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I’m pretty sure the male turtle I’m fostering has a RI. He had clear mucus around his mouth and swam slightly lop sided. I talked to the animal shelter we are fostering him for and the vet had already gone home. The person I talked to wasn’t sure if the vet knows much about turtles. Hopefully tomorrow they will consult with a herp vet in town. I’m wondering what the name of the antibiotic usually given for RI is and how much you think they will administer? He is almost 8 inches. Thanks.

Poor guy. You are an angel for trying to help him.

Baytril is the drug that's usually prescribed for RI. I've seen some others mentioned on here but can't find their names. The dosage is something a vet is going to have to determine. Usually it's administered in a series of shots, one every few days for around 10 days. Sometimes a vet gives the shots but if the turtle keeper is not squeemish the shots can be given at home.

yes bayatril is the most common used drug. the vet should get a sample of the mucus and do a culture on it. bayatril can also be given orally. my vet gives the 1st dose by injection then the rest is done orally. you can raise your water temps and basking temps. this helps te turt immune system kick in. good luck

I did increase all his temps.

Thanks for all the quick responses.

I spoke to the shelter again a few minutes ago and they said that they will probably be sending me to a herp vet. I’m glad they came to that conclusion. They just have to find one that will do it pro bono. The vets around her are very supportive of the shelter though so hopefully they can find someone I can go to today.

I’ve never had a sick turtle before (knock on wood). What is the difference between RI and pneumonia? I always assumed RI was a general all encompassing term for any respiratory problem and pneumonia is a specific infection with fluid in the lungs.

I think the difference depends on where the infection is located, and you're right about the term RI being an all-encompassing term. If it's in the upper respiratory tract (URT), the nasal passages and sinuses are primarily affected (mucus from the nose and mouth, for example). If untreated, the infection can travel to the lower respiratory tract (LRT), and affects the lungs, often developing into pneumonia. With an LRT infection, you'll see difficulty in breathing, constant yawning and listing to one side as the lung fills up with crap.

Baytril seems to be the most commonly prescribed drug for infections of this sort, but there are others that are as effective and gentler on the turtle (so if you're dealing with a good herp vet, keep an open mind if they suggest something else). Dosage of drugs depends largely on the weight of the turtle.

Pneumonia means infected lungs with fluid in them that can be caused by a variety of bugs - bacteria and viruses. To my mind, severe RI when the lungs have fluid in them is pneumonia. And you are probably right that RI is broader than pneumonia but neither is a specific disease.

Maybe someone who actually knows the answer will respond to your question.

From my understanding, pneumonia is a type of respiratory infection. I think most people and vets use RI as a sort of all-encompassing term for any lung infection in turtles. They're caused by the same factors, so I think it's mainly a matter of severity or the actual bacteria or virus that is causing the infection.

I'm glad he's seeing the vet. I've always been a fan of injections of baytril over oral administration. I think it's easier and you know your turtle is getting the full dose. Of course, when I say easier, I don't mean the turtles enjoy the shots (with a large turtle like yours it certainly might be a two person job), but I feel like they don't enjoy any poking or prodding, so I'd rather my fight to give them their meds end in them getting a full dose rather than just a partial one.

I will be open to whatever a herp vet suggests, I just wanted to know to begin with if the vet at the animal shelter wanted to prescribe something. She is great, but her specialty is dogs and cats.

I'm hoping they will do the injections too because I don't know this turtle very well (only had for about a week) and I don't think I'm comfortable doing anything orally.

Injections are preferable, mainly because turtles have such slow metabolisms and injecting directly into the system gets the drugs working faster. (Not fun for turtles or the person injecting, though. ).

My turtle has an RI and we have been giving him fish/aquatic animal ampicillin. He is getting better. It is a luquid and we have been eye-dropping it into im open mouth when he tries to bite it. Hope yours gets better too!

He is going to go see Dr. Fitzgerald at Alameda East Vet Hopital on Monday. That is the soonest they could see him and as of right now he is active. They said that if he becomes really lethargic to bring him in right away and they will fit us in.

I'm so jealous. I loved watching him on emergency vets. Not only does he seem like he's an amazingly intelligent vet but it really seems like he cares about the animals. The fact that he's doing it pro-bona for the rescue group is just great.

Oh, did you see the E-Vets episode with Fitzgerald and the gravid turtle? That was pretty sad...

Good luck with the visit.. they seem like a very competent hospital.

No, I didn't. I feel like it must not have turned out well for the turtle though, did the eggs break?

They preformed surgery to extract the eggs but the turtle didn't wake up afterwards. I saved it to my computer but I couldn't post the video since it's too long for YouTube. I'll see if I can find some place to put it...