Urgent Care :: Slowly starving

[bendelamont]

Hi,

I have had two Red Eared Sliders for 4 months now. I found them both in a park where they'd obviously been abandoned.

I have done so much research about how to look after these little guys, and so they now have the perfect tank setup, with such a huge variety of food, vitamins, and a constantly clean tank.

One of the turtles eats everything it's given, and is growing nicely. The other one eats nothing and is still tiny! I feed them in seperate containers (to eliminate competition and reduce mess), and both containers are kept warm and hidden from sight (I heard some turtles are a bit paranoid when eating...). I figure the only reason the little one has survived this long is because he must be sneaking in the occasional one or two live blackworms every few weeks.

I've searched everywhere on 'turtles refusing to eat', and have tried everything. My only option now is to go to a vet - however, here in Australia, this particular type of turtle is considered a pest, and if you're caught with one, you get fined $60,000 - and I assume they kill your poor turtle.

I obviously don't want this to happen - I want to look after my little guys. If anyone has had similar problems with their RES not eating, or has any ideas for treatment, please let me know! Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

[bendelamont]

Oh, and...

How big is your turtle? 2/3 inch
How long have you had it? 4 months

What is the water temperature? 77 Fahrenheit
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? 15 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes
Are you using any filtration? Yes

What is the basking temperature? 85-90
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? Wood
Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? ReptoMin, Turtle Dinner, Carrot, Dark Leaf Vegetables, Bloodworms, Liveworms, Wardley's Reptile Delight, pesticide free insects, etc. There are also small fish swimming in it's tank, and aquatic plants.

When was the last time your turtle ate? Two weeks ago?

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 3 ft
Is the tank near a window? Yes, but blinds mostly closed - algae hard enough to stop.
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Not a lot.

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? No

[steve]

Are they in the main tank together?

When you take the larger one out to feed, I'd leave the smaller one in the main tank and feed him there. Also, I'd separate them now... it's never a good idea to have RES of greatly different sizes together.

[megcornell]

Steve is right, it'd be best to separate them, it appears as though maybe some bullying or dominance issues are going on. Also, for the time being, just to get your little one to eat have you tried bribing him with something smelly like tuna?

[SpotsMama]

Most turtles can't resist a shrimp. You might try that.

I've heard that turtles love canned catfood. You definitely don't want to give a turtle much of it, but just a small amount to see if he will eat anything at all would probably be ok.

A reason for a turtle not growing is internal parasites. The treatment, however, requires a vet. Not sure that this applies in your case since not only is your turtle not growing but he's also not eating.

Good luck. keep us posted.

[bendelamont]

The size difference between the two turtles isn't that big - and from what I can see, they're both getting along fine!

I'll try separating them anyway and see if that helps.

If it is internal parasites, is there any way for me to treat it? I treat my discus fish using a drug called "Praziquantel" when they get worms/parasites... I'm sure it'd be something entirely different for RES?

I'll try feeding Tuna today - I've tried dried shrimp, maybe I'll try the real thing too.

Thanks for your replies!

[SpotsMama]

You have to be very careful when administering medications to turtles. Some things that are appropriate for other creatures will be poisonous to turtles. And the appropriate treatment depends entirely on the type of parasite. There are roundworms, tapeworms, protazoa, etc. And I'm not sure how you'd even know for sure that your turtle had parasites without help from a vet.

Here's one caution I saw, just something to keep in mind:

One important note when it comes to treating turtles and tortoises concerns the use of the antiparasitic drug ivermectin. While ivermectin is one of the most effective antiparasitic drugs in the world, it should never be used on turtles or tortoises. It can be extremely toxic and cause death, if administered to turtles or tortoises. If there is any question as to the safety of an antiparasitic drug in turtles and tortoises, a qualified veterinarian should be consulted.

[RunninWideOpen]

Only one of my turtles will eat in a seperate container, and that's the MAP. My 3 RES will not. Try feeding him in the tank when you take the other one out. Give him plenty of time to eat without the other one in there. Maybe leave him alone with some pellets floating around for an hour or two.

[bendelamont]

I'll give it a go! I have a few Tiger Barbs in my tank, so I'll have to take them out - otherwise, they'll eat the food before the RES has a chance!

I would never have the courage to administer any type of drugs to my turtles - way too risky. Thanks for all the advise! Anything else anyone can think of, please let me know!

[marisa]

The smaller one's eyes are clear and alert and he's active? If you do separate them, I'd up the water temp a few degrees in the smaller one's tank, perhaps a little more warmth will help his appetite. When you say you've tried live worms and pesticide-free insects, what kind have you tried?

I wouldn't necessarily think your turtle has parasites. Try to get him eating first. (BTW, prazinquantel is mainly for the treatment of tapeworms and flukes, but is not effective in treating a number of other internal parasites.)

[bendelamont]

Thanks, you've all been so helpful!

Marisa, if I raise my main aquarium water temperature up to 26 degrees Celsius (79 Fahrenheit), would that be okay for both turtles? I read somewhere that it was a little too high...?

And yes, the smaller one is quite active - and surprisingly strong. I've fed live blackworms, and pesticide free crickets. By the way, I tried soaking pellets in Tuna today - still didn't go anywhere near them! However, he did have a bit of "Carnivore Pellet" (by Hikari - http://www.hikariusa.com/sinking_carnivore.htm) - which is basically food for tropical fish, but has a whole lot of good stuff in it. Maybe he liked the smell? It's a start!

[DavidY]

At this point, I would try to get him to eat whatever he wants. He needs the strength and he also needs to keep his digestive system going. Once he has eaten a meal, you should try to switch over to turtle foods.

[RunninWideOpen]

I'm glad you got him to eat something!

[yertle_the_girl_turtle]

OMG!!! THAT HAPPENED TO ME A FEW DAYS AGO!! SAME EVERYTHING!!!!!! Your turtle definantly has worms. You need a vet to de-worm them. If you live near it, the Radnor Vet. Hospital. Take both the turts, it'll cost $71 bucks. But, they'll de-worm the second one for free. (I think... they did for me! I'm just telling you what I know as the truth!!!) Than, they'll ask you to come back in two weeks for another de-worming.

WARNING: THIS WILL CAUSE YOUR TURTLE TO THROW UP. DO NOT BE ALARMED IF WHITE STUFF COMES OUT OF YOUR TURT'S MOUTH. THAT IS VOMIT.

If i'm wrong, and your turtle dosen't have worms, don't murder me. Just go to a herp. vet asap.

Hope your turtle feels well soon!!!

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9203 This is my turt's story.

[marisa]

I don't think two degrees higher is going to hurt, especially if the temp isn't kept up for any real length of time. I suggested it because I thought you were going to try to keep them separated for a while.

BTW, a herp vet (in Tokyo) once gave me some of those carnivore pellets for a little res who was an extremely picky eater. He was so-so with them.