Bacterial infection on my tortoise

[John506]

Took my tort to the pet shop I get my supplies from as they seem pretty clued up, owning a few torts themselves, may I add they were only too pleased to help

Anyways there is dry pitting all over my torts shell, to which the man said he thinks it is a bacterial infection, when he found out my UV strip light was about 30cm from the bottom of the tortoise table he told me to lower it so the tort can soak up better UV rays. He also told me to stop piling Nutrobal on her food everyday, and to only use a light dusting 2 times per week.

He also told me to change her substrate from aspen and wood chips to the compressed pelleted hay, which is safe for them if they ingest it. (which in fact I did actually see aspen in her poo once, she would go in her pool then drag it all in her food bowl)

He said give it a month incase it's just a lack of UV and too much Nutrobal and if there is no change he will recommend a vet, but...........

I've been looking around on the internet at bacterial infections of the shell, and it looks exactly the same as mine.

So I'm just wondering what safe things I could try using to clear up a bacterial infection before visiting the vets?

Thanks a bunch

[purplepixie]

Bacterial infections are usually under the shell where its broken or damaged. Or inside the tortoise. Most keepers will when its damaged shell, bathe in diluted, betadine, F10 or triogene or something like these to kill off bacteria and stop infections.
Fungal infections are on the shell generally.
If you could put a picture up of the tortoise, it would help to see what you are talking about.
The only suitable substrate for tortoises is soil, as that is the natural substrate for them. The petshop is trying to make a profit by selling something from the shop rather than what is actually good for them.
Correct about the UV tube, it should be nearer to the tortoises.
Lack of calcium, UV or nutrabol will not be dry pitting, if you dont feed calcium or nutrabol or use UV your tortoise will end up with soft shells.

What spieces are we talking about?

[John506]

First off thanks for your reply,

I'm not too sure on the profit thing because I'm now spending less on the pelleted hay.

I did used to have a sand/soil mix in there, you think it's a good idea to fill the whole table with it? (got loads mixed up in a bag)

I know you probably know by the pic but just incase she is a little Horsfield



This is an old picture and I'd say it's gotten a little bit worse, just all the dry light brown looking pitting. Also a little on the underneath too.

I bath her everyday sometimes twice daily, and there is always water in her table so I know she is hydrated .

I'm just baffled, comparing her shell to all the other horsfield's I've seen in shops and on the internet, she looks as though she isn't being cared for properly, but I'm doing everything I can to sort it and make her a happy tortoise!!

Maybe it's fungal then?

[purplepixie]

Your tortoise looks perfectly normal to me, I cant see any pitting?
Although the picture is not that clear.
Soil is the best thing you can use for your tortoise, and cant be any cheaper than from the garden Espeicially for horsfields, as they love to dig down. Four inchs deep is about right for the depth.
Not sure why you think your tortoise looks like she is not being looked after. Wild caught tortoises will have a perfectly smooth shell, as they dont eat as much as we feed captive bred ones, who will have lumpy bumpy shells because we over feed tortoises.
If you are still unhappy just get it checked out by a tortoise vet, not a general one, unless they keep tortoises.