boken shell

Question
ok i have this little box turtle. im not real sure how old it is but  my dog some how got a hold of it a took out a big chunck of it of the top but at the edge.their is white stuff showing. I need to know if there is any thing i can do for her. she seems ok but i want to make sure she is

Answer
1. Is she breathing OK and moving OK? If not, take her to a vet.

2. Is the shell broken through to show tissues under the bone? If so, to the vet.

3. If white tissue is showing, and there is no or little blood, and the bone is still intact, all you need to do is to keep it clean and protected.

4. Small holes, cracks that do not move when the turtle breathes, chipped or broken edges, etc. can be treated like for #3 above.

Basic care:
a- Scrub the shell with a soft brush, warm water, and either salt or Providone Iodine (Betadine Solution). Do not use soap or detergent, iodine by itself, etc. You can use hydrogen peroxide, but only in the beginning. Rinse with clean, warm water and pat dry. Re-evalute per the above items.

b- Swab the injured areas with Betadine and let dry. Treat any small holes, cracks, raw-looking areas or bleeding areas with antibiotic ointment. Small bleeds that do not stop can often be stopped by patting them with cornstarch. Pack some clean petroleum jelly in any openings.

c- For the first few days, keep the turtle in a clean cage with no soil, etc. Make sure it is warm, has a hiding place, etc. (Plastic tubs often work nicely here.)

d- Clean gently and re-treat daily. When the injuries start showing signs of healing, ease down on the cleaning and start backing off the Betadine- it can harm new tissue.



It may take many months, even years, for all the damage to go away- but turtles in the wild are often found with very bad injuries that healed nicely many years ago.

Good luck, and try http://www.turtleforum.com for more help.