Urgent Care :: Swollen "cheeks"?

[Wendy18]

Hi, Im new here, my name is Wendy. Im going to call a vet today, but I wanted to post also. The sides of my turtles head, like his cheeks I guess are swollen. They stick out almost as wide as where his shell starts behind his head, and they are a whitish color. Any ideas on whats wrong? TIA!

[jenaero]

Sounds like ear abcesses to me. The vet will have to drain them and give you instructions for aftercare. Keeping the water very clean is a must after such a procedure.

[marisa]

It sounds like they're quite large. Don't delay the herp vet visit--the infected matter presses on surrounding tissue and is painful for your turtle. (There's a post with links to finding a herp vet at the top of the forum if you don't know of one.) They won't go away by themselves.

Good luck. Let us know how your turtle is doing.

[Wendy18]

Thanks for your responses! I just called a vet and I'm taking him for an appointment tonight. Not that it matters, because he's gonna get help no matter what, but does anyone have an idea on the cost?

[marisa]

You need to ask the vet (I always try to ask for a ball park figure for anything like that just so there are no nasty surprises).