small shell rot?? worried mother

[tortoiseNguyen]

small patch of white showing on my russian tortoise shell and it looks like it peeled away??

im worried that its something serious! and this is the only spot of white i see

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Jayme:

Shell rot usually (I say USUALLY) occurrs first on the bottom shell (plastron). What you see is a small injury, a chip off the top layer of keratin. It is fine. Nothing to worry about. Eventually, over time, quite a bit of time, new keratin will grow underneath that white spot and it will raise up and then chip off, showing the new growth. But this takes a very long time.

 

[tortoiseNguyen]

Hi Jayme:

Shell rot usually (I say USUALLY) occurrs first on the bottom shell (plastron). What you see is a small injury, a chip off the top layer of keratin. It is fine. Nothing to worry about. Eventually, over time, quite a bit of time, new keratin will grow underneath that white spot and it will raise up and then chip off, showing the new growth. But this takes a very long time.

thanks soo much!!