Be Kind To Pets, Vet case studies, Photography tips, Travel Stories: 3160. VENTRAL NECK FOLD ABSCESS in a 25-year-old male red-eared slider. Neck collar

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2:46 TO 3:52

This video shows Day 8 of inpatient treatment by Vet 2 (Dr Sing Kong Yuen) for ventral neck fold swelling and edema, diagnosed as bacterial infections of the ventral neck fold. This would total 13 days since consulting Vet 1. The video was used as a training instruction for his two veterinary assistants on the care of ab anorexic (not eating) slider with a swollen neck fold.

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TITLE - Ventral Neck Fold Edema in a red-eared slider

INTRODUCTION

The slider has a painful swollen ventral neck fold. The medical condition is known as ventral neck fold edema or swelling. He stopped eating. The owner had been applying anti-fungal cream on his swollen neck fold but failed to cure him. Instead, he became anorexic.

The likely cause was bacterial infection from the sharp toe nails of the other slider penetrating into the ventral neck fold.

Vet 1 had treated the slider for 5 days for neck edema and had asked the owner to take the slider home to nurse herself. The slider was eating 5 pellets per day and would require syringe feeding of Critical Care to prevent malnutrition. But the owner said she was unable to do the syringe feeding and consulted Dr Sing Kong Yuen. The slider was warded for another.... days till he ate 40 pellets daily.

This is a case of a severe infection of the ventral neck fold due to:

1. TANK SIZE. Housing of two adult red-eared sliders in a small tank. The aggressive slider used his toe nails to lacerate this slider's neck fold, causing at least 3 penetrating lacerated wounds. Physical examination confirmed this. With infection inside the ventral neck fold, the bacteria multiplied, caused inflammation, pain and swelling of the ventral neck fold.

Treatment is by
1. Inpatient nursing as the owner will be unable to syringe feed the Critical Care probably and sufficiently.
2. Lancing, drainage and irrigation of the inside of the swollen neck fold to eliminate the bacteria and debri. I used hydrogen peroxide to irrigate the inside tissues of the swelling after lancing with a scalpel blade.

3. antibiotics and pain-killers. Critical Care and mutlivitamins.

CONCLUSION
It is important to incise, drain and irrigate the inside of the neck fold swelling. This will remove thh infected dead skin cells, pus and debri inside the swollen neck fold.

Otherwise, the ventral neck fold might be a hard rough lump impeding the movement of the red-eared slider, causing more pain and wounds from friction when the slider walks on the floor.

Prompt and early veterinary treatment will be preferred. As at 9 October 2020.....get photo of the RES by phoning the owner.

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VIDEOS ON DAY 8 OF INPATIENT TREATMENT - SEP 24, 2020

Facebook of Toa Payoh Vets
8 October 2020.

VENTRAL NECK FOLD EDEMA IN A RED-EARED SLIDER- DAY 8 OF INPATIENT TREATMENT BY DR SING KONG YUEN.

Fold edemas are usually caused by neoplastic or non-neoplastic conditions.

This old red-eared slider has a SWOLLEN NECK FOLD with 3 claw scratch wounds. Vet 1 diagnosed NECK FOLD EDEMA and treated as an inpatient for around 5 days and asked the Owner to bring him home as the slider was eating 5 pellets.

I was consulting on this Thursday.
The Owner was unable to give the oral medication and Critical Care by herself and requested me to treat him till his appetite recovered fully. NECK FOLD EDEMA in this case, in my examination, was due to bacterial infections of the ventral neck fold for a long time. The bacteria entered the inside of the neck fold through traumatic injuries from the sharp toe nails of the other adult red-eared slider.

TANK SIZE:BOTH ADULT SLIDERS WERE HOUSED in a small plastic tray (the owner posted me an image of the blue tray around 4 feet x 2 feet x 1 foot.

This slider's lower neck fold was penetrated by the sharp toe nails of the other slider for many weeks and had become thickened one-hundred fold.

Inpatient treatment for another 2 weeks was needed as the slider was not eating. I lanced the lower neck wound and syringed 3% hydrogen peroxide to irrigate and flush out the inside of the thick neck fold.

This video shows Day 8 of my inpatient treatment. Syringe feeding of Critical Care, vitamins, antibiotics and pain-killers were given. When the slider at at least 40 pellets by himself, I sent him home.

Many Singapore slider owners are not experienced to syringe feed thie sick slider. It is this syringe feeding that sustains the life of the slider and enable a full recovery. Adult sliders should eat at least 40 pellets per day by themselves. Otherwise, they become emaciated, malnourished and die.

UPDATE ON 9 OCT 2020
DAY 22 AFTER INPATIENT TREATMENT BY DR SING KONG YUEN.

The owner said that the neck fold swelling was still present, but the slider has excellent appetite. She had difficulty feeding the antibiotics. The multivitamin was smeared onto the pellets. The slider at twice a day and was all right. I advised around 2 hours of water per day per feeding and direct sunlight to aid healing of the wound. Her apartment area did not have direct sunlight.

It is a pleasure to see this 25-year-old slider recovered his appetite. Sliders are said to live up to 30 years in captivity or 40 years in the wild.

See images and videos below: