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Open Wound on Newt-Help ASAP

Kymmy

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I posted under a different categories with one person advising for which I am grateful. I am posting a pic of Newtie's wound. 5 weeks with no change. Little to no eating. I'm changing water everyday and putting ice in water to keep cooler than usual.

After reading about wounds I'm going to try diluted iodine solution. Any other thoughts? I don't know if he's in pain. He is 21 years old and this is a new occurrence.

Thanks in advance!
 

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michael

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I'd try putting it on land and treating twice a day with triple antibiotic or silvidine ointment.
 

Kymmy

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Thank you so much! I have read tons but it gets confusing. I inherited Newtman a few years ago. I haven't had to do much until now. I tried iodine one day but it didn't make much sense and is toxic so I switched to Neosporin. He's not happy about it! You then validated. I'll keep everyone posted. He still isn't eating which worries me. I've tried everything. One day at a time.

Thanks again for taking a moment to answer my plea.
 

mroconno

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It looks like there is swelling underneath the wound? Is this the case? Is the swelling firm or soft? Amphibians/reptiles have granulomatous inflammation due to their kind of immune response/white blood cells, this often causes a lot of swelling as the body tries to wall off the infection. You need to figure out the primary cause of the infection and treat that before the swelling will subside. I would not recommend diluted iodine solution, can be toxic. Your best bet is to find a qualified amphibian/reptile vet in your area (click section "Find a Vet" on www.arav.org). They will want to collect cytology of the area to determine if bacterial or fungal infection. I use 5 g salt/liter water and administer 10 minute salt bath once a day for 5-7 days or until topical infection is gone; works best fungal infections but also helps with bacterial. For deeper wounds the newt might need oral or topical antibiotics. The topical triple antibiotic ointment or silvidine cream Michael mentions works well for more superficial skin infections, but you will want to "dry dock" them for at least 10-15 minutes after application. In an older newt I have seen cancer, some skin cancers show up with more black pigmentation however.

Good luck!
 

Kymmy

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So the bump seems hard. I cannot find a specialist vet within 250 miles of my home. The neosporin seems to be working a bit. The open part of the sore seems slightly better but I could be imagining it! The bump is not subsiding. He still is not eating. He moves around his tank and looks at food but is uninspired.

Thanks for all the advice. Not sure what's next. I will keep putting on Neosporin 2x day and see what happens. Today is my 4th day putting it on.
 
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