General Care Discussion :: Just got scratched.

[Pizza]

So I just picked up my turtle to try and check for eggs around the back (since it's big, and won't stop swimming/scratching the glass), when I got a good scratch on my pinky from one of its claws. It's not bleeding (Well I found a tiny red spot on my pinky, but it has since then dried up). It doesn't hurt much, but now my pinky is red and swollen a bit, and a bit of white marks (where the turtle scratched), this was just 10 minutes ago. I've washed my hands since, but just wondering should I be taking this seriously?

I wasn't able to feel in front of the rear legs, but the area just next to the tail seems a little puffy, and I felt something hard. I'm not sure if this was just its skin or what, since I only had a second before I got scratched.

[cam722]

It's not any more serious than any other scratch you can get..

You can put some antibiotic cream on it if you're worried.

[Pizza]

Thanks for the reassurance, I remember when I was younger and had another turtle, I once got a bad headache after a scratch, so I got a little jumpy.

And I haven't finished my tank stand yet, so right now I'm sitting my tank on the ground, which means that my filter won't work, so at the moment I have to do daily water changes, the water was a little murky, with skin and waste in it, so that added to my concern.

[CountryGirl68]

Definitely put some antibiotic cream on your finger. If the swelled finger stays stiff and warm/hot to the touch for more than 24 hours OR your hand or another finger begins to swell or the pain gets worse, you should see a doctor.