Poor earlier housing with infrequent water changes; after improving it I found an unknown fleshy lump on the turtle’s front foot. Appetite and routine are unaffected. How to treat it?

A pus-filled white lump on the front foot may be scabies disease, a common turtle skin lesion mostly from mild Aeromonas hydrophila invasion, though some bacteria or fungi also cause it. Early cases still eat, then eat less, and severe cases stop eating and slow down.

First isolate the turtle and fully squeeze out the contents; yellow or white cheesy material will come out. Disinfect the spot with iodine, apply chlortetracycline powder, and plug the hole with a cotton ball carrying the powder. For aquatic turtles, place in shallow water with antibiotic and change water daily. Keep the water clean and disinfect the environment regularly.