wild box turtle

Question
I seen a similar question, but was still a little unsure if we had the same situation.  My daughter was out in our yard and found a box turtle.  There is a hole about the size of a kidney bean in the skin connected to the shell between the neck and arm.  It is NOT in the shell, I can see several, about 4, maggots in the hole, and possibly there are more.  I contacted a vet to see if I could have them removed before setting it free, but the vets in my area said call the DNR they do not handle wild anything...;(  Im being told that if the worms are "maggots", the turtle will not survive even if I do remove them.  do you have any suggestions?  I just dont feel right letting this guy go with a bunch of maggots in his skin.  My father recommended using peroxide to bring them out, it brought them closer to the opening, but I dont know if I should try and remove them.  Any suggestions would be appreciated..

Answer
Hello Danyel,

Maggots doesn't necessarily has to lead to death, but yes, it is
usually a sign of a serious disease.
This kind of problem with maggots is called "Myasis" (infestation of a wound with maggots).

The maggots must be plucked out with tweezers and the hole needs to be flushed with Betadine or peroxide. All loose tissue and debris should be removed from the entire area. Once maggots are all gone,you can pack with a triple antibiotic ointment daily. If wounds are massive in size or numbers, see a vet for a round of antibiotic injections.

Good luck & best wishes
Sara