Urgent Care

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 6:29 am **Please help me, my baby turtle FELL DOWN :(**

hello, please help, my baby turtle fell down from 1,5 m height.

(the chair is used for comparison)

this morning, i basked my turtle, i put her in a box, and put the box on the top of my roof, as seen in the picture. usually, she cannot climb the box, but it's different this morning, she climbed the box, and then she fell down, in the picture, to the left side, which the chair is put. and when i saw her, and pick her up from the floor, i see something in her mouth, it was seem like..err mucous mixed with little blood, and she did something like she was coughing, and inhaled a long breath. and then, i put her in water, she showed some strange swimming behavior, lopsided, and she swam only on the surface, and not dive down, and then she coughed, and something red and solid came off from her mouth. and then i fed her with a smelly fish, she ate it, but then i fed her with an odorless fish, fresh fish, she didn't eat it, i really confused, those all are the symptoms of respiratory infection (as far as i know) . but she hadn't show anything like this until this morning when she fell, what should i do now?

things i have done so far:

1. pick her up (of course)
2. clean the mucous at her mouth, she coughed
3. let her swim, and then she coughed, and something red and solid came off from her mouth
4. fed her with smelly fish, she ate it,
5. fed her with odorless fish, she didn't eat it.
6. picked her up from water, put her in a box (higher box)
7. put her back to water, tried to fed her, but failed.
8. called a pet clinic, they said that they had a medicine for this, and the medicine was to be dissolved in the water where the turtle swam
9. have been putting her in a box, dry box, below my bed, to get a dark condition, where turtles can sleep. i expecting better condition after she sleep,
10. begging for your help, i don't know what else to do,

please

help me and my turtle. i really love her, she was full of memory

i know you know what i feel now, even though my turtle is still a baby, 4cm.
i really need your help. :cry:

here, i answering the questions

How big is your turtle? +- 4 cm
How long have you had it? 1 month and 1 week

What is the water temperature? 25oC
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? about 3 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? no

What is the basking temperature? 30oC
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? no

What have you been trying to feed it? yes
When was the last time your turtle ate? this morning after the accident

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes, but i didn't find anything about this

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? yes, swimming behavior seems strange, lopsided

thank you

please

Hello, Have you checked for any shell wounds?

I think the concern here is the something red and solid that she coughed out. The best next step is to bring her to the vet ASAP and request for an x-ray. There could be broken bones or internal bleeding. Not to scare you, but turtles are very good at hiding their illnesses and pains, and that is a very big drop. Before the accident, have you noticed any changes on her behavior, especially on swimming and eating?

no shell wound/crack. yes, i'm really scared of that

. she hadn't change at all, we don't have any professional vet in this city, we only have a pet clinic, and i don't know if they have an x-ray facility or not

. what should i do as a first aid? even though the accident happened this morning.

sorry, i haven't tell you, here i have +7 GMT timezone. now the clock show 06.30 pm here

Have you tried identifying the solid red mass? Could it be vomit? has she eaten any red/orange things prior to the accident? Or could it be coagulated blood?

err....she....ate the solid red mass

at first i wanted to pick the red mass. it might be a vomit, but she hadn't eat something red,

before the accident, she ate sanyu turtle stick. but she ate those things, can be that think was smell like food that she ate it back?

Check to see if any of the limbs are sensitive. Keep a close eye on swimming behavior, and don't leave her in the water if she is having difficulty swimming.

right now i only give plastron-height water level. and put her under my bed. i really worry about the red things she coughed out ._. . and if the clinic here doesn't give me further solution, what should i do?

How is she doing since the incident? There probably isn't much you can do. Even with the right equipment and people, reptiles are not easy to treat.

she have been coughing sometimes since the incident, this morning (now is 4:26 pm here) i brought her to the pet clinic, and they give me some medicine and vitamin mixed in one solution, and the medicine is to be dissolved in water, i give her carapace-height water, and dip the solution together with methylene blue. and let her be in the water for 7-8 hours, i put her in water at 4 pm, and i will checked her at 11 pm tonight, and see if there will be a better condition.

I hope she feels better soon! Keep us posted.

hello, there's a better condition, she started to eat, but she still swim irregularly. i read, when dumbork experienced RI, she/he got baytril for her/his medicine, but i can get no baytril here ._.

i found out something, when i softly scratched her plastron, row 2 from above, side right, she struggled to get loose, was it hurt her?

Maybe her back is just sensitive? Some countries need prescription from the vet to get Baytril, and it's very tricky to formulate the amount by yourself.

Urgent Care :: Please help me, my baby turtle FELL DOWN :(

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