Why does my turtle have a white spot? Injury, fungus, or other causes?

It appears as if Franklin is missing a pectoral scute. This can be due to trauma, infection or a combination of the two. A turtle can develop infection from something as "minor" as a scratch on the shell. Have Franklin examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. He may need treatment and systemic antibiotics. In the meantime, maintain pristine water quality which will aid in healing and limit secondary infection and other complications. Consider increasing ambient temps by a few degrees to aid in recovery. Franklin may ultimately need to be dry docked (kept out of water) for most of the day until he heals.

This could be due to a bacterial or fungal infection. Swab the infected area with a diluted povidone-iodine solution twice daily. Scrape away the infected area gently with a blunt tool or a cotton pad. If this time of first line treatment does not help and you do not see any improvement in 48hours a check up at your local veterinarian would be required as antibiotic ointment and more aggressive treatment may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

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.

The peeling scutes may be normal shedding. Do not attempt to remove them yourself. Maintain pristine water quality. You can use a soft bristled tooth brush and a diluted Betadine solution to gently scrub the shell or affected areas. Allow for a 1 hour dry dock (out of the water) after each cleaning. If the UVB bulb has been in use longer than 6 months, replace it. Make sure it is not blocked by fine mesh, glass or plexiglass. Provide a balanced diet including prey, fresh greens and vegetables and a commercial pelleted diet. Dust food and prey with both a multivitamin and a calcium supplement regularly.

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

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.

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.