red earred slider- neck bump/blister

Question
Hello Mark,
I have a red-eared slider turtle about 3 yrs old, who is happy, very active and always hungry...  Recently he has developed a 1/2" round bump/blister on the back of his head/neck on the foreskin.  After attempting some research, it does not seem to be sinusitis or an infection. And, it does not appear to be hindering his appetite or movement.
  For the past few months he has become fond of doing push-ups in order to get on to the rock ledge @ water level.  There has been many times that he ends up doing back flips into the water instead of making it on to the ledge.  I suspect that he must have hit the back of his head on a rock during one of these back flips.  What does a bruise or injury look like on a turtles soft skin?  Are there any other issues that I should be concerned about?  Will the bump go down on its own?  Is a vet necessary?
Any advise or thoughts would be much appreciated.
Thanks.


Answer
Neck injuries have several causes- abrasion from a rough spot on the shell, injury from something in the tank, small injury infected somehow, etc.

If it will let you, dab the injury with 'providone iodine' (Betadine Solution) and let it dry for a bit before putting it back in the water. If the skin looks raw, add a bit of antibiotic ointment.

Other than that, the comments about the basking site are a bit worrisome. The basking site should be easy to get on and safe. You may want to rethink that part.

http://www.redearslider.com has a lot of great care ideas.