and scrub the shell during the sudsing with a soft bristle brush until it was as clean as can be. Then I dried the shell. When it was totally dry, I applied a thin coat of cold pressed coconut oil, allowed that to absorb for 15 minutes, then polished it all off with an absorbent, soft towell. I did this once a week until I noticed a difference.
I've taken in rescued desert tortoises in the past with this dry, white shell. I don't know what causes it, but my guess is it's some sort of dryness. What I did for them was to wash them with baby shampoo and scrub the shell during the sudsing with a soft bristle brush until it was as clean as can be. Then I dried the shell. When it was totally dry, I applied a thin coat of cold pressed coconut oil, allowed that to absorb for 15 minutes, then polished it all off with an absorbent, soft towell. I did this once a week until I noticed a difference.
MemeTrash
New Member
Thanks. I just wanted to make sure I didn't give him the wrong treatment.
Even if you did, athlete foot cream isn't harmful to a perfectly healthy shell.
