My turtle has injured his toenail. What do I do?

Q: i have a red-footed tortoise that somehow almost ripped his toenail completely off his back foot and it is barely hanging on. i was able to stop the bleeding w/KwikStop and i sprayed a pain relieving antibacterial spray then wrapped his foot w/gauze. i am concerned about infection and if the nail needs to be removed? any suggestions will be appreciated as i’m unemployed and can’t take him to a vet at the moment. please help

A: I’m sorry to hear that your tortoise injured itself.  The two main concerns following such an injury are discomfort and bacterial infection.  A physical exam by one of our veterinarians would allow us to plan the best treatment course for your pet that might include oral or inject-able pain medications and topical or systemic antibiotic therapy.

We realize that the economy is tough right now.  We have a payment option called CareCredit that can help you to split up your veterinary expenses over a couple of months with low interest rates.  You can apply online at www.Carecredit.com even before you bring your tortoise in for its’ appointment.

Other things that you can do at home include rinsing the area with clean water, and keeping your tortoise on clean, dust free bedding, such as newspaper, while the injury heals.

Please give us a call as soon as you are able so that we can meet your tortoise and help it towards a pain-free recovery.