Urgent Care :: Potential eye infection

[BobDinosaur]

How big is your turtle?
Around 4 inches
How long have you had it?
A few weeks, since mid-April

What is the water temperature?
80 F

Are you using a water heater?
Yes

How much water is in there?
Using a baby pool around 2.5 feet in diameter, depth of 4-5 inches

Are you using a water conditioner?
Yes, dechlorination and pH adjustment

Are you using any filtration?
No, water is changed every 3-4 days

What is the basking temperature?
Around 90 F

Is there a basking light?
Yes, pool is also exposed to direct and indirect sun

Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on?
Yes, made of rock

Is there a UVB light?
No.

What have you been trying to feed it?
Turtle pellets (generic) did not work, it has eaten Tubifex and I'm trying to get it to eat Reptomin.

When was the last time your turtle ate?
At least 3 days ago, that I know of

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure?
Is the tank near a window?
See above, and yes.
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity?
Yes, though it is limited to the cats who are content to watch from a distance.

Have you read the Basic Care section?
Yes.
Have you searched the forums for similar situations?
Yes.
Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?

Turtle is basking excessively with his head withdrawn into the shell. I suspected an eye issue based on his hiding of his head, when I plopped him in the water he started rubbing his eyes with his forelegs. If you have any good suggestions for improving water quality please let me know, we just changed the water today with the usual dechlor/pH adjust but the symptoms continue. I'll try Vitamin A drops and plopping a UVB lamp on him shortly.

[grey goose]

Exessive basking is not a good sign. Especially with water temps @ 80F. Are his eyes swollen or show signs of irritation? Excessive yawning or open mouth breathing? Any poping or clicking noises? Is he lethargic?
Try to temp him to eat with shrimp or some other smelly food, if he refuses to eat (I'm assuming he ate regularly even though you've only had him a short time), He may need the attention of a herp vet.....

[SpotsMama]

What kind of dechlorinator/ph adjuster do you use? What's the ph after adjustment? Have you tested for ammonia and nitrites? If so, what was the result? The pool is actually pretty small for that large a turtle and, without a filter the toxins could be building up pretty quickly, even though you're changing the water frequently.

I agree with grey goose. It's worrisome that he's basking excessively and losing his appetite and his eyes are irritated. Those are some key symptoms of a respiratory infection. If it were me I'd probably go ahead and make a vet appointment.

[BobDinosaur]

pH after adjustment is around 7.0-7.4, nitrites/ammonia tests are negative.

He seems to be swimming a bit to the side, so a respiratory infection seems likely. I'm trying to feed him this Critical Care insect/stuff broth, but I can't get him to open his mouth.

[RunninWideOpen]

What are you using to dechlorinate the water? Are you sure that you're following the instructions on the label to include enough for the amount of water you have? I ask because the first couple times I misread the label on my conditioner and wasn't using enough.

What does the night time temperature get to? It sounds like your turt's outside. Cold drafts can cause RI I believe.

With those symptoms I would take him to a vet as soon as you can. Make SURE it is a herp vet though, trained to take care of turtles. Very bad experiences and occur if you take it to the wrong vet (the vet threw my turtle across the room......)

[SpotsMama]

BobDinosaur I think you are on target about going to a vet. The usual treatment for respiratory infection is antibiotics. The quicker your turtle gets started on them the better his chances will be.

[BobDinosaur]

What are you using to dechlorinate the water? Are you sure that you're following the instructions on the label to include enough for the amount of water you have? I ask because the first couple times I misread the label on my conditioner and wasn't using enough.

1 drop per gallon, it's perfectly fine, we've been using the brand for our tropicals for some time

What does the night time temperature get to? It sounds like your turt's outside. Cold drafts can cause RI I believe.

Not outside YET, it seems he went and caught RI while in the nice warm sunshine.

I'll try to get him to a vet this Monday while attempting to get a bit of food into him, though I can't get him to open his mouth.

[marisa]

What's the ambient temp of the room he's in, particularly at night when the lights are off? Are there any breezes that enter the room? Since you haven't had him long, he could have been ill when you got him. Was he this way from the day you got him?

You might try some different food (like an earthworm) and see if he's interested in that. Good luck at the vets.

[BobDinosaur]

To Update, turtle has been on antibiotics for some time, has about 10 days left on them. He is STILL not eating the provided food (Reptomin, Tubife, some bloodworms and the occasional sweet potato) but he may be taking an interest in the snails in his pond. I now take him outside for an hour or two each day so I can be sure he is getting enough UV, I think I will get a bulb for him as well.

If you know of a decent way to induce eating OR piss a turtle off enough so that he starts opening his mouth (so I can squirt a bit of stuff down), please let me know.

[kmichael55]

Lots of people have suggested using tuna juice on the pellets or whatever you are trying to feed him to entice him to eat, or even a piece of tuna (as a treat usually, but if he's not eating at all that would be good) and just a reminder, turtles have to eat underwater, they don't have the salivary glands necessary to eat out of water.

[SpotsMama]

Another favorite of turtles is a fresh shrimp. My turtle would jump through a hoop for a shrimp if he could.

[BobDinosaur]

Another favorite of turtles is a fresh shrimp. My turtle would jump through a hoop for a shrimp if he could.

Worth a shot. You mean cooked, fresh shrimp, right?
Raw or cooked, I'll likely be getting there here.
Featuring a indoor shrimpboat, a firetruck, a singing, dancing Elvis lion, Robin Hood and an aquarium for storing live fish made to look like part of a Russian nuclear reactor.

It's a pretty unique place, best place for food for more than a hundred miles around too.

[SpotsMama]

I buy frozen, thaw it out and give it to him. I've given him both cooked and raw. The shell needs to come off.