White spots on shell

randy1738

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Hello everyone!

I recently adopted a 3 year old red eared slider. I noticed she had some small white spots on her shell about a month ago. I started giving her more time outside of the tank and they seemed to start going away. Although, one of the spots on her shell has gotten huge in a very small amount of time. It has no smell, and is a bit soft to the touch. I’m thinking it could be shell rot image.jpgbut I’d like some other opinions.
I’m currently dry docking her and treating her shell with diluted betadine and neosporin.
I scheduled a vet appointment but the earliest they can see her is in 2 weeks.
 

Markw84

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Hello everyone!

I recently adopted a 3 year old red eared slider. I noticed she had some small white spots on her shell about a month ago. I started giving her more time outside of the tank and they seemed to start going away. Although, one of the spots on her shell has gotten huge in a very small amount of time. It has no smell, and is a bit soft to the touch. I’m thinking it could be shell rot View attachment 326932but I’d like some other opinions.
I’m currently dry docking her and treating her shell with diluted betadine and neosporin.
I scheduled a vet appointment but the earliest they can see her is in 2 weeks.
That does look like she’ll rot progressing under the scute. You will need to treat that. A vet appointment is good
 

randy1738

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That does look like she’ll rot progressing under the scute. You will need to treat that. A vet appointment is good
Thank you for the quick reply! Is there anything else I can do before the vet sees her? Right now I’ve been keeping her dry and using the betadine with neosporin. Just want to make her as comfortable as possible!
 

KarenSoCal

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It's unusual to see shell rot on the carapace like that.
What is generally recommended for tortoises should also be OK for turtles I would think. Get a tube of athlete's foot cream at Walmart or any pharmacy. Get the cheap stuff...you don't need the name brand cream. Then just smear some on the affected area of the shell. Once or twice a day should do the job. If she has any rot on her plastron, put some there also.
Hopefully you will see some improvement by the time the vet appt comes around.
 

Markw84

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Thank you for the quick reply! Is there anything else I can do before the vet sees her? Right now I’ve been keeping her dry and using the betadine with neosporin. Just want to make her as comfortable as possible!
Without being able to see and touch the shell, I can be sure it is shell rot. It does look like it developing under the scute. @KarenSoCal - shell rot is unusual on carapace with tortoises but not at all with aquatics. That is normally where you will see it develop.

To treat, if it is shell rot, there will be a layer of cheesy white-colored stuff that is the active rot. the scute over that would be lifting and not longer attached. You would need to clean out all the looser, cheesy matter and then apply an antifungal. I do use betadine - but just once after the good tissue is exposed. As mentioned earlier, repeat use actually hinders the good tissue from healing. But the single use does kill off most of the bad bacteria/fungus. I then apply an anti-bacterial cream and dry dock for 24 hours.

So without experience I am reluctant to have you start peeling away the scute over the problem wihtout being sure it is indeed shell rot. IF you find the scute is lifting away in that area and the white stuff is more loose and cheesy, then you do certainly have shell rot. I can be easily cured, but needs treatment. Recovery can be complete but the shell in that area may remain pitted looking after healing.

The main thing is to be sure to treat cause. This normally is from poor water conditions, so be sure your filtration and cleaning proceedure for your habitat are good and water quality is good. This also can be initiated by a bump or repeat scraping in the area which then allows the bacteria to take hold. Check the habitat and see if there is a place your turtle like to squeeze under that has a spot that is constantly hitting that spot on the shell.
 

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