Red Ribbon Turtle with Bump on side of its head.

Question
I have a red ribbon turtle that has developed a large dime  size shaped bump on the side of its face?  What could this bump be and how can i get ride of it?

Answer
Hi Darrell,

I've never heard of a "red ribbon turtle"; most likely what you're referring to is a red-eared slider (they have a red stripe on either side of the head).  The lump is probably an ear abscess or some other type of infection.  It needs to be lanced and cleaned out, and the turtle put on a course of antibiotics.  Don't attempt to do this yourself--you need to take the turtle to a good herp vet for treatment.  Abscesses can be caused by poor water quality or improper husbandry, so make sure you have th
e turtle set up correctly.  For more information on this, see:

www.redearslider.com
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-red_ear_slider.htm
http://tortoise.org/general/watcare.html