Urgent Care :: I need expert advice! Choking/jerking???

[redearlover]

ok I answered all the important questions below. Arturtle is still very sleepy and only eats tuna in small amounts. Will not eat the pellets even if I soak them in Tuna juice. My concern is the jerking motion he is doing after he eats and some times hours after he eats. Like his head pops in and back out again. Is he choking?coughing?sneezing?
or is this normanl turtle behavoir? I have not seen the other turtle do this. I have not read this motion to be a sign of an RI.
He swims normal, but sleeps a lot!! He doesn't eat as much as he use to and is not as active. There is no snot out of his nose or eyes.
My other thought is he has something stuck in his throat?
Has anyone ever seen this behavior?





How big is your turtle? 2 inches....a little baby
How long have you had it? about 3 months

What is the water temperature? 76 to 78 degrees
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? 2 to 3 inches
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? 85 to 90
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? rock
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? pellets,tuna,lettuce
When was the last time your turtle ate? today

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gal
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? no

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? sleeping alot

[SpotsMama]

Hi Redearlover,

I've never seen or heard of a turtle making those jerking movements. I think you are correct to be concerned. When you consider the jerking movements in combination with poor appetite and sleeping all the time it's probably not a good sign. It's not necessarily that he's got RI - turtles can get other kinds of illnesses as well. And maybe you are right - maybe there is something stuck in his throat.

Why don't you bump the water temperature up to 80 and take him to see a vet?

[redearlover]

Thank you! I called the vet right after I typed the post because I just became more worried. He said to come in and check him out again. Arturtle lost a gram. The vet said he didn't look like he had a RI but let's put him on Antibotics to be on the safe side since he is so sleepy and lost weight. SO I'm going to bump up the water temp as well. I'M REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT GIVING HIM SHOTS!! He's so little! I don't want him to be sick, so I guess I will do what I have to. Any advice on giving shots for a creature the size of my pinky?? The vet gave some but I like to hear from Turtle owners!
Thank you again!

[megcornell]

When I had to give my hatchling injections I used a long Q-Tip and let her bite that (instead of me:-)) and then gently pulled her arm from her body and gave the injection. Are you/have you ever given injections before? I had never done so on a turtle, and I was most surprised by how tough their skin is- you have to put a bit of pressure behind the needle to pierce through, which was difficult for me because I was afraid I'd snap Leo's little arm- but they're much more resilient than you'd think. If it's easier, you can let their arm rest at their side, sometimes that worked better for Leo. Honestly, I doubt my turtle even felt it- she was more angry at being disturbed.
It gets much easier each time Good Luck!