Thick skin with sores...

[Julie's Zoo]

My boxies limbs look swollen and a little twisted with very thick skin that has cracked. He's eating and his eyes look good, no nasal discharge, and his shell doesn't look mis-shapened to me.

After reading several articles, I know I haven't been taking care of my baby boxie correctly for around a year. He's enclosure has been too dry and the bulk of his diet has been box turtle pellets with a little spring mix greens. I have now put spagnum moss as the substrate and have introduced meal worms and slugs and more greens and veggies.

From what I've read it sound like too much vitamin A and bad care on my part. Any ideas or suggestion on what to do now?

 

[Torty Mom]

Can you post a picture?

 

[coreyc]

Welcome to the forum there are a few people who have boxies on here if you post some pic's I'm sure they will help you out with setting him up right

 

[Kristina]

It probably has more to do with lack of humidity than too much Vitamin A. It would be very hard to overdose Vit. A on the diet you described.

Pictures would be a big help.

My suggestion is to do warm water soaks twice a day. If there are open sores, clean them with fresh water and apply a triple antibiotic ointment. You can keep your boxie on damp paper towels until the sores heal, so that dirt and debris doesn't get stuck in the wounds or in the ointment. Just be sure to do the soaks and to keep the towels damp, and change them daily for cleanliness.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

If it were mine I would cover the cracked part with a triple antibiotic ointment, and I would increase the humidity and keep a moist substrate...if things change, take him to the Vet.

 

[Angi]

I wouldn't give slugs. I was feeding my boxie slugs and snails and was told on here that they can carry flukes. Whatever a fluke is it doesn't sound good. Mine likes red wigglers and earth worms. I also give her Mazuri, and any fruit a am eating. Her favorite are blueberries.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I wouldn't give slugs. I was feeding my boxie slugs and snails and was told on here that they can carry flukes. Whatever a fluke is it doesn't sound good. Mine likes red wigglers and earth worms. I also give her Mazuri, and any fruit a am eating. Her favorite are blueberries.

---

I wouldn't give slugs. I was feeding my boxie slugs and snails and was told on here that they can carry flukes. Whatever a fluke is it doesn't sound good. Mine likes red wigglers and earth worms. I also give her Mazuri, and any fruit a am eating. Her favorite are blueberries.

---

My box turtles and water turtles love slugs and eat them regularly. I see nothing wrong with feeding slugs....

 

[Kristina]

I agree with Maggie. Mine catch them and eat them when they are outside.

 

[terryo]

Welcome to the forum. How old is your boxie, and what species? Can you post some pictures of your boxie and his enclosure?

 

[Saloli]

I wouldn't give slugs. I was feeding my boxie slugs and snails and was told on here that they can carry flukes. Whatever a fluke is it doesn't sound good. Mine likes red wigglers and earth worms. I also give her Mazuri, and any fruit a am eating. Her favorite are blueberries.

---

I wouldn't give slugs. I was feeding my boxie slugs and snails and was told on here that they can carry flukes. Whatever a fluke is it doesn't sound good. Mine likes red wigglers and earth worms. I also give her Mazuri, and any fruit a am eating. Her favorite are blueberries.

---

a fluke is a type of worm like animal (not true worms which oligocheates are) they are only a minor parasite for turtles most often their deffinative hosts are fish though some infect reptiles (including birds), amphibians, mammals (including humans)

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I agree with Maggie. Mine catch them and eat them when they are outside.

There's nothing funnier then a slug mustache on a box turtle. We should try and get a picture and post it the next time one has a foamy mustache...

 

[Julie's Zoo]

Thanks for the advice! I'll try to get pic's if I can figure it out.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Julie's Zoo:

Welcome to the forum!!

Are you "Julie?" And may we know where you are?

 

[Angi]

Well Julie I guess you should add slugs and snails to your list. That is good news because Trudy loves them and I was really freaked out when someone memtion they could carry flukes and should be avoided, but I could have read to post wrong.

 

[Saloli]

oh what about the wierd noise that the slugs make when bitten? any way sorry bout the side track can we see some pictures of your boxer?

 

[Yvonne G]

Well Julie I guess you should add slugs and snails to your list. That is good news because Trudy loves them and I was really freaked out when someone memtion they could carry flukes and should be avoided, but I could have read to post wrong.

No, you didn't get it wrong. I was told by Mary Hopson, a pretty knowledgeable turtle person, that slugs found in your garden are the intermediate host for flukes and shouldn't be fed to turtles. I took her word for it. You can find info about it on the 'net, but not much info regarding turtles.

 

[Julie's Zoo]

He looks a lot better!!!! He's on paper wet towels, I've been soaking him and applying ointment. The thick skin is slowly coming off and looking more normal.

I think he is an eastern box turtle. I live in SW TN and a student had found him and kept him all summer, then gave him to me after school started. (This was last year)