Self inflicted shell damage?

[jeff kushner]

I came home today and like always, I check on my little girl Matilda. Today, she had an injury.

First off, I was planning on watching it but not interfering unless and until she has a problem with it. It's raw and I could apply liquid lidocaine followed by a triple-antibiotic.

If my plan is wrong, someone please let me know guys!!

Now, how did it happen? She had a habit of climbing the very thin concrete wall behind her pool. She always falls. Falling 8" or so, if she caught her shell on the edge of a brick or piece of marble, would it break off like that? Or was she attacked? There is a 1.5" gap between the wall and the top on the "opening side" of her home. I'm "hoping" it's self inflicted just so I don't have to worry about her being attacked.

I looked outside her home for a the piece of shell but didn't find it...Ill go look in her pool. My girls are tough but I don't ever like to see any of them get hurt. My daddy instincts kick in then and I want to protect them.


I went back out for a good look around and I couldn't find the missing piece and her pool is clear so I was able to check there as well. Dunno

 

[zovick]

I came home today and like always, I check on my little girl Matilda. Today, she had an injury.

First off, I was planning on watching it but not interfering unless and until she has a problem with it. It's raw and I could apply liquid lidocaine followed by a triple-antibiotic.

If my plan is wrong, someone please let me know guys!!

Now, how did it happen? She had a habit of climbing the very thin concrete wall behind her pool. She always falls. Falling 8" or so, if she caught her shell on the edge of a brick or piece of marble, would it break off like that? Or was she attacked? There is a 1.5" gap between the wall and the top on the "opening side" of her home. I'm "hoping" it's self inflicted just so I don't have to worry about her being attacked.

I looked outside her home for a the piece of shell but didn't find it...Ill go look in her pool. My girls are tough but I don't ever like to see any of them get hurt. My daddy instincts kick in then and I want to protect them.


I went back out for a good look around and I couldn't find the missing piece and her pool is clear so I was able to check there as well. Dunno

View attachment 351158View attachment 351159

It doesn't appear to be self-inflicted to me, unless the turtle was somehow able to drop from a fairly considerable height and land a surface hard enough to break off that marginal scute.

It seems more probable to me that perhaps a rodent may have tried to chew on the poor turtle. Are there any tooth marks on the plastron directly under the broken area?

Was the turtle inside or outside when this occurred? Recently, didn't you post something about a mouse or mice being spotted in your place? Maybe one of them did it.

 

[zolasmum]

I came home today and like always, I check on my little girl Matilda. Today, she had an injury.

First off, I was planning on watching it but not interfering unless and until she has a problem with it. It's raw and I could apply liquid lidocaine followed by a triple-antibiotic.

If my plan is wrong, someone please let me know guys!!

Now, how did it happen? She had a habit of climbing the very thin concrete wall behind her pool. She always falls. Falling 8" or so, if she caught her shell on the edge of a brick or piece of marble, would it break off like that? Or was she attacked? There is a 1.5" gap between the wall and the top on the "opening side" of her home. I'm "hoping" it's self inflicted just so I don't have to worry about her being attacked.

I looked outside her home for a the piece of shell but didn't find it...Ill go look in her pool. My girls are tough but I don't ever like to see any of them get hurt. My daddy instincts kick in then and I want to protect them.


I went back out for a good look around and I couldn't find the missing piece and her pool is clear so I was able to check there as well. Dunno

View attachment 351158View attachment 351159

Oh, poor little Matilda - I'm so sorry - she looks cross in the second photo, as though she wants her daddy to sort it out pretty quick !
Angie

 

[Yvonne G]

Looks like she's been chewed on to me too.

 

[jeff kushner]

She has been outside since Aug I think.

I read the responses and I brought her inside tonight....I can't let her be "bait". I keep her 20L tank farming worms so she had a place to go into for the night till I can sort this out.

We don't have mice here except in the Fall when they try to come in the house. I ordered some "help", it will be here on Friday. Tomorrow when I get home, I'll set half a dozen mouse and rat traps and see if anyone is roaming in her home.

Should I treat her injury?

 

[wellington]

I would agree it was something other then a fall.
I also think you need to keep her in and on clean substrate to keep the wound clean and free of any bugs, especially flies if there are any still around by you. I'm in Chicago and we still have a few.
I also would give it at least a one time clean of any rodent saliva/dirt.

 

[jeff kushner]

Thanks guys, I felt so much better after bringing her in yesterday knowing she wouldn't get molested again.

My home has a bsmt walkout to a patio below grade then steps up and my daughter puts trash out there when I bi*ch about her rabbit. My guess is some rat(s) found their way into that trash then up and found my little girl. I sure don't think a mouse did that but rats are a different story....and we ain't gonna tolerate any rats!

