Respiratory
problems are most often the cause of swollen ears
in turtles. Slightly swollen ears on their own are
usually nothing to be concerned about. It is the underlying
condition that caused this problem that you will need to worry
about.
If this is left untreated the ears
will likely continue to swell. When this happens the ear canal
of the turtle may need to be surgically opened to facilitate
removal of the pus which will have accumulated in the ear.
Antibiotics are then provided to cure the respiratory infection
or disease. The recovery time for this procedure can be quite
lengthy. Water turtles will have the most trouble because
you will likely need to keep them out of the water while the
initial healing is in progress. Obviously it is much easier
to catch this early on and provide treatment for your turtle
than it is to put your turtle through surgery.
The swollen ears of the turtle
are probably the least of your concerns as it is generally
a sign of something larger, and the devastating nature of
respiratory infections
require the turtle to be looked at immediately.
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