Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey i have a painted about 5 1/2 inches long and he has a piece missing from his shell just behind his front left leg. The wound is about 1 1/4 inches long and at the end of it, the wound turns into a crack that goes about 1 inche across the shell. the wound doesn't look to serious, and he is acting normal. I was wondering if there is any type of solution i could use to keep it from becoming infected.

Matt

If that were my turtle I would be taking him to the vet. He might need to have it patched to prevent infection.

If your description is accurate then this turtle very well needs a vet visit. How was this not obvious in the beginning? If your dog has a broken leg would you watch to see if it heals?

Your vet will need to stabalize the fracture and may decide to further treat this as an open wound. If this is a bite wound, systemic antibiotics are a must, and since it is no longer fresh, they may be used anyways. In addition, your turtle will surely be in pain and there are medications to relieve this as well.

If you do not have a veterinarian who is familiar with reptiles, call your local clinic for a referal, and/or go to www.arav.com under the member's link to find a DVM in your area.

Good luck with your turtle
Ian

thanks for the help. I took him to the vet and and i am currently dry docking him 10-14 hours daily, using a sulfadianzine cream on his wounds, and i'm also giving him systemic injections.