Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Please,,@@@*****!!!!!???? can anyone tell me what its called when a big bulge is growing out of the side of my sons RES turtles neck?????????? It has gotten to be about the same size as his head, it has a greyish,purple skin color, it is growing out of his neck BETWEEN his red ear and shell. I do not know where it goes when he pulls in his head!!!!! Has ANYONE ever seen something like this??????

Without pictures, I don't think anyone can tell for sure but it is most likely an ear infection/abscess. It's relatively common in aquatic turtles to get it (sometimes due to poor husbandry) and can happen despite our best efforts. Just like humans, they get sick and infected and must be treated.

I'm dealing with the exact same problem with my baby painted turtle's left cheek right this moment. I took him to the vet and the treatment is going to cost $110 (anesthesia, extraction, and medication). They're going to have to cut it semicircularly and scrape out the pus and then let it heal in time. I was actually thinking about doing it myself since I have sterile equipment and medication at my disposal and I have taken care of turtles for over a decade. However, I think the wiser choice was to let professionals deal with something so tiny. Many risks can happen if done incorrectly--more infection, cutting into tendons and bone of the head, excessive bleeding--you get the picture. And I woulnd' tknow the correct dosage of anesthesia (Ketamine & isoflurane) to apply effectively. So it's up to you really if you want to shell out $$$ to get it treated. I know some experienced herpers do it themselves; some get lucky because it ruptures and falls off in time but there is a risk of the infection damaging the underlying bone according to my vet.

Let us know your decision. If you need a qualified reptile vet, go to www.austinsturtlepage.com and click on Vet Listings by state to find one. Bills will be heavy, of course.

Johnny

if it is this large it has to be causing discomfort to
the turtle and other possible infection.

Linda

As the other poster said, it is probably an ear abcess. You have to get him to the vet right away, or abcess will burst, and your turtle would probably die from the resulting infection, not to mention the amount of pain it would cause him. It really is a minor thing for the vet to fix, as it is pretty common in turtles. As the poster mentioned, it is uaully caused by dirty water.
-----

or not!