r/Redearedsliders

Hi everyone. I need some advice regarding my turtle's shell. I recently adopted/rehomed her from a previous owner who was not providing proper care, and I strongly suspect she has Shell Rot.

To follow the sub's guidelines, here are her complete husbandry details:

• Species: Slider Turtle (looks like a D'Orbigny's or Red-Eared Slider).
• Origin: Captive rehome / Adopted from a previous owner (NOT wild-caught).
• Age & Size: Approximately 6 years old.
• Enclosure Size: Currently in a 45L (approx. 12 gallons) tank. I know this is small; it is a temporary setup while I upgrade her to a proper size after taking her in.
• Water & Temp: Heated by a thermostat (kept around 78°F / 26°C). I do frequent water changes to keep the water quality pristine.
• Filter: Yes, running constantly.
• Lighting & UV Bulbs: None currently. The previous owner kept her without any UV light for years. I am purchasing a proper UVB bulb and a heat bulb ASAP.
• Diet: Commercial pellets 3x a week (head-sized portion), Gammarus 1x a week, and fish occasionally.
• Overall Health: Aside from the shell, she eats well, is active, has clear eyes, and shows no signs of respiratory issues (no wheezing or mucus).

The Issue: Looking closely at her carapace (see the zoomed-in photos), there are rough, pitted lesions and craters. The keratin is eroding in white/grayish patches.

I am currently searching for an exotic vet in my area. As first aid, I have started strict dry docking (warm and dry environment for 22-23 hours a day, water only for feeding/hydrating) and gently cleaning the lesions with diluted chlorhexidine.

Does anyone have experience with shell lesions that look exactly like this? Any additional first-aid advice before her vet appointment?

Thank you! (Photos of the shell, face, limbs, setup, and food are attached).

Getting this out of the way: I have a vet appointment 2 days from now. The vet saw these pictures and suggested I come in but they didn't think that it was an emergency, hence waiting 2 days for an open time slot. They gave me signs to look out for and I'm keeping a close eye on her.

That said, have any of you seen a similar injury? Any experience with treating this type of injury? Looking up turtle broken finger has mostly gotten advice on what to do if a turtle bites a human finger, not so much about turtles having a broken finger.

And yes, he has Reptisun T5 HO.

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