Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone,

i have a 4 year old eastern that i have raised since birth and has been extremely healthy since the day i got it. This winter I hibernated her for the first time and she did just fine, woke up and was doing well. I noticed the other day that she "might" have some small swellings on the side of her neck "ear infection" she eats but with some trouble, walks around and her eyes are open however it seems as if the lids of her eyes are slightly pale when she closes her eyes. She is always been housed outdoors in a 10ft by 6ft pen with 3 other turtles that have no issues at all. My problem is that if her neck swellings need to be lanced she retracts her head into the shell and it is near impossible to get her out, so I dont understand how even a professional would be able to do it. Im not even sure if it is even an ear infection or if it is just the shaping of her jaw/head as she matures. However she is not as lively as the others and she defiantly takes longer and has a much harder time eating then the others. My girlfriend goes to vet school and works at a vets office so i have access to what ever I need. They vet there is not all that experienced with reptiles but has given injections to box turtles before. I feel that lancing will cause huge amounts of stress and would rather do injections. Unless some has a good technique to get the head of a baby turtle out. The turtle shell is about 3 inches and i was wondering if someone had the dosage/antibiotic that i would need to treat her. Can antibiotic injections cure an ear infection alone or is it a “MUST” get it drained along with antibiotics? Any other remedies that you guys have that might stop this at an early stage. I soak her every day give her worms/fruit and veggies, and she is exposed to sun everyday. "im not sure if she is even a she"
Any help/ advise would be great.

Thanks everyone!

Giving out dosages would be practicing medicine without a license.
I've seen many an ear infection & many a lancing. When there really is an ear infection it has to be lanced because the material inside that lump is very thick & cheese like. It won't clear up with just meds only, it needs cleaning out.
It's not stressful when it's done correctly because it should be done under anesthesia.
In most cases Baytril is prescribed after the lancing & then the turtle should be fed foods that are high in vitamin A to help prevent this from happening again.
Your vet could contact other vets through the private links for DVM use only websites such as VIN or the AVMA if he/she needs a consult.
Many vet schools have exotic DVMs on staff, a vet could pick up the phone & call one of them too. Usually they will speak to another vet.
If you get it done right & do it soon it should clear up fairly quickly.

Good luck!
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PHRatz

If the turtle seems basically healthy and is eating, I definately wouldn't worry about injections and antibiotics alone aren't going to make the lump go away.

In fact, if the turtle is eating ok and has a clear nose and bright eyes, no signs of respiratory illness, then this isn't an emergency.

I have lanced a few of these and in a couple of cases I procrastinated until they ruptured on their own and I brought them in, cleaned them out with peroxide or chlorahex/nolvasan and kept them inside until it looked like they had healed and
there was no sign of infection.

I am pretty sure, after observing turtles for five year and reading alot, that these "ear infections" occur in the wild and they eventually harden and and fall off, much like those cysts that show up on their necks do.

The key is, what is the overall health of your turtle?

Also regarding handling a stubborn turtles head and neck, you'd be surprised what an experienced reptile vet or turtle handler can teach you.

I worked with a great reptile vet a couple of years ago (who I just learned has moved to Alaska ) and she taught me some great techniques for handling retracted heads for medication purposes. Things I would have been afraid to try on my own.

This vet also taught me that you DO NOT have to inject baytril, you can give it by mouth and it works just fine.

Two years ago I had 1 three toed and 3 ornates that I had kept in for the winter because they were showing signs of respiratory illness.

They got worse so I contacted this vet that I had on my list.

One was so bad, I feel he was close to death and the vet wasn't sure he was going to make it either. The vet placed some sort of antibiotic directly in his trachea and this was no easy feat as this turtle did not want to pull his head out and once you got his head out and his mouth open, he held his breath for minutes, meaning that his trachea was not open.

It took three of us to hold this turtle in position and wait until he decided to open his trachea and the vet then inserted the medication. She then instructed me on how to administer baytril to all four turtle by mouth. I had force fed before but she taught me how to be more comfortable sticking a syringe farther down their throat. But you have to be able to get their neck extended to do that.

Anyway, the sickest turtle did recover nicely as did the others.

The ideal vet is one that doesn't mind teaching you things and working with you as a partner. One that views your group of turtles as a herd and is cost sensitive.

I had a crisis this week that I will write about later, but in short, I have the great joy of administering flagyl to several box turtles for the next 10 days, and two of them I've never medicated or force fed, they are very strong and I've had a hell of a time getting them medicated, so I'm probably going to have to get someone in my family to help.

Anyway, I may have my spouse take a photo of me holding the turtle the way the vet taught me to get the neck extended.

this is off the original topic but how do you keep the turtles head out? the female dog bite victim ive got at home has to have triple antibiotic applied to her eye daily until it heals up... i am having the worst time getting her to cooperate... at first she wasnt difficult it but now that she knows its coming she just pulls herself in and closes up... i would love to hear how you do it... the only methods i can imagine involve a complex system of a tiny turtle shell jack and maybe a miniature catch-pole to pull her head out..
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my pets: clown treefrogs, reed frogs, big eyed treefrogs, tiger leg monkey frogs, gray treefrogs, milk frogs, cuban treefrogs, whites tree frog, green treefrogs, squirrel treefrogs, blue webbed gliding treefrog, red eye treefrogs, chameleon treefrogs?, mossy treefrogs, dusky salamanders, tiger salamander, box turtles, mud turtle, map turtle, yellowbelly slider, florida softshell, two saltwater tanks, five cats, two chinchillas, and a boyfriend.

I would not recommend anyone doing these medical procedures without proper training. Yes, box turtles' heads can be easily drawn out with the proper technique. However, many box turtles will fight you to the point of injury if done incorrectly. I deal with a lot of injured wild box turtles, and it can take up to 1/2 of an hour to extract the heads of some. My method of sedation requires injecting anesthesia in the vein that runs on top of their neck. I've received training both in my career as a vet-tech and from the "Turtle Rescue Team" at NC State University. I'm sure that you can find someone who is willing to help you learn...always try wildlife rehabbers. I'd be more than happy to help you if I could. If you're ever in NC during the warmer months, schedule a trip to the NC State Vet School "Turtle Rescue Team". They have a website. Tell them you're interested in learning rehab techniques. The people that I met were VERY friendly and accomodating.

As far as ear abscesses, it can be very dangerous to let them run their course. The inner ear is in close proximity to the brain of the turtle, and infections can spread. That's kind of a stretch, I know. Also, ear abscesses are very commonly associated with upper respiratory infections. The novice keeper may only notice a little fatique and the 'monstrous bumps on the side of the head'. Also, if anyone has dealt with maggots before, I feel your pain. Abscesses, when they begin to rupture, are a maggot's dream! When an ear abscess surgery is done, the turtle must be brought in and kept in aseptic conditions and have topical antibiotics slathered on the open wound. A turtle left outside either post surgery or after you allow the abscess to fall off is a magnet for flies and maggots. It's a NIGHTMARE. Surgery and post-op care provide protections against both flies and other infections.