General Care Discussion :: what the vet said about shell rot.

[redearninjaturtles]

ive posted a post before on this. anyway my mom called our vet and he said if there are white splotches all over, thats shell rot. if its symetrical (evenly) dont worry about it.

My baby turtle, Fat Albert, shell is evenly "splothced." but all over his entire shell. and now my other baby turle, arturtle, is geting the same thing. yes its evenly symetrical but only down his spine.

they both act normal and eat and bask.

should i still worry because compared to other turtles and how green they are, Fat Albert is way more whiter.

[iac637]

can you post a pic?

[megcornell]

Shell rot should always be a concern no matter what pattern it is in- I think your mom got shoddy vet advice. It no longer sounds like your turtles have mild shell rot either, especially if Albert's entire shell is covered. The fact that both turtles are getting it seems to point to some problem with your set-up-- can you post a picture of it. The first step would be to correct what ever is favoring the development of the shell rot, maybe the turtle;s can't completely dry off when basking?
To tackle the shell rot your going to need to keep them clean and dry while applying Hibiclense to fight the infection- you can search shell rot on the site to see how others have done this if you're not sure...
I would definitely call around to other vets to find a good herp vet in the case that this shell rot needs professional attention- i think in albert's case there;s a strong possibility that he'll need something stronger from the vet, plus its always good to know a good vet in case of an emergency.

[steve]

I totally agree with Meg. Are the turtles kept together? Its likely the infection (possibly bacterial or fungal) has spread.

Getting a diagnosis for your turtle over the phone is not good practice. Getting advice over the internet (even with pics) is not a substitute for a medical examination by a herp either.