I will look at her wound closely this afternoon and give her a good warm soak to calm her down before I clean and treat it. Hopefully a couple days after my "help" arrives on Friday, she'll be safe to go back out maybe by Sunday or Monday.

I don't fight battles with nature, as it's not sustainable(you've seen the squirrel videos)....I do however fight short wars with overwhelming forces moving at lightning speed to win my wars outright. A combo of ratbait and Electricity ought to cure their desires to stay at my address! Remember my war with the squirrels a couple years ago....short and won!

I don't use products at "consumer grade", I bring in the big guns for one eradication because I don't want to leave it out long and have the local wildlife find it.

The big guy might say vengeance is his but I'm going to rip these rats, a new one.

Thanks again guys.,.....it's pretty cool to be able to come here for help!

 

[Len B]

Thanks guys, I felt so much better after bringing her in yesterday knowing she wouldn't get molested again.

My home has a bsmt walkout to a patio below grade then steps up and my daughter puts trash out there when I bi*ch about her rabbit. My guess is some rat(s) found their way into that trash then up and found my little girl. I sure don't think a mouse did that but rats are a different story....and we ain't gonna tolerate any rats!

I will look at her wound closely this afternoon and give her a good warm soak to calm her down before I clean and treat it. Hopefully a couple days after my "help" arrives on Friday, she'll be safe to go back out maybe by Sunday or Monday.

I don't fight battles with nature, as it's not sustainable(you've seen the squirrel videos)....I do however fight short wars with overwhelming forces moving at lightning speed to win my wars outright. A combo of ratbait and Electricity ought to cure their desires to stay at my address! Remember my war with the squirrels a couple years ago....short and won!

I don't use products at "consumer grade", I bring in the big guns for one eradication because I don't want to leave it out long and have the local wildlife find it.

The big guy might say vengeance is his but I'm going to rip these rats, a new one.

Thanks again guys.,.....it's pretty cool to be able to come here for help!

I wouldn't put her back outside I'd keep her awake during this winter and give the shell time to heal in a clean environment. If she goes dormant under leaves and soil nothing good will happen.

 

[zovick]

Thanks guys, I felt so much better after bringing her in yesterday knowing she wouldn't get molested again.

My home has a bsmt walkout to a patio below grade then steps up and my daughter puts trash out there when I bi*ch about her rabbit. My guess is some rat(s) found their way into that trash then up and found my little girl. I sure don't think a mouse did that but rats are a different story....and we ain't gonna tolerate any rats!

I will look at her wound closely this afternoon and give her a good warm soak to calm her down before I clean and treat it. Hopefully a couple days after my "help" arrives on Friday, she'll be safe to go back out maybe by Sunday or Monday.

I don't fight battles with nature, as it's not sustainable(you've seen the squirrel videos)....I do however fight short wars with overwhelming forces moving at lightning speed to win my wars outright. A combo of ratbait and Electricity ought to cure their desires to stay at my address! Remember my war with the squirrels a couple years ago....short and won!

I don't use products at "consumer grade", I bring in the big guns for one eradication because I don't want to leave it out long and have the local wildlife find it.

The big guy might say vengeance is his but I'm going to rip these rats, a new one.

Thanks again guys.,.....it's pretty cool to be able to come here for help!

Having been a student at the U of MD Dental School in the latter 1960's, I can vouch for the fact that there are thousands upon thousands of rats in Baltimore. Since Annapolis is also a port city, I imagine their numbers are rather high there as well.

While I was a student there, I rented a garage in a back alley off of Lombard St. to park my car. Whenever I turned into that alley at night, the entire pavement was crawling with rats. As soon as the headlights hit them, they scattered in every direction. Even though they fear humans, I still didn't feel completely safe from them when going TO the garage to get my car in the dark, though. Some of them were really huge!

Good luck with your eradication project if you find any around your place.

 

[jeff kushner]

LOL, you are correct of course, rats are everywhere but I don't live in the city and have never seen rats here....but they, or something is now and it ain't allowed to stay!

A late close friend of mine, Les Esrig went there around then. He had a practice in College park for 20 years or so. When building large building in DC in the 80's, the rats looked like medium cats and wouldn't run from a half-brick tossed their way, they would just sit up and look at you!

Well, the triage for little Matilda was not easy. I have no idea how their nervous system is setup or how pain registers but she was hurting...badly. Her wound got washed, numbed and coated with triple-anti bio cream.

She was most definitely feeling pain and moved her neck in ways that I have never seen before on any box turtle. My heart was aching but I got her squared away and settled. She's digging in the pile of leaves I gave her....while she was soaking, then drying out in my shower, I misted the dry leaves so they wouldn't be quite as "sharp"


It looks raw because it is but she should be much better now. Got to look out for my baby!

