Why does my turtle have white stuff on its neck? Shedding or fungus?

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.

Without an image or physical exam, it is difficult to determine what is growing on Shady's head. A fungal infection typically presents as a gray or white fuzzy patch on the skin or shell. There may be redness, bleeding, swelling or discharge as well. Check water quality, performing a water change and rinsing filter media if necessary. Pristine water quality is the foundation for treatment and recovery. You can use a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution to gently cleanse affected areas. Allow for a 1-2 hour dry dock (out of the water) after each cleaning. If there is no improvement in a few days, have Shady examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.

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.

Thanks for reaching out about Shelly and including a photo. The white on the shell could be hard water deposits that are not really harmful, but a new water source needs to be used. The white can also be exposed bone, which lies underneath the keratin of the shell. This could be due to dietary deficiencies, poor water quality that can erode shell and other problems. Without knowing the cause, there is no home remedy that can be recommended. Diet needs to include whole prey (fish), pellets and offer some vegetables (although many will not eat them). Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Kelby and including photos. Can you gently scratch the white areas with your fingernail? Is so, probably mineral accumulations from the water and not a problem. If not, this could be keratin erosion from sub-standard water quality, infections, too cold of an environment. A veterinary visit would be recommended. Good luck.

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.

Thanks for your question about Misty, and thanks for the photos - they are very helpful. It looks like the scutes (keratin covering on the shell ) are beginning to shed. This is a normal process in aquatic turtles, and they often look white as they are coming off. You can see if any of them are raised or loose - these you can remove. If they aren’t loose, please don’t manipulate them - they’ll come off on their own. It is difficult to evaluate for shell rot in these photos due to the shedding scutes, but please repost a question if you continue to have concerns after some of the scutes come off. I hope that helps, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.