Urgent Care :: Adult female RES cut her tail

[dclarolh]

My female RES cute her tail last night by climbing up on some stuff and then falling off and onto her tail which was cut with her own shell. This happened while I was cleaning her tank. She has a big gash about a half inch from the bottom(probably less). She was bleeding. I am wondering what I should do?

[TheComputerGremlin]

Is the bleeding serious? Like, has it stopped or not? If it's stopped, treat her just like you would treat a human, take her out, pat dry the area, and apply a small amount of neosporin or other anti-infection cream. Allow it to dry for about ten minutes by keeping her out of the tank. Then she can go back in. Keep the water super clean and monitor the cut for the next couple days. If at any point it looks like it's getting infected or worse, get her to a vet. Also, check to make sure the cut isn't going to affect her ability to poo. Also, make sure she can't fall off again!

[dclarolh]

The bleeding stopped, I let her dry out and applied iodine I have specifically for them, i forgot what its called. I have neomycin based anti bacterial ointment specifically for them that I will apply tonight. Was just doing a water change last night, a complete tank overhaul actually. It is very clean right now. I will make sure nothing goes wrong. Just asking to make sure there is nothing else I can do. Thanks.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Nope, just keep an eye out for any problems! Good thing you're prepared.