Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I have a 5 year or so old ornate box turtle, and her shell always seems to be really dry, in a lot of parts kind of sand coloured along the scute ridges and just kind of dull all around. It basically looks like dry skin, and I'm pretty sure it isn't shell rot from all pictures and descriptions I've seen. I keep the tank at a high humidity, and she spend a lot of time in her water, albeit under a heat lamp. So, I was wondering if there was any way to keep her shell moisturized.

Hi there. I use to have a desert ornate boxie and his shell was always dry. My 2 baby boxies have a little dryness too. SInce yours is aways in the water i think its just drying out. I would try some vitashell. It made by tera terrafauna and it works good. I use it on all 4 of my 3 toed boxies. Dont stress about it he will be ok.

How often do you "vitashell" them? I have 2 baby Easterns & was thinking of starting to lube them up, but was wondering how often to do it.
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Robins Critters
1.0 Corn snakes Jack Skellington
1.1 Hog Island Boas Harley & Isaboa
0.1 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snake Jasmine
1.3 Leopard Geckos Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
0.1.1 Crested Geckos Peek & Boo
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo
0.0.2 Eastern Box Turtles Squirtle & Yurtle
0.1 Pacman Frog Buffy the Cricket Slayer
0.0.1 Sulawesi Red Toad Mr. Toad
0.2 Tiger Salamanders Tiger & Sally
1.1.3 Firebelly Newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Olivia Newton John & Thandie Newton
1.1 Cats Gus & Mena

I'm on some tortoise groups & the people on them just throw a fit if you mention that you want to put something on the shell because the shell is living tissue that breathes & putting something on them may clog up the shell. They say if they have the right diet & are hydrated they shouldn't get dry, yeah ok but how come mine had the right diet but got dry anyway?
The turtle or tortoise shell is keratonized tissue similar to our fingernails or a horse's hoof. Sometimes it gets dry!

My Shell E got very dry at one point, she's my first one that was broken by a dog, she had to live in the house in unnatural conditions, humidity inside the house in winter can get pretty low.. she had the right food, had water but still she got dry!

So I tried a hoof cream & it didn't work. Vitashell is kind of expensive for that tiny jar & the ingredients are not all that different from a hoof cream. I didn't try that because I didn't see the point if a hoof cream wouldn't work. So...
I smeared some essential fatty acid liquid which is made to be a supplement that you add to a dog's food, smeared it on her shell. After I rubbed it on & let it sit for about a minute I rubbed it off & then buffed her with a soft cloth. I did that 4-5 years ago & she's never looked dry again since. That may be something to think about & these essential fatty acids should be available in any store that sells dog food & supplies.
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PHRatz

Would essential fatty acids be in something like fishoil? I have a T.c.bauri with a broken carapace. My other box (eastern??) don't seem to have any dryness (they have been outside in Maui for about 1.5 yrs) but this one does a wee bit. thanks

>>Would essential fatty acids be in something like fishoil? I have a T.c.bauri with a broken carapace. My other box (eastern??) don't seem to have any dryness (they have been outside in Maui for about 1.5 yrs) but this one does a wee bit. thanks
>>

I would say yes it would be similar to fish oil. What I liked about using it is that it's a food supplement.. it's not some chemical laced cream that really might clog up the shell.
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PHRatz

thanks. I will rub a bit on her shell and on the food. She was out with my 3toed ones today, sunning. I think she is beginning to eat. I cut up a large african snail and gave her org.lettuce/kale./ p