Urgent Care :: Can this be considered an abscess?

[SpotsMama]

What a shame that the local guys don't do abcesses!

Marisa has good suggestions on traveling. here's some more info on the subject:

http://www.redearslider.com/transportation.html

[interfree]

Hi everyone,
transport went fine and the the turtle is in the clinic since saturday. Today she was lanced by a vet, who confirmed that they'll retain her for some days of antibiotic therapy. The conditions after the surgical incision seem to be stable, anyway.
I will add any news, but the worst should have come to an end.

[SpotsMama]

You are wonderful to have taken care of her so well! I'll keep you both in my thoughts. Please keep us informed as to how it goes. I hope you'll have her back home and feeling much better soon.

[DavidY]

I'm glad to hear that he's getting such excellent care! Good job on your part. He's in good hands now so hopefully he'll be home soon.

[marisa]

Props to you!

[interfree]

Hi everyone,
she is back home, eventually. I will not see her for a while because i'm out of home, but my father took care of her. The clinic did not ask much money for the whole, lancing, antibiotics and care: 50 euros overall.

I've a last question on this regard. When the vet asked what the turtle was eating, dad erroneously answered she was eating gammarus. You should consider that the answer is not comprehensive at all, because she eats gammarus and specific pellets, comprising other ingredients. Sometimes she also gets little dried fishes, them also packed for terrapins.
Listening that the turtle was eating mainly gammarus, the vet said to feed her with non-cooked small fishes, to be cut without taking out the skeleton: he said about fishes like herrings or anchovies. Moreover, he said that we could feed her with small dogs' food.
I cannot judge these eating advices: do you think I should follow them, or considering she is already taking pellets of specific food I should not add anything more?

Thank you!

[SpotsMama]

Sounds like the vet is a very nice guy. He's a keeper!

On the feeding, there are different opinions. The nuitrition section on this site, however, is an excellent conservative source. You can't go wrong with it. Things like fresh fish are great - not as a staple but as an occasional treat. Many people on here put live minnows or guppies in the tank for their turtles - can't get fresher than that! It also gives the turtles some hunting experience. The dog food, I'd avoid altogether, though, as it will be very high in protein and fat.

What turtles need and like that the vet didn't mention is lots of fresh vegetables. especially water plants like anacharis are good. It's normally a big part of their diet in the wild.

Also, it's essential that the turtle get plenty of calcium. Most people provide cuttlebones (the same kind that birds use) which is an excellent and inexpensive source. Chomping on the hard cuttlebone also keeps the turtle's beak from getting long and ragged.

Here's a link to the nuitrition section on this site. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it:

http://www.redearslider.com/index_nutrition.html

[marisa]

What you're feeding your turtle sounds rather high in protein (how much protein is in the pellets?) How much do you feed?

The cut-up small fish with the bones would provide your turtle with added calcium. Some people do feed their turtles' dog kibble. You could try them (look at the protein content of the kibble), as occasional food in the diet for variety. Try to get your turtle eating leafy greens as well, especially dandelions and red-leaf lettuce. Aquatic plants are good, especially duckweed and anachris. Try a little more variety in the diet.