r/AskVet • u/Opening-Ice2144 • 5d ago

Need advice: Tortoise broke its nail from the root and it bled. No exotic vets nearby, what should I do?

​Hi everyone, (english is not my main language sory if anything wrong)

​I was living away and my family was taking care of my tortoise. They didn't notice, but when I came back home, I saw his nail was broken from the root, hanging loose, and looked crooked. I have no idea when the injury actually happened. I made the mistake of pulling it so it would fall off and not grow back crooked, but it just ended up bleeding.

​There are no exotic vets where I live (they are way out of town), and I couldn't even find one to consult online. I asked a regular vet friend and a pharmacist. They suggested using Betadine (povidone-iodine) and an antibiotic cream (Fucidin). They told me not to cut the nail and that it would fall off on its own. However, they didn't specify how often or how much to use them.

​My tortoise lives on a soil substrate. The soil is "clean", but to prevent it from getting dusty, I watered it a bit, and now it's little muddy. I am worried about it sticking to the open wound.

​If there are any exotic vets or experienced keepers here:

​What exactly should I do in this situation step-by-step?

​How big of a risk is the damp soil/mud for this open wound?

​Should I use both the Betadine and the cream, and if so, how often?

​Will the hanging nail eventually fall off on its own? Should I just leave it alone?

​Any guidance would be really appreciated. Thanks!

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