Urgent Care :: help please... i think my baby turtle is sick!

[hummer]

hello everybody,

i'm a new turtle owner. i have 3 turtles and i believe one of my turtles is sick and i need advice with regards to taking care of it.

the problem it is experiencing is that it can't really swim. it's just floating around and the only way for it to get around is if it pushes itself off something near his arms and legs. it also seems like its got an air bubble inside of it b.c it wont submerge and the back end of the shell seems to be floating.

here are the details on the turtle...

How big is your turtle?
the turtle is about 1 1/2 inches in length.

How long have you had it?
i've had the turtle for about 3 months now.

What is the water temperature?
water temp is about 76 degrees
Are you using a water heater?
yes
How much water is in there?
it's a 25 gallon tank and filled about half way so 12.5 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner?
yes, i change the water on a weekly basis and use this stuff that is suppose to help break down waste and food
Are you using any filtration?
i have a very small filter that does mechanical, biological and chemical filtration
What is the basking temperature?
basking temp is about 82-85 degrees
Is there a basking light?
yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on?
yes, floating turtle dock
What kind is it or what is it made out of?
floating turtle dock bought at big al's
Is there a UVB light?
yes in addition to the basking lamp

What have you been trying to feed it?
pellets with calcium and dried shimp
When was the last time your turtle ate?
today

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure?
25 gallons
Is the tank near a window?
it's about 15 feet away from the closest window
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity?
located in the family room, ppl come in and out to watch tv there.

Have you read the Basic Care section?
yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations?
yes, cant find anything exactly like my situation
Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?
besides the floating around and not being able to submerge? no

thanks in advance for your replies and help!

[jenaero]

The one thing that really jumps out at me is the basking and water temps are quite low. The water should be 78 and the basking temp should be 88-90.

[hummer]

thanks for the reply!

hmmm.... i'll try and increase the heat then.

in terms of the basking light... i will have to buy a higher wattage. currently i am using a 60 watt bulb.

do you advise me using those dr. turtle sulphur (i think) blocks?

[jenaero]

I've never used those and from what I've heard they're pretty much useless. You might want to wait til someone who's actually used them replies tho.

You can either move the lamp closer to increase the temp or buy a higher wattage. Do you have a good thermometer?

[SpotsMama]

When my turtle was young I put a Dr turtle sulfa block in his tank and he ate a big piece of it and had the worst diarrhea ever. I thought I'd killed him. I'll never put one of those in his tank again.

I'm worried that your turtle is having trouble swimming and submerging. One of the indicators for respiratory infection (RI) is just that - seems to have an air bubble inside that keeps it from submerging. He may need to see a vet.

Some of the other indicators of RI are lethargy (lacking energy), poor appetite, swollen or sensitive eyes, mucus around the nose, swimming lopsided. He/she doesn't have to show all these symptoms to be ill. Does your turtle have any other symptoms? The fact that he's eating is a good sign. Do you know if he's been basking?

If he's ill you should bump the water temp even higher, to around 80 degrees. You should also separate him from the other turtles in case he's contageous.

Good luck! Keep us posted!

[industrial_girl_2000]

thanks for the reply!

hmmm.... i'll try and increase the heat then.

in terms of the basking light... i will have to buy a higher wattage. currently i am using a 60 watt bulb.

do you advise me using those dr. turtle sulphur (i think) blocks?

You can easily increase the heat with an ordinary 100W bulb that you can pick up at any store (should help save you a few bucks too!). I recently had my 75W "reptile spot bulb (UVA)" die after only 2 months of use and made a quick decision to just use a standard 100W bulb that I had lying around the house. It worked GREAT & actually the basking area is even a few degrees warmer than before. My "little shy-basker" has even been up on the platform since I replaced the bulb (turtle-shaped wet area on the basking dock) so this definitely helps!

After keeping turtles for 18 yrs, I can tell you that I never use sulphur blocks. Sulphur blocks won't get rid of things like RI or any other diseases due to unclean water conditions. The best way to deal with reptile diseases is to PREVENT them thru the following:
1.) clean, heated water
2.) nutritious foods + extra calcium like cuttle
3.) basking area with UVA/UVB where the turtle can *completely* dry off if he wants to.

Having said all that, if something is wrong, then you have to go to the vet to get a real antibiotic & medical advice. Sulphur blocks are not a substitute for proper vet care. Honestly, I wouldn't waste my money on them.

[marisa]

Has the turtle been this way since you got him? If not, how long has he had this problem? Not being able to submerge and having the back end ride higher when in the water could mean a number of things, from gastrointestinal upset (gas) to even an RI if there are other symptoms. (I know you didn't indicate there were any, and you said he's eating, which is good).

If he's been like this since you've got him, I'd have him looked at by a herp vet. If this behavior has started more recently, I'd increase the temps as suggested (they should be higher anyway) and see if that helps. If you don't see an improvement, or if you start to see other symptoms (open-mouth breathing on the basking area, frequent yawning, bubbles from the nose or mouth when out of the water, lack of appetite, listlessness, etc., take him to a herp vet.

[hummer]

hello everyone,

thanks for the quick responses and advice!

in terms of other symptoms... nothing really. no swollen eyes, no mucus discharge from the nose. the turtle was eating this morning so i didn't notice lack of appetite. this all started today actually, the whole back end floating up and him not being able to submerge and swim properly. he was fine yesterday.

my parent did tell me that they found my turtle on its back floating in the water. my dad ended up flipping him back onto his front. when i got home from work, i found my turtle sleeping and basking on the floating dock.

i have cleaned out the tank and changed about 60-70% of the water and the filter and have bumped the temp up so that the water will gradually be about 80 degrees.

hope it's nothing serious but will post anything if things worsen.

again, thanks for all the advice

[steve]

A sick turtle should be quarantined from your other turtles as well and you should take him to a herp vet.