Urgent Care :: My turtle ate a crayfish and is now acting funny

[krisl003]

How big is your turtle? 7"
How long have you had it? 3 years

What is the water temperature? 76
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? its ~7 inches from the top of the tank
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? idk
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? t-rex brand
Is there a UVB light? i thikn theres UVB in the light

What have you been trying to feed it? I usually feed her pellets, dark greens, krill and some times fish.
When was the last time your turtle ate? Today

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 45G
Is the tank near a window? yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? yes

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? We put in a crayfish and a type of catfish in the tank and she immediately went for the crayfish. It lasted like a minute and while she tried to get the catfish she started scratching at her throat and kept opening up her mouth like she was trying to spit it out. I then saw her eye completely close for a few minutes and then soon became lethargic and floating in the tank. When we pick her up or touch her, she is very responsive and tries to get away.

I don't know what to do...and it is too late to call a vet and talk to someone. Right now we have her in the bathtub with some water so she won't dehydrate.

[RyanJ]

A quick google search didn't bring up anything about crayfish being toxic for turtles- how is her breathing? Any noticable bulge in her throat? It's good that she's responsive still. I hope she's alright, if things don't appear markedly better in the morning try to see a vet. Good luck.

[Kemul]

Probably the crayfish's shell got stuck in the turtle's upper digestive system.
I agree with RyanJ, if it doesn't get better in the morning, go see a vet.

[SpenceMasta]

my turtle has eaten 2 crayfish already, and the scratching the throat and opening up her mouth wide is a result of trying to swallow such a big bite, the eyes closing is a natural defense when eating prey since they dont want their eyes damaged by the prey trying to escape, after eating such big things my turtle usually gets lazy and stops moving to work on digesting, think about what might happen to you after a big meal or swallowing a big mouthful of food, being responsive and trying to escape is a good sign, if she keeps opening her mouth to try to get water to move what's stuck in her throat or scratching then you should see the vet