How to Treat a Turtle's Ear Abscess

Co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Last Updated: October 21, 2021 References

Ear abscesses, also known as aural abscesses, are common in turtles.^{[1]
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Research source} Occurring in either one or both ears,^{[2]
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Research source} these abscesses look like bulges or swellings behind a turtle’s eyes.^{[3]
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Research source} Despite being easy to treat,^{[4]
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Research source}, ear abscesses in turtles can become very painful^{[5]
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Research source} and affect your turtle in different ways. As a turtle owner, it is important for you to learn more about treating and preventing turtle ear abscesses, even though treatment should be done only by a veterinarian.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Treating a Turtle Ear Abscess

1
Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. Treating a turtle ear abscess is a surgical procedure that requires sedation or local anesthesia. Because of this, veterinary care will be required for proper treatment — do not attempt to treat the abscess on your own.^{[6]
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- Although treating an ear abscess is not necessarily an emergency, you should get it treated as soon possible to prevent further pain and discomfort to your turtle.
2
Prepare your turtle for treatment. This is something your veterinarian will do. Your veterinarian will either sedate your turtle or apply a local anesthetic to the abscessed area.^{[8]
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Research source} Since treatment is a surgical procedure, your veterinarian will give your turtle some pre-operative pain medication to reduce post-operative pain.^{[9]
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- Don’t be afraid to ask what kinds of medications your veterinarian is administering to your turtle.
3
Open up and flush the abscess. Once your turtle is prepped for the procedure, your veterinarian will open up the abscess with a sterile scalpel.^{[10]
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Research source} He or she will then flush out the abscess to remove its contents (hard and dry pus).^{[11]
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- Your veterinarian will cut through the membrane of your turtle’s ear to open the abscess.^{[12]
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- The pus inside an abscess typically has a cottage cheese-like consistency.^{[13]
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- Your veterinarian may flush the abscess with a medicated cleansing solution (e.g., antiseptic solution) to kill bacteria within the abscess.^{[14]
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4
Take a skin sample. If your veterinarian suspects that a bacterial infection has caused the abscess, he or she may want to swab a small section of infected skin to have it analyzed for the presence of bacteria. This analysis is called a skin culture.^{[16]
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Research source} It will ultimately be your decision whether you want to have a skin sample analyzed in more detail.
- If you choose to move forward with the skin culture, keep in mind that the analysis will take at least a few days. Your veterinarian would report the results back to you and recommend treatment based on those results.
5
Treat the infected area. After your veterinarian has flushed out the abscess and cleansed the infected area, he or she will probably recommend further treatment to ensure optimal healing. If your veterinarian strongly suspects a bacterial infection, he or she may decide to coat the infected area with triple antibiotic ointment until the area is fully healed.
- Ear abscesses are usually left open to heal (closing it up could seal in the infection). Leaving the abscess open will allow it to continue to drain.^{[17]
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Administer treatments at home. After your veterinarian has flushed out the abscess, it will now be up to you to care for your turtle at home. Examples of at-home treatment include antibiotics (oral, injectable, or topical), pain medication and cleansing solutions.^{[18]
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Research source} Follow your veterinarian’s treatment recommendations carefully to ensure your turtle’s full recovery.
- The type of antibiotic treatment needed will probably depend on the results of the skin culture.
- Oral antibiotics are commonly prescribed along with injectable antibiotics.^{[19]
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- While the surgical site is healing, you should try to keep your turtle docked in the dry part of his cage as much as you can. Your turtle will enter the water at some point, of course, so you will also need to maintain good water quality. Good water quality will prevent delayed healing.^{[20]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Preventing Turtle Ear Abscesses

1
Supplement your turtle’s diet with vitamin A. What causes turtle ear abscesses is not fully understood.^{[21]
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Research source} Commonly, though, the abscesses are related to a vitamin A deficiency.^{[22]
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Research source} Vitamin A plays an important role in the proper development of cells lining a turtle’s ears and respiratory tract.^{[23]
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- Without enough vitamin A, these cells will develop abnormally and eventually allow for the accumulation of debris. This debris then causes an inflammatory reaction, during which inflammatory cells accumulate in the ears and lead to pus production and abscess formation.
- Your veterinarian can prescribe oral or injectable vitamin A for your turtle. Injectable vitamin A is usually reserved for more serious cases of vitamin A deficiency.^{[24]
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- It is important that you follow your veterinarian’s instruction for supplementation to prevent a condition called hypervitaminosis A (too much vitamin A).^{[25]
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- You can also add more vitamin A to your turtle’s diet by feeding him such vitamin A-rich foods as carrots and squash.^{[26]
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  Research source} Sweet potatoes, greens (collard, mustard, turnip), and papaya are also high in vitamin A.^{[27]
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2
Improve the water quality in your turtle’s tank. Poor water quality is another common culprit of turtle ear abscesses. For example, a weak or malfunctioning water filter can cause an accumulation of urine, feces, leftover food, and microorganisms that can irritate your turtle’s skin. This skin irritation can eventually lead to infection and abscess development.^{[28]
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- Replace the tank’s filtration system if you suspect that it is too weak or no longer functions properly. There are several available filtration types (biological, chemical, mechanical). The website http://redearslider.com/index_water_quality.html has a comprehensive overview of each filtration type.
- Water that is not at the proper temperature can also contribute to ear abscess development by weakening your turtle’s immune system.^{[29]
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  Research source} For adult red ear slider turtles, the optimal water temperature is 75 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit (24 to 26 degrees Celsius).^{[30]
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  Research source} Use a thermometer to monitor the water temperature.
3
Provide your turtle with adequate lighting. Inadequate lighting can also affect your turtle’s health and leave him more susceptible to ear abscess development. To provide him with more lighting, place several fluorescent light bulbs about 18 to 24 inches (46 to 61 cm) above his tank.^{[31]
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Research source} These bulbs are a good source of ultraviolet light (UVA and UVB) that will allow your turtle to produce vitamin D3.^{[32]
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- Replace the bulbs every six months.^{[33]
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4
Minimize your turtle’s level of environment stress. Aspects of your turtle’s environment can be stressful to him. This stress can lead to a weakened immune system and subsequent illness. For example, your turtle may be stressed if his tank is too small.^{[34]
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- In general, your turtle’s tank size should be 10 gallons (37.9 L) per inch of shell length.^{[35]
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- Other stressors include overcrowding, not enough dry docking areas, and excessive handling.^{[36]
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- Talk with your veterinarian if you are unsure how to identify and/or address environmental stressors.
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Turtles are susceptible to developing ear infections.^{[37]
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Other an obvious bulge behind the eyes, clinical signs of turtle ear abscesses include eyes that are swollen shut,^{[38]
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Research source} an unwillingness to eat,^{[39]
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Research source} and swimming and orientation problems.^{[40]
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Research source} Your turtle may also have respiratory problems (e.g., nasal discharge, gurgling sounds) if the ear abscess is due to a vitamin A deficiency.

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Proper care of your turtle plays an important role in whether your turtle will develop an ear abscess.

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Warnings

Ear abscesses that are accompanied by a respiratory infection are serious and can be life threatening. Take your turtle to your veterinarian immediately for treatment.

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Ear abscesses do not resolve on their own.^{[41]
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Research source} Take your turtle to your veterinarian for treatment.

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Do not treat your turtle’s ear abscess on your own. ^{[42]
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