Urgent Care :: Female RES won't eat

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2016 10:51 am   Female RES won't eat

Hoping that I can get some help for my Red Eared Slider.

Basics - Female, 3 years old. 150 gallon tank, water temp: 77 degrees, basking area 85 degrees. Have UVB lamp but would not be surprised if I need to replace it. Total Pond
1200-GPH Pressurized Biological Pond Filter with UV Clarifier and 560 GPH Pond Pump.

My female red eared slider has refused any food for the last week. After three days of no eating, I took her to the vet. He examined her but didn't seem that knowledgeable about turtles, which surprised me because he is the on-call vet for our local zoo. He did notice a bit of pink tinge to my turtles back legs, so just to be safe we started her on baytril. He thought it might be the beginning of septicemia. To date, she has received three doses of baytril. Vet thought her growth and shell looked fine, her nasal passages were clear and her eyes looked good. However, she is still not eating. I have read that some turtles will instinctively refuse food in October... but she has never done that before, so I am worried. Any ideas?
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Post Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2016 10:09 am   Re: Female RES won't eat

Where was the pink tinge? Sometimes its normal with shedding skin or where the skin meets the shell.

Baytril will likely suppress her appetite further. How big is she? What's her diet like?
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2016 11:07 am   Re: Female RES won't eat

All of the pink tinge is where the skin meets the shell. On her back legs where they connect to her shell and on her neck where it connects to her shell. She is about 5 1/2 inches wide. She gets a variety of aquatic turtle pellets with dried worms, Reptomin sticks, krill shrimp (thawed). I do put a dried vegetable mix in as well, but she has never been interested in vegetables. I usually have to scoop those out a day after I put them in. She eats once a day, the size of her head. Since my original post, I have seen her eat one whole krill shrimp and that is it. She is acting very lethargic now - I am so worried!! She is still basking and swimming fine. Just completely un-interested in any food.
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Post Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2016 2:39 am   Re: Female RES won't eat

Is she still on baytril? Lethargy is not a good sign, you might want to take her in again. How long has it been since she's ate normally?
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Post Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2016 11:19 am   Re: Female RES won't eat

Still not eating. I have seen mention of a pedialyte soak or carrot juice soak. Do you think this might help?
blairhol
 
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Post Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 3:16 am   Re: Female RES won't eat

I don't know about the carrot juice, but I would try diluted pedialyte (and leave a little bit of crushed pellets in there too).
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