4096. A red-eared slider develops a swollen head "suddenly".

A red-eared slider developed a swollen head "suddenly."

14 Feb 2022.  9.45 pm.  WhatsApp consultation.

The owner WhatsApp me a video of her red-eared slider having a swollen head after giving

vitamins and eye drops at around 7 pm. She had consulted Toa Payoh Vets for swollen

eyes of the past 4 days. The vet prescribed eye drops and medication and told her there

was a cut in the right eyelid area. In this first video she WhatsApp to me, the

slider was vigorously pawing his right eyeball several times

as if to relieve itchiness in this eye. He gasped for breaths a few times.

"Is this (condition) critical?" she asked.   

It was hard to diagnose the cause of a swollen head and eyelids on videos.

She said she did not inadvertently smeared vitamin mixture or oral medication onto the eyes

as she had followed instructions using a syringe to hand feed medicine to her slider.

The slider could have rubbed the vitamin on his eyes and caused a strong reaction.

Swelling of the head could be due to intense rubbing of the eyes. An allergy which caused head swelling?  Hard to know what happened exactly.   

I asked her to consult the emergency vet. To take the slider out from the water. She decided to

wait till the next day to consult Toa Payoh Vets, as she would not know

whether the emergency vet would have experience in turtle treatment. The video is as follows:  

. 14 Feb 2022. Video on sudden head and neck swelling. Right eyeball pawing. Both eyelids swollen over past 4 days.

UPDATE AT: https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2022/02/4096-red-eared-slider-develops-swollen.html

15 Feb 2022. I followed up. The owner did not consult Toa Payoh Vets. She sent more images.
There was a large "cyst" on the right side of the collar, preventing the head from being retracted

easily yesterday. This cyst is not obvious in the first video, but you can see it is large. I asked her

to get the cyst checked out. Toa Payoh Vets did not do anything but asked her to wait and see, 

continuing with the oral medication.

IMAGES ON 15 FEB 2022.

Charcoal slider with "cyst' on left side of collar

A normal slider with no "cyst" on the left side of the collar  

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The tank mate of the charcoal slider is this albino slider. The floating basking

platform is spacious. Drainage filter is present. Warm lighting over basking area.

From video footage, I noted that the albino red-eared slider had long curved claws.
One claw could have had lodge into the right collar of the charcoal slider, 

causing infections leading to large "cyst" which could be an abscess or haematoma.

The owner will get a bigger tank with more swimming space.