Painted Turtle

Question
I have two painted turtles and one of the turtles bit the others eye. Now his left eye is swollen and pink. It looks like the skin has been ripped off. What can I use to treat the eye?

Answer
Hi Brittney,

If the skin is significantly damaged and there is considerable swelling, you should take the turtle to a herp vet for treatment.  He may need a round of antibiotics.  If the injury appears minor, you can try cleaning the area with betadine, then applying an antibiotic ointment--do not use betadine or ointment on the eye itself!--and keeping the turtle dry for a couple of hours afterward.  Don't attempt to treat it yourself unless the injury really is minor and mostly involves the area around the eye and not the eye itself.

When keeping more than one turtle, adequate space is very important to avoid territorial aggression.  Two mature painted turtles should have at least a 125 gallon tank--bigger is better.  If your tank is smaller than that and your turtles are full-grown, I would see about getting a larger tank or separating the turtles.