Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I currently have an Asian Leaf Turtle (Cyclemys sp.) in my care. She isn't officially mine. She belongs to a pet store and I took her home for a few days to see if I could get her to eat. She has been in my home for 4 days, and she is living in a small kiddie pool with about 2.5 sqaure feet of dry land. She has a basking light, UV source, and a filter. The water temperature is right around 80 degrees. I am somewhat knew to aquatic turtles, but not to herps in general.

Anyway, when I brought her home the tip of her nose was already chipped (that sounds weird, but that's how it looked). She had a white spot above her notrils where it should have been brown. If she were a snake or lizard I would have thought that a scale had been yanked out. Tonight when I picked her up to give her a going over, I noticed that the white spot was red. I have also notice her trying to scratch it with her front feet.

I guess what I need to know is, is this enough of a problem to require veterinary attention or can it be healed at home? If this were my pet, she'd be going to the vet, but since she is from a pet store I think I will need to provide her owner with some info in order to talk him into going to the vet. Has anyone else had this happen before? If so, how expensive is it to fix?

Thanks for your help!

Sounds like a bite injury. Try keeping the turtle dry most of the time except for an accsional soaking at feeding time. When dry, apply triple antibiotic ointment (generic Neosporn - much cheaper). Be sure to use ointment and not cream. Ointment stays on underwater. Observe for a few days and see if it improves. If it worsens, see a herp vet. I have seen a few red lesions near the nostrils on turtles that were not wounds, but can't recall how I treated them years ago.