Urgent Care :: very sick turtle

[rbsuesam]

we have a 15 yr old red ear slider. currently being treated for pneumonia and if we can get her stable, possible cancer. we are on an antibiotic for the pneumonia and i wondered what type of antibiotics are used for our little guys. i've asked tons of questions of the vet but always seem to leave finding more questions. if anyone here has had a super sick turtle could you share you experience and antibiotic treatment? We have been issued "fortaz". i want to do a second opinion as well but fear the added stress will only make matters worse. its been a pretty sad and stressful time here as i'm sure you can all imagine. thanks for any thoughts


How big is your turtle? almost 11" shell length
How long have you had it? 10 years

What is the water temperature? always btwn 75-78
Did you use a thermometer? always, nice hand device
Are you using a water heater? in winter
How much water is in there? primary residence 150 gal aq. currently in smaller tub due to fluid in body
Are you using a water conditioner? treat for cl
Are you using any filtration? 2 fluvial 5

What is the basking temperature?
Is there a basking light? yes but not right now
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes but not right now
What kind is it or what is it made out of? acrylic
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? general diet of lettus carrots occasional other approved veggies and low protean commercial balls/sticks
When was the last time your turtle ate? been half week now at least. was slowing down before but common for her with season changes

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 150 gal glass aquarium
Is the tank near a window? yes usually shaded
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? little bit

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? she is fatigued, just wants to bask. as we can't return to our aquarium right now she is enjoying sitting at screen door on porch with excellent temp for her.

[steve]

Sorry to hear your family is going through this. Was the fluid confirmed? Are her meds oral or an injection? I'd try some other foods, like boiled chicken meat and see if she's interested in that, but it could be the antibiotics suppressing her appetite.

[rbsuesam]

unfortunately yes on the fluids, can see pneumonia on x-rays but there is also lots lower in her body with blood. we have injections for her antibiotics, a course we are doing every 3 days in addition to a long lasting drug one shot for 2 weeks that she got a couple of days ago. we wanted to give her some pain meds too but that is oral and so far no luck getting her to cooperate. wish we could have gotten that in shots too but i guess its considered controlled sub even for her little body. good idea on the chicken, i hadn't tried that before and she was always curious before getting sick. frankly at this point i am hopeful she is drinking. never thought about that before either. she is not dry docked but in a shallow tub, with an improvised higher end so she can bask too. i did talk to an online vet as a sutto 2nd opinion...she mentioned that i needed to keep her warmer than normal for a full grown turtle as she won't absorb or process the antibiotic if she is too cold. thanks for the suggestion this is an awesome site.

[steve]

Warmer temps are a good idea. Do you put her in more water when you feed her? You can dry dock her, then put her into some water for short periods a couple times a day to eat/drink. I suggest to add a some unflavored Pedialyte and some crumbled up pellets so that she might drink some in when she's in there.