All Turtles Message Board

sushi · Guest Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 2

How do you take care of a turtle that has been hit by a car?

sushi · Guest Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 2

Part of the shell is cracked behind the turtles front left leg, the turtle is still bleeding but not much. How do I get the bleeding to stop?

MinisMommy · Level 3 Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 103

You need to take the turtle to a herp vet immediately

deesygirl · Moderator Joined: 12 Sep 2002 Posts: 1232

To be honest vets will humanely put it down if it is a wild animal if you take it in as such. Depending on where you are there may be a rehab group in your area that will take it in and patch him up.

If you do decide to try yourself, to stop the bleeding you can pack the wound with cornstarch. Cracked shells can be super glued shut. However that is only part of your problem. You won't be able to tell if the turtle has sustained internal injuries or not. Please check the green buttons at the top of this page for some good firstaid info. I would recommend dry tanking him with frequent soaks so he doesn't get dehydrated and so he can eat. That way you can check for bloody stools and also giv ethe turtle a chance to heal.
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MinisMommy · Level 3 Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 103

I completely dissagree. If the turtle is hurt internally than it needs to be taken to a vet and if they feel it needs to be put down then maybe it does. Turtles shells are living and breathing, they are not like fingernails. You can super glue it back together but its painfull to the turtles its not like its a puzzle. They feel what is going on with their shell. Also, there is no way you can tell if it has internal injuries... and you may just be letting it suffer. That is extremely inhumane.

deesygirl · Moderator Joined: 12 Sep 2002 Posts: 1232

Injured wild animals are put down as routine. That is why my first recommendation is finding a rehab unit.
Many many rescues are started by people with similar situations. Not wanting to see the animal put down and knowing they can help or just having the desire to help. what starts out small.......

A turtle shell is exacly like the living part of your fingernail and superglue was developed to close battlefield wounds.

I did mention that closing the shell and stopping the bleeding was only part of the problem and internal bleeding was not something that could be seen.

Letting the turtle dry tank for a day to see of there is internal injuries is not going to be any more inhumane than someone running over it and leaving it to suffer for days until it dies or another animal eats it. A vet is going to do the same thing if it is a pet. They call it stabilizing, what they are doing is checking for unseen injuries ove ra period of 24 hours or so. A wild animal they freeze. When you get involved with animals and rescues you find they don't spend the time or money to patch up a wild animal that is not endangered and is so far down the food chain. Sad but true and freezing is the only authorized method of putting reptiles down.
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MinisMommy · Level 3 Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 103

I agree with taking it to a rehab place... but I also think the turtle should definetly be seen by a professional and not just kept as an injured pet without any professional attention.

I-LOVE-TURTLES · Level 3 Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 269 Location: My House

I would say take him to a Rehab unit and a vet.
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