General Care Discussion :: Can treatment for shell rot hurt.

[joeybsmooth]

I am thinking about treating my turtle for shell rot. Would there be any bad side effects if I treat him and he does not need it?

[jenaero]

Maybe I'm missing something here. Why treat for something that doesn't exist?

[Daniel3507]

if he doesnt need it dont treat for it. just a waist of money.

[joeybsmooth]

Yeah maybe I did not make myself clearer lol ...I will try once more .

I am not sure if my turtle has shell rot are not. So I am thinking about treating him for it,just in case .

[Daniel3507]

i personally dont know alot about shell rot but maybe if you post some of the reasons that make you think he has it someone will be able to determine if it really is shell rot.

[jenaero]

If you're concerned, a vet is in order.. Even if it turns out to be nothing, you're better safe than sorry. Like daniel said, if you can give us more info, and some good pics maybe we can help

[SpotsMama]

Make sure the pics are of the shell when it's dry. Some shots should be as close up as you can get them with the pic in focus, and some from further back. We need to see both plastron and carapace. Most (though not all) shell rot starts on the plastron.

There are lots of shell problems besides shell rot - retained scutes, mineral deposits, mild fungus, for example.

[megcornell]

Also Joey, what treatment were you planning on administering for the suspected shell rot?

[joeybsmooth]

I tried to get pictures before and they did not come out well at all. And I also tried to take him to the vet .. but s/he did not know what the heck she was talking about.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Do you have a camera phone to try to take pics on? Sometimes the lower quality pictures work better up close. Either that, or try to take the pics from a normal place and zoom in after the picture is taken. This works esp. well if you have the digital camera set at the highest megapixels possible. Then you can grab parts of it with a photo editor. I think Flickr has a built-in editor if you need one.

What reasons do you think? Is the shell shiny? Is it white? Is there a white or green buildup? Does it look moldy? Is it soft in places or have a bad odor?

I remember the vet incident. Don't go back there!

[joeybsmooth]

It just are these white spots.

There are 3 of them and they have been their fore a while. .and today I notice one more dot of white . He is acting... normal biting fish and swimming around . But I am just worried about the dots.

I think I am going to get one of those throw away camera and see if I can get better shots .

[steve]

The situation needs a correct diagnosis so you can pick the correct treatment. I can't say what treatments will "hurt", but it can be stressful... for both reptile and keeper.

You might want to seek the assistance of local turtle keepers, so they can take a close look, especially when you don't have confidence with a vet.

[mikee]

Joe-smooth -- I would not put anything on my turtles until I knew what the problem is. You should not guess. Put a good photo on your next post and someone should point you in the correct direction. Even then, I would seek out a good herp vet if you have any questions about your turtles health. m.