Biting Turtle

Question
My red eared slider has been biting his paw and has left a mark or wound. We don't Know if its an affection,but it only bugs him when he is in the water. It is hard to find a vet that takes care of turtles in my area. I don't know what to do, please help.

Answer
Hmmm.... treating the injured foot will be fairly easy, figuring out why it is biting it will be tougher.

To treat the foot:
1. Review the turtle cares at a good site like http://www.redearslider.com to make sure everything is rock solid. Make whatever adjustments are needed.
2. Swab the injury with Betadine Solution, keep the turtle out of the water for about 2 hours to let it dry and work.
3. If the wound looks raw or sore, add some antibiotic ointment as well.
4. Boost water temps about 5 degrees, from 75-80F to about 80-85F while it is being treated.
5. Repeat the Betadine and antibiotic daily until the wounds are healing.

Why is it biting itself? To deal with a bad itch or other irritation? Still no good idea on this. Let's treat the injury and see what happens.