Urgent Care :: Swollen hand

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Post Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 7:38 am   Swollen hand

Hello. I was wondering if you can ID this condition on our turtle — left hand swelling. We have no access to a vet that handles aquatic turtles, closest one we saw a month ago said the swelling was due to him walking too much. I don't quite agree with her assessment as he's been active for years, no reason why suddenly there's swelling. He's active, good appetite, regular bowel movements.

He's been with us for 7 years now since we brought him back from the store the size of a 50 cents coin. He's developed a habit of sleeping in our bedroom on the tile floor (no air conditioning) and has a routine. At around 5.30am he gets up and moves to the patio door where he waits to be let outside. He then goes to his tank and dives into the water where he pees and poops (yes he's toilet trained but occasionally he does it in the room). He stays in the tank until I take him out and roams about in the patio where there are potted plants etc. By noon, when he's hungry he waits on the basking cover for his meal (he's fed pellets, dried shrimps and occasionally vegs).

He's not showing any signs of poor health other than the swelling. Because of it, he's also not moving as fast as he used to, for obvious reason.

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How big is your turtle? 17 cm
How long have you had it? 7 years

What is the water temperature?
Did you use a thermometer?
Are you using a water heater? No
How much water is in there? 9 liters
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes
Are you using any filtration? NO

What is the basking temperature? 28-32°C
Is there a basking light? Natural sunlight
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Tank cover placed on floor
Is there a UVB light? No

What have you been trying to feed it? Pellets and occasionally vegetables
When was the last time your turtle ate? Today

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? L45 x B30 x 1H5 cm
Is the tank near a window? Yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? No

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? No
Jan Shim
 
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Gender: Male

Post Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 10:04 pm   Re: Swollen hand

It could just be an abscess that needs to be lanced/drained, however I don't think I've ever seen it on a limb before. I also don't agree with that vet's assessment, it would be good to get a second opinion.
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steve
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Post Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 2:54 am   Re: Swollen hand

I second steve.
Is there a way for you to have a second opinion from a vet ? Maybe an online service ? I know there's a few around but I don't know if they are any good.
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PokePony
 
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Post Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 12:33 am   Re: Swollen hand

I managed to locate a clinic 30 mins away and the vet removed a small amount of calcified abscess. Before the visit I have seen such procedures carried out on YouTube so I knew what to expect. Here's the thing, the vet says his limb is expected to stay swollen from the trauma of the wound, estimates up to 10 days for the wound to head and swelling to reduce. So maybe I'm a little nervous and at the same time concerned when limb is still swollen today, round like a marble but slightly smaller than what it used to be.
Jan Shim
 
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Joined: Jan 16, 2018
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 3:22 am   Re: Swollen hand

Did the vet say it’s ok for him to go back in the water? He really shouldn’t be allowed to roam around. Did he get any antibiotics? Whenever he does go back into water, make sure it’s as clean as possible.
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steve
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