red earred slider partly crushed?

Question
I have a young six year old turtle that got himself pinched by a piece of furniture as he was on the loose in the living room.  I was cleaning his home.  It would have been in the frontal area.  The compression caused a couple of minor cracks underneath and a tiny piece of shell lost up top.  A little bleeding occurred, mostly from the lower hairline cracks.  I put the turtle in a small tank without water.........treated his three minor wounds with poly sporine.   He seems to be pretty healthy........moving around lots...........  I was worried about internal damage.....the bleeding which was more of a ooze has stopped.

I was going to put some water in the little tank just enough to cover his shell so he can eat etc............than tomorrow I was going to keep him dry for the day with a some anti biotic again.

I think his greatest threat is infection........ if he had internal injuries, not much I can do about it and he probably wouldn't be as active........ I am not sure a vet could help, take an xray?

This turtle is special to me as I hatched him from an egg..........and his mom died this weekend after being with us for twenty years.......... not sure what happened to her but she died in her sleep with no apparnet symptoms.  I think she died young as I expected to see her live past forty?

Do you have any comments? advice...........should I soak him epsom salts?...........

Answer
Allan,    GO TO THE VET. This is one of those life threatening moments. There could be internal damage under that Shell and they shell may need some reconstruction. They do this in several ways  sometime its plaster sometimes it may need to be bracketed. Yes you may get many more wonderful years out of him but, he definitely need a good reptile vet.ASAP Epsom salts are fine limit the time maybe 20 minutes in tepid water a couple times a day. The thing is your turtles "shell" is not a shell at all it is part of its ribcage and intervertebral spine. So it may be abit of an expense but,take your baby to a vet, Please keep me updated ......Good luck, Tina