Urgent Care :: Seems sick and sluggish...

[Billy Black]

So, he seems to do nothing but bask all day. I noticed that his eyes are closed most of the time. They look puffy, but only when his eyes are closed. I think that may just be the way his eyelids look. I thought maybe it was because the water wasn't clean, but I just replaced all the water two days ago. He hasn't been eating, either. I don't know that I've seen him eat a single piece of turtle food, though I always put new food in. I also always put in little pieces of carrot, and he has two feeder fish swimming around that he won't touch.

How big is your turtle? 1 1/2 inches
How long have you had it? One week

What is the water temperature? 78-79 F
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? 30 gallon tank, filled most of the way
Are you using a water conditioner? I think so?
Are you using any filtration? Yes

What is the basking temperature? Not sure
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? Zoo Med, not sure what it's made out of
Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? Carrot, ReptoMin baby turtle food, small fish, Turtle Bone
When was the last time your turtle ate? I don't think I've ever seen him eat.

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 30 gallon
Is the tank near a window? No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Not really.

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? No

[Billy Black]

Also, at night, he just goes to the little part of the ramp that's underwater, and sleeps there. I rarely ever see him swimming around.

[grey goose]

Does he jump off the basking ramp when you approach the tank? Is he yawning excessively or breathing with an open mouth? Any discharge or bubbles coming out of his nose?
Going a week without eating is not too bad, for a new turtle, but if he is doing nothing but basking, and is not jumping off when you come near, means he has dropped his defences in favor of trying to stay warm, a sure sign of trouble. Plus excessive basking can lead to dehydration on top of whatever is wrong with him. Try bumping the water temps up to 80-82 (82 being the max) and make sure your readings are accurate (digital is the way to go). Also cover the tank in the non-basking area to keep the air warm. Keep a close eye on him, but if he dosent improve, or gets worse, get him to the vet.

[Billy Black]

He doesn't yawn, or open his mouth very often. I haven't notice anything coming from his nose. And he doesn't move much at all if I approach him or reach in the tank.

I'll increase the temperature in the tank. Any other suggestions?

[Billy Black]

Also, you mentioned the threat of dehydration. Should I maybe put him in the water, or would that be mean?

[scripta_elegans]

I think a herp vet might be the best bet. My little ones had RI, and their only syptoms for awhile, were lethergy and not eating. Have you tried the tuna juice approach, or another smelly food? That might entice him to eat... as far as dehydration goes, does he have a partially submerged ramp? I he does, I might try to put him on the underwater part sideways so he can have a drink, but still not have to expend the required to swim. That's how I helped my little guy when he was ill.

[scripta_elegans]

By the by, it really sucks that you and your turtle are ill. You have my sympathy. And I hope you're better from the strep, but it still is horrible to be sick and also need to care for a sick pet.

[Billy Black]

Hmm, he hasn't really moved sine I got home a couple hours ago, but I just placed him in the submerged part of the ramp. He stuck his head under water, and after a couple seconds, started swiming around! I think that's a good thing.

[grey goose]

Well, he knows where the water is, he just dosent want to be in it. In another thread you mentioned you were having trouble getting the water temps up. I believe you said you placed him back in @ 74F. Now, this is only a guess on my part so don't take it literally, but sometimes, when babies get a chill, they will "shut down" so to speak, and not eat or move much. When you did a full water change (big mistake) you replaced it with cooler water. This (my guess only) may have set him off.
I've had my turt Bozo for almost 7 years and have never done a full water change. There's really no need to. I do a 25-30% water change every two weeks and clean my filters once a month. Plus a full water change can affect your biomedia in your filter, especially if you don't use a "conditioner" to break down the chlorine. I'm sure there is a sticky on this somewhere....At any rate keep him warm and quiet, try not to handle him, offer him a few pellets every day plus veggies, but remove the pellets if he dosent eat them, those reptomin baby pellets break down fast, and can foul the water and wait a few days to see if he improves......good luck.

[Billy Black]

I completely replaced the water because the waterfall filter I have doesn't seem to clean off all the stuff that falls down to the bottom. It was really filthy down there. I plan on buying one of those Rena FilStar filters, but I don't have the money right now.

It's kinda hard to tell what this thermometer is telling me, but it looks like it's at 80F right now. I'm definitely gonna buy a digital one when I can.

[missibsu]

Your filter won't do much for the stuff that settles on the bottom. The point in a filter is to keep the water looking clear. Unless something stirs up the gunk on the bottom it will just stay there. Several people use a different suction devices to get the stuff off the bottom.

[Billy Black]

The nearest vet listed in the link in the sticky topic is about an hour and twenty minutes away. Though I live right next to James Madison University. Do you think they would have any vets on campus?

I really don't have much money to spend right now, though.

[grey goose]

Give it a shot. If they dont have someone, maybe they know of someone who can help out. Also check with your local vet. He may know of a herp Dr. who might be closer.....My Bozo's been sick twice, once w/RI and then an impaction. I havent added it all up (I'm afraid to) but it was alot....but if your short on cash, most vets will understand, and maybe cut you a break, or set you up on a payment plan....

[Billy Black]

!!!

I happened to look over at my turtle, and he's on his back! By the time I got to him, he managed to flip over, and land in the water. But how did he do that? I've never seen him try to climb up the glass, and he was on the very outside edge of his platform (thus falling in the water when he flipped over). If he was trying to climb up, he'd probably have fallen near the glass, right?

That's so weird. I haven't seen him move much at all lately, and now he's flipped himself over. He seems to be uninjured.

[Billy Black]

So, I picked him up and put him in the water, since some of his old food got stuck on his ramp. While cleaning it off, he seemed rather energetic, so I put a couple pieces of fresh food in to see if he would go after it. He keeps swimming by the food, looking at it real closely, then swimming off.

I'm observing from a distance, I'm not standing right next to the glass. He seems to at least understand that it's food for him, but he still doesn't want to touch it. I'm really worried. I'll take him to the vet, but I work all day, and won't have a day off till Saturday. I hope he'll be ok till then.