 

[jeff kushner]

I wouldn't put her back outside I'd keep her awake during this winter and give the shell time to heal in a clean environment. If she goes dormant under leaves and soil nothing good will happen.

Wow, I hadn't thought of that Len. She's sitting still now. I took the pic thru the plexiglass top. ...at 3AM

 

[zolasmum]

Wow, I hadn't thought of that Len. She's sitting still now. I took the pic thru the plexiglass top. View attachment 351246...at 3AM

What a sweet trusting face !
Angie

 

[Maggie3fan]

wow Jeff! I am so sorry about your Matilda. No lidocaine, my recent experience w/the otc stuff is it hurts, and simply hurts worse. The antibiotic is all you need. It looks like a bite wound to me as well. But I am kinda confused as I live with rats on a daily basis, as well as 'possums, 'coons, skunks, voles, gopherus, etc. My rats are as big as a housecat, sleek and healthy looking. I have seen them running across the box turtle pen, and thru a group of maybe 6 box turtles...they have never acted aggressive, I've poisoned, trapped, and used a rat service and because I am outside of town and my back yard borders on a grass seed field, I get lots. I have never experienced what was described. But my point is, I've never felt like my chelonia were in any danger. Would East Coast rats attack? She must have pulled her head in at the last second...damn it...

 

[DoubleD1996!]

Definitely looks like one of those annoying vermin. I use those humane rat traps and bait with peanut butter sandwiches

 

[wellington]

You'd be better off putting her on paper towel not dirty leaves. Let it heal up then she can go back on leaves etc. I agree she should not be left outside to hibernate. The wound needs to stay clean.

 

[jeff kushner]

Thanks guys,


I don't have OTC lidocaine Mags, I have the pharmaceutical grade, for cancer patients. I use it sparingly and it numbs, instantly. I just used it to lower her pain.

She doesn't seem to be having an issue with the leaves as she's remaining on top of them.

I love the Skunks! I had a brown skunk for about 2 years. My girlfriend at the time left the door open one day and he disappeared. He was nearly 40lb when I got him, really overweight but I slimmed him down.

Matilda isn't moving much today. She ate a good bit of the steak I left for her this morning but isn't moving much. Look at her, she seems so sad. She also looks very "HE" ish<LOL>!

She'll get a break from me tomorrow morning till I return Sunday but she'll be ok. My daughter will look after her for me.

 

[Sheldon’s Mama]

Wow, I hadn't thought of that Len. She's sitting still now. I took the pic thru the plexiglass top. View attachment 351246...at 3AM

Her face tho!

 

[Maggie3fan]

Hey Jeff...plz don't think I am crazy, cuz I bet you never heard of Wonder Dust..it's for wounds on horses but my sister and I used it for open wounds on torts. You've been putting Neosporin or whatever for a few days now...stop with that and put Wonder Dust on it a few times a day and see if that helps dry it out. You can find it on Amazon or the local feed store..
Amazon...$13...

 

[MenagerieGrl]

Thanks guys, I felt so much better after bringing her in yesterday knowing she wouldn't get molested again.

My home has a bsmt walkout to a patio below grade then steps up and my daughter puts trash out there when I bi*ch about her rabbit. My guess is some rat(s) found their way into that trash then up and found my little girl. I sure don't think a mouse did that but rats are a different story....and we ain't gonna tolerate any rats!

I will look at her wound closely this afternoon and give her a good warm soak to calm her down before I clean and treat it. Hopefully a couple days after my "help" arrives on Friday, she'll be safe to go back out maybe by Sunday or Monday.

I don't fight battles with nature, as it's not sustainable(you've seen the squirrel videos)....I do however fight short wars with overwhelming forces moving at lightning speed to win my wars outright. A combo of ratbait and Electricity ought to cure their desires to stay at my address! Remember my war with the squirrels a couple years ago....short and won!

I don't use products at "consumer grade", I bring in the big guns for one eradication because I don't want to leave it out long and have the local wildlife find it.

The big guy might say vengeance is his but I'm going to rip these rats, a new one.

Thanks again guys.,.....it's pretty cool to be able to come here for help!

Jeff, as a Tort'er and a Bird'er, Please reconsider the Rat Bait. There is a good chance that the rats will eat the bait, then scurry off to die. If not in a lair, they can also become food for a local bird of prey or buzzard, (secondary Kill) or some other creature looking for food and you won't know if you got'em or not. Electronics's and snap traps are the safest, and you'll know you got'em, when you get'em!
Just my request.... (BTW I used to use rat bait 😞, but once I learned of the possibility of secondary kill, I only use snap traps now)

 

[MenagerieGrl]

Greetings and good afternoon Angie. . .