General Care Discussion :: Whitish Marks on Carapace (shell)

[rozrus]

Hi Turtle Talk folks (including Steve),

My beloved young turtle, Resa, has some whitish looking marks on his shell (carapace). I'm not sure if it's from fungus, or because he hasn't yet shed any shell pieces (I've read that the marks can sometimes come from that.) I'd really appreciate any expert/experienced advice that you might have on this issue. He's very lively, funny and eating well, by the way. ... THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

I've included a photo to help make it easier to figure out.

Gratefully,
Roslyn

[steve]

It does look like fungus. While shedding helps, shell fungus comes back quickly.

[rozrus]

Thanks very much Steve ... I'll be taking Resa to the Vet. to make sure.

[steve]

Good move. And I'm sure you've done your research, but when you're there ask for some Silver sulfadiazine cream. It usually requires a prescription and would save you another trip.

[rozrus]

Thanks, Steve. I bought some Betadine yesterday and gave Resa his first treatment. It's a 50/50 mix using tap water. I asked at the pharmacy for povidone-iodine specifically but they don't sell it, nor do they sell iodine anymore! Maybe it's a safety issue? (I live in Toronto, Canada, which is a very large city with many homeless people who sometimes do, unfortunately, drink things like that!) Resa is very lively, active and eating well, by the way, which is a very good sign!

[rozrus]

Hi Steve, Just to let you know, I took Resa to the Vet. yesterday, and great news! He does NOT have fungus! The doctor said it's decaying shell because Resa hasn't yet shed any shell pieces. The doc gave me Chlorhexidine to use on his shell, with the instruction of keeping him out of the water (dry dock) for at least 1 hour, afterwards. I'm so relieved it's not fungus!!!

[steve]

Hey Rozrus, thanks for the update. I'm not sure if your vet means retained scutes rather than "decaying shell" which actually sounds more serious. From the picture, it looks like classic fungus. Fungus in the shell is a bit different than what it would look like on the skin. There should still be some clear pictures of what it looks like on the forum if you want to confirm or disprove what condition your turtle has. I don't want to advise you against your vet but this is what's been experienced over the years.

Chlorhexidine is good, just make sure you rinse the turtle/shell when you put Resa back into the tank. He might be very slippery when you handle him.

[rozrus]

Thanks very much, Steve. I have complete trust in the Vet. I took Resa to -- he's had decades of experience with reptiles, including turtles. He showed and explained the decay to me, and actually flakes off some of the decay. Thanks for the tip about rinsing ... i'm taking my time to do so, and leaving Resa out of the tank for longer periods now. If you like, I'll keep you in the loop on his progress. ... Happy July 4th, by the way! (As a Canadian, I'll be celebrating Canada Day on Tuesday, while thinking of all my US contacts and friends!)