Turtles are known to be quite hardy creatures, they are known for their hard shells which protect them from predators and protect them from any other damage.
However your turtle can still fall and start bleeding, this article looks into what to do if your turtle falls and is bleeding.
Table of Contents
My turtle fell and is bleeding:
Accidents can happen with any pet and regardless of how this happened it’s crucial that you respond swiftly and calmly.
Here is what you’d need to know and do if your turtle fell and is bleeding:
Stay calm:
Staying calm in this situation will not only be good for you but will also be good for your turtle.
If you start freaking out during this time then this can stress your turtle, if you’re calm then you can address your pet and not put stress on it
Assess the situation:
Carefully examine your pet after the fall, hold it gently and examine it but do so with caution to prevent further injury
You can put it on something soft, like a clean towel, to assess the injury.
Figure out where the animal is bleeding:
Look for the source of the bleeding and assess the extent of the injury. Check to see if it is more of a superficial scratch or if it is something more severe like a deep wound.
If the wound is superficial:
A superficial wound like a scratch can be treated at home. You can rinse off the wound using a sterling saline solution and then use a sterile gauze to dry and stem the flow of any blood.
Remove any dirt and debris using gauze.
Once done, apply a mild antiseptic ointment to the area to keep any infections at bay.
If the wound is severe:
A severe wound would need to be treated at the vet, if the wound is not treated at the vet then it may not heal properly or may develop complications when healing.
Before the vet:
If your pet is injured to an extent where you have to take the animal to the vet but you can’t immediately take your pet to the vet, then you’d need to keep it isolated until you can get it there. This is how to do it:
Keep it isolated:
You’d need to put the animal in a container to keep it isolated until you can get the animal to a vet.
Pick a container that is strong enough and large enough to contain it, this can be as simple as a box.
Make sure that the box is tall enough for the turtle to not be able to climb out of. Or you can place a lid on the box and poke some holes in the lid for breathing.
You can also use a pet carrier to keep the animal safe. Make sure that you leave the animal somewhere silent and dark, this will keep stress in the animal at a minimum.
You can take the animal to the vet in this container
Don’t let it get wet:
While being in the water is helpful for your pet normally, leaving it on the water for too long, while it is injured, will only spread germs in the wound which can make the problem worse.
To avoid this, keep the animal dry, these animals can safely be kept dry for several hours if needed.