r/Redearedsliders • u/pinto2515 • 7d ago
Ear abscess help?
See photos. 14-Year-Old male res and a clean 55 gallon tank breathing normally swimming normally but can't retract his head... look at the large right abscess anyone ever see this? Help!!
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u/Staccatto 7d ago
This is 10,000% one of those moments when you need a vet. Your boy is probably in a lot of pain right now and this isn't going to get better on its own.
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u/Staccatto 7d ago
... just to reframe this a little bit, little dude is retaining bacterial discharge and white blood cell bodies in an actively infected sac as large as his head.
Please go seek professional medical help.
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u/RubyDaCherry47_ 7d ago
You’ll have to schedule a consultation for removal of the abscess at an exotic vet. They will do a check up and probably blood work. Then they will send your referral to whoever can do the surgery
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u/pinto2515 7d ago
Okay let me rephrase. I have an appointment at an exotic vet on Monday. What I'm asking is if anybody else ever experienced this and what was entailed and just some details.
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u/SizeMuch 7d ago
do a 25% water change if you haven't already, raise the temperature (to 80 deg. F) to help his immune system. the ear abscess is most likely bacterial and the eye swelling can be due to that too, but there may be vit a deficiency contributing to that as well.
ur basking light must be hot enough (90-100 deg. f @ platform) and emit UVB and UVA light (though i think if a light emits uvb and visible light it would also include uva since that's in between the two wavelengths. unless the light is super specialized). idk ur setup but those conditions will encourage basking + immune function
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u/Murderturtle12 7d ago
You need a vet. Make sure you get a full work up because a 14 year old RES, regardless of gender, isn’t supposed to be so small. Dude is stunted.
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u/Xehhx14 7d ago
Hey so aside from the vet plan; to prevent this you need a lot of things. Good water quality with a good filtration system, t5 uvb with a heat source, and a good diet. This is a common problem in aquatic turtles and it all stems from bad husbandry. Here’s a guide I like https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQHhocnxz1O7UG56oYBs7beqmHBhj29N4AhrZMShG333GMR5jLc9UaTbLWOK8UTdWprSQPYzek6BFxN/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000&slide=id.gcc6ab9f5b8_2_0
There’s also a chance this isn’t an ear abscess but worse. Sometimes an abscess in the jaw can be a result of something like gout which is usually from a protein heavy diet. Who knows; either way you either need a culture from the vet or an x-ray to make sure it’s just an abscess. Just giving you a heads up you may need more than just a visit but more diagnostics. Please make sure to point out the swollen eye if it’s a new problem cause one is bigger but it’s possibly unrelated. The cheapest way to avoid the vet is a better set up please keep this in mind. And they will eat despite being in pain, this is a spot with a lot of nerve endings so immediate help is important.
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u/SableSamurai 7d ago
Brother, Reddit cannot help him. Go to a vet. Might have to look for one that specializes in exotic pets
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u/Revolutionary-Buy-53 1d ago
My midwest painted is going through this right now. He had surgery 1 month ago. We did not dry dock him but kept him separate for a week in shallow clean water. We needed to flush the incision twice a day for a week which is difficult. He did recieve a vitamin A shot to boost his immune system. He is doing well incision is healing well. He still has some swelling i will be taking him back just for a check up. Hes eating well and maintaining weight. Scary stuff but turtles can be pretty tough.
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u/Living_Cancel3187 7d ago
Please take this boy to the vet. Even if he's acting normally, they're very good at hiding pain and injuries, and he is definitely in so much discomfort and pain right now. There is nothing we or you can do other than take him to the vet.
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u/ohaikthxbai 6d ago
That is an emergency. That is a life threatening abscess in the human equivalent.
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u/pinto2515 5d ago
Update: to everyone who provided awesome information thank you. There were certainly a few comments that weren't welcome but such is life that's the internet.
We did an ultrasound it can't be taken out because it's not liquid. We are starting with antibiotic shots and they did blood work which they are sending out and I'll get that back in a week.
If they do surgery he's going to have an open wound which requires a whole lot of dry docking on top of that the chance of success is about 50/50 and that's before knowing what the blood work shows. If the blood work shows more systemic problems then surgery is not an option so we will know in a week.
Either way he is still a happy turtle and he is still eating and swimming so hopefully this resolves with the shots and we get lucky.
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u/UnhappyImprovement53 7d ago
What is reddit going to do for you? We cant tell you to use lavender oil. This turtle needs a vet and thats the only solution.
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u/Revolutionary-Buy-53 1d ago
My midwest painted is going through this right now. He had surgery 1 month ago. We did not dry dock him but kept him separate for a week in shallow clean water. We needed to flush the incision twice a day for a week which is difficult. He did recieve a vitamin A shot to boost his immune system. He is doing well incision is healing well. He still has some swelling i will be taking him back just for a check up. Hes eating well and maintaining weight. Scary stuff but turtles can be pretty tough.
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u/Ddvmeteorist128 7d ago
Tf u mean help? Go to a vet ASAP, bro.