Cropped version of photo by Richard Bonnett @ Flickr; licensed under CC BY 2.0
Although your pet boxie is probably not in any danger of being hit by a car, you might find a wild one that wasn’t so lucky. Or your pet might have been attacked by a dog or other wild animal.
In cases like this, the shell could be seriously damaged. And since the shell is an important part of the turtle’s body, not just a covering, the damage could be fatal.
Except for very minor cracks without any bleeding, you’ll need help from an experienced reptile vet (or a wildlife rehabber) to repair a box turtle’s broken shell.
How Turtle Shells Get Damaged
The most likely cause for a wild turtle’s damaged shell is being hit by a car. Although box turtles can run faster than you might think, they’re no match for a speeding car. Drivers don’t always have time or room to swerve away. And sadly, some drivers actually swerve to deliberately hit turtles crossing the road.
Fire can also cause a lot of damage to a turtle’s shell.
Pet turtles can also suffer serious shell damage in unexpected ways:
- Your (or a neighborhood) dog may decide it makes a good chew toy. Deep puncture wounds from a dog’s teeth can be especially bad.
- Box turtles are excellent escape artists, and if yours escapes from a habitat you have set on a table, he could fall onto the floor and crack his shell.
- You could accidentally drop her as you’re moving her (of course you’re careful, but accidents do happen).
How to Repair a Damaged Shell
Treatment for a broken shell depends on how bad the wound is.
For minor cracks without any bleeding just cleaning it daily and maybe keeping it covered is often all it needs. Many people do this themselves and have a vet do a checkup later.
Others don’t bother with a vet at all for minor damage, and their pets recover just fine. But it’s really a good idea to have a vet look over your turtle just to be sure he doesn’t need additional treatment.
For serious damage, including puncture wounds from an animal bite or any wound that’s bleeding, get your boxie to a vet as soon as possible. These wounds can get infected and cause a dangerous condition called sepsis, or septicemia, in your pet. There could also be internal damage you can’t see.
A vet can clean the wounds, cover them and start a course of antibiotics to prevent infection. He or she can also examine your turtle for signs of paralysis or other problems.
Depending on the situation, your vet may also repair the shell damage. For smaller wounds, super glue may be enough to hold it together. Larger wounds may require basically rebuilding the shell using patches made from fiberglass and epoxy resin or similar materials. The shell itself can then heal under the patches.
Repair of serious shell damage is not something you should try yourself unless you have experience (but if you’re reading this, you probably don’t have experience?). For one thing, these wounds can be hard to clean without doing more damage.
For another, if your pet does have internal damage a vet can better evaluate if it’s even a good idea to try to save him. Sometimes euthanasia is the more humane option. As hard as that may be, you don’t want your pet to suffer needlessly, right?
And finally, when putting on the patches, you want to be sure of two things:
- You’re not getting epoxy or other patch material in the wounds.
- You’re not basically sealing off an infection under your patch.
Both of these things could prevent healing, which is the opposite of your goal.
For a more detailed explanation of how damaged shells can be repaired, see Turtle and Tortoise Shell Repair by Melissa Kaplan (1995).
The National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association has more advice and links for finding a wildlife rehabilitator.
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What happens when the box turtle lays dented in and now cracking eggs
Hi Heather,
I’m afraid those eggs won’t be hatching. They were most likely either infertile (boxies can lay those) or the babies weren’t viable. 🙁
If she hasn’t been near a male in several years, they would have been infertile. But female box turtles can store sperm for a few years. So if she has mated within the past few years they may have been fertile, but there was something wrong with them.
I have a question. My dog attacked the turtle and was chewing on it. It’s still alive but a part of the shell on the arm is falling off and there’s a little cracker the back with a little blood. Is there any way at all to help him without going to a vet?
The only way to know for sure how much damage there is, is for someone experienced with turtle care to look at him. So some experienced turtle keepers might try treating this themselves, but for most people the best idea is to bring him to a reptile vet.
Thank you so much this was really God information about different kinds of turtles and how an.animal may injury another turtle. Know to get to the point what happens if it is a small injury just like a pucker.
If you ever find an injured turtle or other wild animal, and you cannot afford to bring the animal to a vet, please seek out a local Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. In some states its illegal to try to treat the animal yourself. You can find one through your states fish and wildlife website or by calling fish and wildlife directly. In some areas, if you call animal control, they will bring the animal to a rehab for you. Rehabs will make sure the animal gets the medical attention it needs, and there is never a cost to drop off an animal, although donations are usually appreciated.
How do i help a turtle that got hit by a car it’s whole front of its shell is badly damaged and bleeding if there are flys and ants on it and it wont move when i poked it ever all times
My dog decided to make a box turtle ita chew toy and by the time I found it it has a large part of his shell gone. Our version were we live dont really do anytime for turtles and I have always had lizards but I dont want to just put this little guy in the woods so what do I need to do.
Hi Amanda, Please call a wildlife rehabilitator who can determine if the poor turtle can be healed and help it do that. We have some advice on finding a wildlife rehabber here. Or Google “wildlife rehabilitator” and your state
Found a box turtle that’s still healing from an attack bad damage to shell. But he looks like hes healing well on his own and hes very alert and playfull but I haven’t seen him eat yet it’s been 3 days
Hi Barry,
Sorry, I didn’t see your question until now. I hope your box turtle friend has eaten something by now, but if not please try contacting a wildlife rehabber who may have better luck. Although, if the turtle’s outside it could be finding its own food when you’re not around. And if you’re keeping it in a box or tank, that could actually be why it’s not eating. We humans try to help but the turtles don’t understand that & may just be too stressed in unfamiliar surroundings to eat. It is a good sign that the shell looks to be healing on its own, though. Good luck!