Urgent Care :: Turtle vomiting, and not reacting

[neb007]

Hello!

I gave my 13 year old red ear slider couple some tomato for the first time in the season, and a little shrimp, which is a very regular for them. They ate them with big appetite, and everything was fine for 3-4 hours (they eat somewhere else than where they live). But after I took them back into their living terrarium, like 2 hour later I found the male in the bottom of the tanks, completely lifeless, and everywhere around him was undigested tomato pieces. My other one, the female is looking good, she is still active. I separated them, and I placed the ill male into a basin with water. He is just lying there, with his arms and legs are outstretched, and his head is hanging. When I touch him, he very slowly reacts, like retracts his legs. Before this incident they ate 1 week ago, shrimps and pellet. I don't think the tomato is poisoned because, the female is fine, however the male is much bigger, so it can be possible, he ate way too much tomato too fast. I tried to see if some tomato stuck in his throat but didn't see anything. [Sorry for my english]

Please help me.

[steve]

How much did you give them? It's possible they ate it too quickly, but I don't think there would be a blockage. Are they always kept together? Any symptoms before this happened?

[neb007]

I gave them a full normal sized tomato, sliced into fingernail-sized slices. Yes, they are kept together, but now I separated them, the female doesn't show any of these symptoms. It never happened before, I gave them tomato every summer. In the past maybe he has a diarrhea one time, from another food, but other than that they are healthy. Also no other symptoms to be ill or anything, he moved, and swam just like everyday. Also after the feeding, he moved around normally for 3-4 hours, and only after that occured this puking.

Also now I wanted to check him if he is still alive, because doesn't move and react at all and I'm very very worried about him. So I picked him up, and after 10 second he raised his head and looked around, so I quickly put him back into the fresh water to relax. Now he looks like he is sleeping. My animal doctor (however not specialised in reptiles) friends said that, to put him into water, to not dry out, and let him relax. I live in a very small town, where there is no vet ambulance in Sunday.

[steve]

Is his breathing labored? I don't think there is much you can do but keep him comfortable now.

[neb007]

I don't see that if he is breathing at all, maybe he is breathing, but I can't really decide it, I'm sure I saw a little movement around his neck, but maybe I just hallucinate it. Yesterday evening he opened his mouth much more, now it's closed. Currently I replaced his water to be warm again, and all of his legs and head just hanged when I picked up, and there was a bubble in one of his nostril (Edit: no more bubbles). I didn't wanted to examine him too long, I don't want to bother him if he is really relaxing. This morning his eyes were open, now they are closed, I hope this isn't a bad sign.

So summarizing, I should be allow him to rest, and keep him in warm water? Normally when his condition should improve? It's already 12 hours after the throwing up happened.

Also thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

Edit: He really looks like dead, his eyes doesn't reacts to my finger and neither for the turtle eye drops, although they are not swollen. But when I lift his head, I still feel that he moves it very very slowly, but I can't feel his pulse, or breathing. He isn't smelling. It's still 16 hours till the vet will be open, but I fear it may be too late, but I can't do anything other than let him rest, and changing her water and place under the sun to warm up. Sorry about the rant, but I'm very very worried.

Edit 2: Looks like my friend gone. Absolutely senseless and now I see, there is a little dissimilarity in his shell. From behind it looks like his left side is a little bit puffyer than the other side. Could it be the cause of his loss? I'm now very concerned about my other turtle, who looks like healthy but I will take him to the vet just in case.

[steve]

I'm very sorry for your loss

Does your vet do necropsies? That might reveal the cause of death. He initial prognosis was not good, and I don't think you could have done anything more to help him.

[neb007]

Today I took my other turtle to the vet, and she got some kind of injection, but otherwise she is healthy. The doctor isn't performing autopsy, but his best guess was poisoning from the tomato. Although we washed the tomato, it wasn't enough, looks like they use way too much pesticide these days. This was the last time, I gave them vegetables from the store.