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Some of my box turtles have a whitish film covering some scutes in border of carapace and on plangstom. Is it Dysecdysis and how to cure.

Some of my box turtles have a whitish film covering some scutes in border of carapace and on plangstom. Is it Dysecdysis and how to cure.

Updated On July 20th, 2017

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Answered By Allison Newth, VMD

Veterinarian

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You didn't include a photo so I'm not sure. Certainly this whitish film could be due to dysecdysis, though it would be unusual, given appropriate heat, diet, UVB light exposure, and a clean environment, for multiple turtles to develop shedding issues at once. If you're sure your husbandry is ok I would worry about "shell rot", or an infection over the scute. Treating this type of infection involves thorough cleaning of your enclosure(s), it will also involve treating each of the turtles. Depending on the cause of the infection (fungal, bacterial, or algal), your veterinarian will be able to determine the infectious agent (if this is in fact shell rot) and provide you with the proper shell cleaning agent. Good luck with your turtles, I hope this was helpful!

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