Urgent Care :: something wrong, i think he's gonna die :(

[frioverte]

omgosh! this is my second RES, i just lost my last RES a month ago and now my new turtle is acting funny today. he is extending his neck and makes an air bubble in his throat and opens his mouth in this one motion.

its almost like he's making a regurgitating/ gag motion. but he only does it every few moments. he was only doing this today, he was completely fine last nite! please any feedback will be helpful. thanks guys

[steve]

Can you provide a bit more information.... there are some questions in this link:
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2142

[cprcheetah]

Can you give us more info? Any other changes? What is your set up? How long have you had him, and where did you get him? How big is he?

[frioverte]

How big is your turtle? .........shell 2 inches long
How long have you had it? ...1 month

What is the water temperature? 79-84 degrees
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? 7 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? i dunno
Is there a basking light? yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? reptomin turtle dock
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? pellets, feeder fish, and shrimp treats
When was the last time your turtle ate? yesterday

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallon
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity?yes, only a few hours of the day

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? YES ALOT

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? desribed above

[missibsu]

When my turts go up to the water surface for air, they tend to puff out their neck area. Is this what you are seeing, or is he doing it under water?

Also, at 2 inches, your turtle should have at least 20 gallons of water. Are there plans to upgrade soon?

[flutterby]

I agree with Missi 100%. A word of advice, your turtles diet seems to be heavy on protien, I would start introducing greens into its diet.

[frioverte]

ok, thanks for the feedback, but i believe this is something much more serious. he is almost reminding me of last turtle before he died. he has not been in the water all day, only on the dock. his eyes have been closed most of the time and he stil extends his neck straight up and makes the air bubble and opens his mouth as almost gasping for air.

i'm really sad now and i don't think he is going to make it. he is a very active swimmer. i also feel that his body looks swollen. last i checked he was laying on the dock with his head out drooping against the dock floor.

[frioverte]

i feel like this is my fault. and i am realizing it must be their tank setup and that they are eating something from the tank. we have rocks in there (which i hear is bad) but they are too big to eat, much larger than their heads. and i have an artificial plant for decoration... :'( am i a bad mother? i am definitely going to change their tank setup asap. i just hope this one makes it..

[missibsu]

Find a herp vet. If it's gotten this far, there isn't much that anyone here can do to help you. A vet is going to be your best option. Small rocks are no good. You'd be amazed at the size rocks they can eat, despite the turts size. Try large pieces of river rock instead. And watch for other rocks to be passed with the waste, they will need removed too (if there is any).