General Care Discussion :: Is this turtle shell rot? Please help! I'm very worried :(

[alonsy345]

I've had my turtles for seven years and while I put them in shallow water tanks for feeding and sleeping, I let them roam around the verandah for more than 4 hours every day. The air here is very humid and the weather temperature is around 27 deg celcius to 33 deg on hot days. Their shells peel sometimes but we assumed it was shedding. Three months ago, the situation got worse when their shells peeled more excessively than usual. I also noticed white patches possibly fungi on the shells. Could it be shell rot?
Please respond as I'm very worried and there are no herp vets in my city! The turtles are still active and eating normally.



One of the turtles' shell is kind of peeling out in a fan shaped way as well!



Thanks so much!

[steve]

I don't see shell rot but there are some issues mainly retained scutes. Do not force them off, as it should come off naturally. Retained scutes can take a long time to come off, which makes them susceptible to infection because water is trapped in there. They are also thick and you cannot see under them, which can prolong the problem. Healthy scutes when shed, are translucent and in a thin layer. I would do regular scrubs and cleanings until those retained scutes are gone. Peek as far as you can to check under the retained scutes. Discoloration, smells or soft scutes/seams would indicate an infection.

The whiteness could be fungus but also might be from a scute that was forcibly removed. Hard to say because you would normally see more fungus on the other scutes.