Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Turtles > My sulcata scraped skin off his leg...help!

My sulcata scraped skin off his leg...help!

22 16:03:45

Question
My almost 2 yr old sulcata turtle, Tonka, was accidently injured by a door closing and scraped a small amount of skin off his front right leg.  He irritates the cut when he goes in and out of his shell because that is where the scrape is.  What can I do to keep this from getting infected and help it heal?

Answer
Hi Becky,

There's not much you can do about his shell rubbing on it, unfortunately, but if the scrape is relatively minor (not deep and no real bleeding), it should heal on its own with time.  Try to keep it clean (keep him out of dirt/mud) as much as possible.  You can apply a mild antibiotic ointment (Neosporin).  Just keep an eye on it for signs of infection--redness, oozing, odor, etc.  Good luck!