Otitis in a red-eared turtle: treatment and care at home

Otitis in red-eared turtles occurs due to a deficiency of vitamin A, an infection that has penetrated the Eustachian tube, and severe short-term hypothermia. It is hard to say whether the disease affects the hearing.

The disease has the following symptoms:

• the appearance of a ball in the field of the auditory organs;
• noticeable asymmetry of the head;
• the appearance of discharge from the posterior-external pharyngeal points;
• the animal can rub its head with its front paws.

Treatment of otitis media in rubella tortoise

Since the formation contains pus, which does not resolve itself if it is in a closed cavity, surgical intervention is often required. It is better if a herpetologist will conduct it, but you can also contact a general veterinarian. After opening the abscess and flushing the cavity, it will be necessary to lay Levomekol ointment in the wound, as well as conduct antibacterial therapy.

If a specialist who agreed to perform a reptile operation was not found, it can be treated conservatively:

1. Pierce Baytril for 10-14 days.
2. Give vitamins (Eleovit or analogues).
3. If the animal refuses to eat, inject Ringer's solution in small quantities, adding glucose and ascorbic acid to it in volumes prescribed by the doctor. The dosage of the composition is not more than 1% of the weight of the turtle at a time.

Caring for the Red-eared Turtle at home

During treatment, it is desirable to maintain a normal temperature of water in the aquarium, not lower than 23 degrees. And it is also desirable that the animal is more on land. With proper treatment, the formation will begin to decrease markedly after 2 weeks, and will completely resolve after about 2 months.

When a purulent lesion breaks on its own into the upper jaw, treatment with Terramycin is necessary for 3 days, and then (if there is no pus left and the wound begins to heal) with Methyluracil, Solcoseryl or Eplan - to accelerate healing. After the procedure, the turtle should remain on land for at least an hour. It is also advisable to inject Baytril 2.5% within a week. The dose of the antibiotic is 0.2 ml / kg.

Important! To reduce the likelihood of otitis media, monitor the condition of the water surface, there should not be a film. It is in it that pathogenic organisms multiply, which can provoke inflammation.

Possible complications

If otitis is not treated, an infection from the ear can get into neighboring organs and tissues and cause:

• jaw osteomyelitis;
• eye diseases;
• inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue.

Therefore, it is important to contact the veterinarian in a timely manner for qualified help and, if necessary, carry out surgical treatment.