Here's a shot from above
that better demonstrates the size of the abscess.

The hardest part of this whole thing was getting her head out and keeping it out!

Here's the incision.
You have to look closely to see it in this photo

Remember, I did this alone,
and I only have 2 hands!

Tools:

Rubbing Alcohol, cotton balls, Q-tips, hydrogen peroxide, a baby nasal aspirator, Neosporin, x-acto knife with 3 extra blades, ...and a beer mug!

I started by giving her a nice long soak to relax her and to clean off any top soil that was clinging to her. While she was soaking I prepared an area on the floor. I placed a clean towel on the floor with a layer of paper towels on top. Then I sterilized my x-acto knife on the stove top and cleaned it off with alcohol. I took a large mug and poured in about 3 inches of hydrogen peroxide.

Now for the tricky part. I had to coax her out. I find the best way to coax a box turtle out is to place it on your lap facing away from you, and then you slowly drag it backwards. The hind legs will come out first trying to stop the dragging. Then the front legs and head will follow. I usually grab the front right leg and then work my fingers in behind the head. It's tricky but you have to be persistent. The above photo is of the final "grip".

Once I had her in this grip, I proceeded to clean the area to be lanced with a cotton ball moistened with alcohol letting the area dry. Then I began to make the incision. I was surprised how thick the skin was. At first, it was hard to tell what was skin and what was puss. Then it was a matter of removing as much of the puss as possible. It was like fetter cheese - really gross stuff. I made sure to squeeze up from the neck towards the head getting all the puss to "pop" out of the incision. The first piece was pretty big, followed by the smaller remaining pieces. The above photo of the incision is after the puss was removed.

Then I took the baby nasal aspirator and filled it with hydrogen peroxide from the mug that I had prepared earlier. The small soft rubber tip fit right into the incision, enabling me to flush out the cavity pretty well. Then I took a Q-tip dipped in peroxide and worked it into the incision twisting it slightly. After this I took another Q-tip coated with Neosporin and did the same, coating the wound inside and out with the ointment.

Well, that was it. Now she's in a nice clean Rubbermaid tub with paper substrate, a small water dish, a heat lamp and a hide box. I just have to clean the wound of any additional puss that might still be there, and replace the ointment daily for about a week or so.

Follow Up!

The "operation" took place on Friday Feb. 16, 2001. Here is an update photo taken July 11, 2001. The area seems to have healed up well. She is quite the eater, and I believe she is gravid as of today. Thanks to everyone for your support through all your great advice from your experiences.