Urgent Care :: sick turtle, trouble breathing, not swimming, VERY inactive

[jisbmx]

my turtle is not swimming anymore, he doesnt want to stick his head out anymore. he cant be underwater for a long time, since he needs air...he used to be able to get air on his own..but now, i have to take him out of the water and let him get air...he usually spends most of his time basking, since thats the area where there is no water and i put him there. he is inactive. whats wrong with him? and he hasnt ate in about one week :( ...and i just tried putting him in the water and he floated all the way up..and..then went back down.but he doesnt move at all, he doesnt even try to swim..ANYONE know WHATS WRONG?

i forgot to mention, when i take him out of the water...he gasps for air for a long time..he opens his mouth really wide and closes it and does it again for about one minute.

[SpotsMama]

(this topic was double posted also in General Care. I'm going to delete the other post because Urgent Care is the correct forum for this topic).

It sounds like he has a respiratory infection and it's pretty advanced. A vet can treat it with antibiotics if it isn't too advanced but you'd have to get him in ASAP.

Until you can get him in to see a vet, keep him warm (82 degrees), very clean and stress free (ie, don't pick him up unless you have to). If he's having trouble swimming I'd keep him out of the aquarium most of the time, just putting him back in so he can get a drink from time to time. Keep trying to get him to eat by offering things you'd normally only offer for treats - tuna, boiled chicken, shrimp for example.

You can get a product for sick children at a drug store like Walgreens called Pedialyte. Dilute it to half strength with tepid water and soak him in it for 20 minutes at a time a couple of times a day.

Good luck. I'll be thinking of you and your turtle and hoping for the best.

[jisbmx]

umm, sounds bad, i will try to take him to the vet soon, but for the mean while i want to try using Pedialyte. but i was wondeing how is that supposed to work? like, do i have to have enough water to where he is completely submerged in it? is he supposed to drink it??

thanks!!!!!!!!

[TheComputerGremlin]

Dilute it about half strength and put him in it. I think just use a small plastic tub or container rather than back in the tank and only enough that he can soak in it and drink it but not enough that he has to swim through it to breath.

[marisa]

Make the water you dilute it with the same temp or just a bit warmer than the tank water (I'm assuming the tank water temp is around 78F).

[SpotsMama]

TheComputerGremlin is right on the level of the pedialyte solution. Keep it low enough so the turtle can easily keep his head above it when he's standing. Some of the solution will soak into him through his skin and he may also take small swallows.

I can't stress enough that he needs to see a vet right away. When you call, let them know it's an emergency. Time is of the essence!

[Bascomb]

jis-mix -------YEP --it is VET time. Gasping that badly is not good. b

[jisbmx]

well, i had today so i took my turtle to the vet...and he did have a respiratory Infection. He got his first injection today, and theres 5 more to go, every 3 days he will be receiving an injection. I'll do everything to save my turtle. and i'll keep you guys informed.

[jisbmx]

ohhh, and they also said he was very dehydrated.

[SpotsMama]

You did very good to get him in today. You are doing what it takes to save your turtle.

I'm surprised to hear that he was dehydrated. Has he had diarrhea? Hasn't he been in his tank most of the time? The primary benefit of Pedialyte for sick children is it keeps a child who is vomiting and has diarrhea from getting sick. Did the vet say anything about the use of Pedialyte for a dehydrated turtle?

[Take-One]

I thoght he was dehyderated and had RI. I wish for the best.

[jisbmx]

he didnt have diarrhea, and he wasnt vomiting, he spent most of the time basking, and the only time he was in the water was b/c i put him there, and he would just go on top of his rock and bask more, but then it got really bad, like i would put him in the water and he wouldnt (or couldnt) go back to the rock, and he would stay there, without moving, until i took him out.

i told the vet about the pedialyte, and he said that didnt work. he said not to believe things online. And they told me that my turtle was floating because he wasnt drinking any water or something.


he was dehydrated, and he does have RI.

i was told to feed him challord greens, give him calcium powder, feeder fish 1-2 per week, and turn up the temp to 85-86 degrees. (plus 5 more injections for RI)

[marisa]

The main use of the Pedialyte is to provide electrolytes for a dehydrated turtle. The turtle would get some benefit if he drank the water, just putting a turtle in a solution of diluted Pedialyte wouldn't really do anything.

[jisbmx]

yeah i told the vet that, and he said it didnt do anything. and my turtle wasnt drinking it i guess, he hasnt been eating or drinking.

[jenniebee9]

so i have the same problem but my turtle is just a baby. and he also keeps sneezing. i wont be able to bring him to the vet for a few more days, should i use the same advice jisbmx was given?

oh and he's not that sick yet but he is floating, and doesnt eat anymore, his eyes a bit puffy and all he wants to do is bask. he still moves around a little bit but not as much as before. maybe he'll move two to three times a day..