Urgent Care :: Not pooping except little white flaky waste

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Post Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:24 am   Not pooping except little white flaky waste

Hi, I just realized that my turtle hasn't been producing waste except a very small amount of small flaky waste but thinking back, it must have been around a week from now. He is also not eating and much lower in energy. Vet is not available until next Wednesday. I already tried warm water bath but no luck. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Care & Love giver of 2 RES's since 2007: Turbo and Trouble :)
RIP Turtle the Turtle from my childhood. I hope you have endless supply of cheese-flavor turtle food in the turtle heaven. I miss you.
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Post Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 12:36 pm   Re: Not pooping except little white flaky waste

Are you certain that the filter is not picking it up or it's not being eaten? How big is your turtle? Do you have substrate in your tank? What kind of foods have you tried? What are the water temperatures?
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Post Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 7:52 pm   Re: Not pooping except little white flaky waste

Thank you for your reply, Steve. He is almost 11 and about 4.5 inches end-to-end for shell. He finally went after I gave him some chopped seaweed and went another time. He ate when I gave him treats, but now it seems like he isn't keeping his food for more than a few hours. So I am feeding him small amount more frequently.

He's been basking since last night and low in energy, but thankfully responsive and alert but not overly so. I think he's got an RI. The vet appointment is next Wednesday afternoon. He seems stable right now, so hopefully everything is okay meanwhile. Any advice on what to do to help him feel more comfortable?
Care & Love giver of 2 RES's since 2007: Turbo and Trouble :)
RIP Turtle the Turtle from my childhood. I hope you have endless supply of cheese-flavor turtle food in the turtle heaven. I miss you.
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Post Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 3:07 am   Re: Not pooping except little white flaky waste

Usually when I suspect something wrong with their poop, I go to something simple like their pellets and try to observe what changes take place. When you say "he isn't keeping his food for more than a few hours", do you mean that's when he poops?
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Post Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 5:08 am   Re: Not pooping except little white flaky waste

Yes, today he again ate a little and held the food in over 6 hours. I tried to feed him again around 9 hours later but he didn't want even the treat. He's been basking the whole day today.
Care & Love giver of 2 RES's since 2007: Turbo and Trouble :)
RIP Turtle the Turtle from my childhood. I hope you have endless supply of cheese-flavor turtle food in the turtle heaven. I miss you.
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Post Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 11:18 am   Re: Not pooping except little white flaky waste

"think he's got an RI" see any mucus coming from the nose/mouth (in the form generally as bubbles) ?
White stool in humans and turtles normally when digestive fluids produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder are low and sometimes blocked.
Only a test by Herp Vet will tell.

Most turtle I had poop a little after eating. New food in , yesterdays food pushed through system out as poop. Anything coming out undigested ? Any diarrhea ? Watch for signs of dehydration .

Food: I only use Omega One , always fresh, and my veggies some no named foods may sit in warehouse forever never rotating old stock out even be contaminated .
Could he have eaten anything in setup , turtle are so dam curious? Blocking the normal flow of fluids in the digestive system.
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Post Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 3:43 pm   Re: Not pooping except little white flaky waste

Hi litefoot, thank you for your reply. Thinking back, he had brownish loose (extra) stinky stool earlier this week, and then until the last three days, his stool is white and really loose with quite a bit of undigested food particles. He has eaten only very little last couple of days and seemed like the food pooped out in at best 9 hours was hardly digested. Today he seems hungry (he went to the food spot at the tank and asked) but when I gave him food, he took it then spit it out after maybe chewing on it for half a second. Checked his mouth and throat, doesn't seem like there is a sign of mouth/throat infection. The vet appointment is next Wednesday, should I try to give him some fluid food meanwhile? What should I give him? Thank you again.

I don't think there was anything from the tank he swallowed. He walks around the house sometimes, but given RES don't eat when they are outside of water, I doubt he swallowed anything.
Care & Love giver of 2 RES's since 2007: Turbo and Trouble :)
RIP Turtle the Turtle from my childhood. I hope you have endless supply of cheese-flavor turtle food in the turtle heaven. I miss you.
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Post Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 4:38 pm   Re: Not pooping except little white flaky waste

Get some pedialyte ( unflavored) in a container mix 50/50 pedialyte and tank water , break up a couple pellets or favorite food and let soak in mixture. Put him in and watch , may eat pellets and get some of the pedialyte down for nutrition. Turtles need water to get food down so hoping he get's pedialyte too. May even take a drink! Can't hurt. Let him soak about 30 minutes , several times a day.

I'm one who will not let Piggley walk around the house. In my lap on "his" favorite towel watching TV yes. I like most people use pesticides in my home. Turtle's like kids test things with there mouth. Also I have a section in my yard I never spray anything so it's safe in that area for Piggley. May not harm us large humans but a turtle I will not take that chance. Things can happen.
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Post Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 11:19 pm   Re: Not pooping except little white flaky waste

Thank you so much for the tips, litfoot! I'll get him some pedialyte first thing in the morning then.

P.S. Please keep a watchful eye on the big birds around when Piggley is out in the yard.
Care & Love giver of 2 RES's since 2007: Turbo and Trouble :)
RIP Turtle the Turtle from my childhood. I hope you have endless supply of cheese-flavor turtle food in the turtle heaven. I miss you.
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Post Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2017 6:38 am   Re: Not pooping except little white flaky waste

NOTE : Keep the soak warm , so he don't catch a chill. Some use an incandescent bulb for that.
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