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So I already have an appointment with a vet because I’m worried about the fact that Crush seems to have multiple layers of scutes that failed to shed and they don’t shed in full pieces. I saw a different vet about a year ago when he had the same problem (but not quite as bad) and he said just to use a toothbrush to scrub them off and help him shed. Im seeking another opinion because everything I look up suggests fungus or shell rot, and the problem has slowly been getting worse (before his underside wasn’t as affected).

However, the earliest appointment I could get was in 2 weeks. So based on what this could be
1) Does he need to go to the emergency care or will he be okay to wait 2 weeks?
2) Is there anything I can do in the meantime to help treat this / at least stop it from spreading?

Also can this be caused by nítrate levels? I tested his water to find it was high so I added some live plants and I’m feeding him veggies in a separate container now to try to decrease this since he’s messy with his vegetables. Will it resolve once these levels are returned to normal?

Also while brushing him yesterday I noticed that it almost seemed there is dirt building up under his scutes in a hole of sorts that has formed where the scute edges have shedded but the rest hasn’t. I didn’t want to stick anything in to clean it out because I didn’t know if that was a smart idea.



There are also some dents on his underside, and even an area where it seems a whole edge of the shell wants to break off (i can’t tell if that’s because of extra scute shedding or damage because it’s not fully separated and I don’t want to pull it.) I can add more pictures if that would help because I’ve taken many.

Otherwise he seems completely healthy. His water and basking temperatures are good, pH is good,and I just changed his mercury bulb. I don’t think his swimming is unbalanced, he’s still quite active and eats and poops regularly. His eyes are clear and he’s not sneezing or anything. I’m not home all day because of work so I’m not sure how much time he is spending basking, but I do see him do it, so I don’t think he’s avoiding the behavior? He does jump back in the water anytime someone nears the tank, so maybe he’s not basking enough because he is skittish?

There does seem to be some remnants of fungus from the pictures, had some/most of it been removed already? Fungus does make shedding difficult and a longer process, which can lead to some damage when water and gunk stay trapped under loose scutes.

I have been trying to remove the top layers that have been coming off as best I can. Maybe that helped? Or him basking a bit more as of late since he’s been home alone more often? Thank you for the info!

Do you have pictures of shell before some of those scutes have been removed? Fungus will show up as white papery material.

He didn’t seem to have that. Was able to get into the vet earlier because of a cancelation! I was told that some of the spots are actually scar tissue but he seems to be healthy. Just asked to keep an eye making sure he is basking enough and possibly taking him outside for natural sunlight when it is warm enough. Thanks for your help!

Good to hear. You didn't get anything for the fungus? When you brushed him, did you anything besides water?

I wasn’t given anything else to apply for him because the vet said it seems to have gone away if it was fungal. My thought is that it happened while he was a classroom pet because I think the kids made him skittish and hide in the water more, but now that he’s just in my home, he’s been able to bask enough that the fungus dried out??
I attached a pic of a recent piece of shed from his underside (based on the color) if that’s helpful. It definitely looks a bit off as if there were holes forming in it. Though I dont have any reference for comparison.

Shell fungus from what I've seen rarely goes away by itself. The pits might just be where bacteria and debris collect when the scutes are retained. As long as the new shell is smooth and hard, then it's all good.