My alligator snapping turtle has a white spot on its head. What to do?

It could be some minor shell rot. Use a soft bristled toothbrush and some diluted betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) to scrub the affected area once or twice daily. Allow for a 1 hour dry dock (out of the water) after each cleaning. Maintain pristine water quality via filtration and regular partial water changes. If the spots do not resolve or if they spread, have Squirtle physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. A UVB light source, calcium powder and multivitamin will promote shell health. You can also float a piece of cuttlebone in the tank for him to munch on as needed. It will provide additional calcium. Find the cuttlebone in the Bird section of the local Petco. The link below will provide additional information regarding the care of sliders. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

This could be a fungal or bacterial infection. You can try to manage it at home by maintaining pristine water quality via filtration and regular partial water changes. Make sure any filter you have is rated for at least twice the volume of the tank. Remove any uneaten food promptly to prevent it from fouling the water. Use a soft bristled brush and a diluted betadine or chlorhexidine solution to gently scrub the affected areas daily. Keep the turtle out of the water fro an hour or two after each cleaning. If the spots do not begin to resolve within 5-7 days, you may need to seek veterinary attention.

You can use a soft bristled toothbrush to gently scrub the area. Maintain clean water and provide a health, balanced diet along with adequate UVB lighting and vitamin supplementation. all these will promote shell and overall health. Monitor for spread, bleeding, lethargy, loss of appetite, softness or pitting. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. If you can provide the species of turtle and an image or two in a new post, we may be able to provide more specific advice.

White spots on an aquatic turtle is often related to husbandry - most specifically the quality of the water. Aquatic turtles can be very dirty, and therefore they challenge most water filtration systems and it can be difficult to keep the water clean. I would recommend reviewing your husbandry with a care sheet, such as those for soft shelled turtles on Reptiles Magazine's website, and ensuring that it is as perfect as possible. You can see if the white spots are attached or if there is something just growing on the surface of your turtle - you can use Q-tips or a cloth to try to gently wipe them off, but be careful that you don't wipe too hard and hurt the turtle, and use caution in case Shiro tries to bite while you are trying this. If the white spots do not come off, I would recommend that Shiro is seen by a veterinarian. The spots may be bacterial or fungal growth from water quality problems, as mentioned above, but they may also be a growth of tissue as well. A veterinarian can sample the area, and look at the material under the microscope to determine what it is composed of. From there, they can make recommendations about diagnostic tests or treatments that can be used.

I would be concerned about possible fungal infection. If you cannot make it to a vet I would recommend placing them in a dry environment three times a day for 20-30 minutes. You can buy iodine and dilute it a lot and apply small amount to the lesions. Also some pet stores have drops to place in water of tank to help with fungal growth.

It could be local infection. Monitor it for change or growth. You can gently cleanse the area using diluted betadine or chlorhexidine once or twice daily. Confirm adequate water quality to prevent secondary infection and to promote healing. Consider increasing the water and basking temperatures by a few degrees to aid in recovery. Ideally, a UVB light source should be provided for 12-14 hours daily. It should be no more than 14 inches away from the basking spot and unblocked by either glass or plexiglass for maximum benefits. If the spot does not heal or spreads, have Tabby examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. You can read more about care at this link: http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

Thanks for reaching out about Muddy and including photos. By the photos, the lesions do not appear serious. White lesions can appear from other traumas, of which algae can invade. Scrubbing the shell, and keeping water quality good, should work well. If lesions grow, seeking an appointment with a reptile veterinarian is recommended. Good luck.