Urgent Care :: Walking/Swimming with Swollen Bent Leg

[sheenu100]

I have a 4+ year old Red slider turtle. I took her to the vet as she was bitten at her leg by my other Red slider turtle. Vet gave her antibiotic (baytril) injection. She was very scared and refused to come out of the shell as vet struggled to get her leg out for check up. Vet took her behind the check up room and when she came back she looked dead to me (probably traumatized her behind my back). Anyways, after few hours she revived and came out of her shell, I was happy. But she puked tons. She kept vommiting until her stomach was empty. The doctor called me day after and mentioned that they had overdosed her with antiobiotic and asked me not to give her more medicine for few days. She didn't eat much for days and now finally she is back to her normal eating routine. However, she is walking and swimming with her front leg swollen and bent. This was leg where she had her injection. Is this due to overdose of antiobiotic?. I heard that these inejctions have muscle relaxant and may have harmed her muscles?. Now the doctor is calling me back so that she can make more money off me. I dont want to take her back to the same vet. What should I do?. Should I look for another vet or should I wait and see if she improves?. She is very alert and walks fast and also swims good but with her bent foot. Thanks for your input.

[ami]

Well its good to hear that she is back to her normal eating schedhule. First do see any behaviour that shows immediate health assesment? Such as not eating, low acitvity, excessive basking (not spreading out her limbs and just lying there), and sleeping.. if so you should take her. From the looks of it she seems to be doing 6 out of 10. I honestly don't know what the swelling is from it could be from the bite it can be inflammation from the over dose injection.
Give her a few days(1-3 days), keep her isolated from other turtles, FIND ANOTHER VET, take her for a check up and tell them what happened (the over dose, the antiobiotic). From your description she seems to be doing good...just give her a lil bit more protein. unfortunately my turtle was burned (by accident) last month, he feet were inflammed. He's alot better now! but you got to remember to keep the tank in sanitary condition. I bought this water condition (which was recommended by a user on this site) i noticed a difference in the healing process. it's called api stres coating conditioner which contains aloe vera. I reccommend it seeing that the aloe vera might help. Wish you and your turtle the best!

[steve]

How swollen is that leg? Did it become swollen after the injection?

[marisa]

Since you didn't see what happened, could the leg somehow been bent or forced out of joint when the injection was given? I'd ask the vet about it (not accusingly, though).

I doubt that the antibiotic had muscle relaxant in it. How badly had the RES been bitten that baytril was needed? How many more doses are you supposed to give---are they oral or injections?

Given some of the things you wrote about the vet, if the swelling isn't going down and/or the leg remains unnaturally bent, I'd have your turtle seen by another vet.