Urgent Care :: RES bitten by a wasp!

[robertwilson]

Please help! My RES was bitten by a wasp (at least I presume this was what happened; he was completely fine beforehand. I came home, noticed something was wrong, and then found a small wasp floating in the tank, which must have flown into the house sometime earlier in the day). Initially his eyes were very swollen and whitish (this happened two days ago). The swelling has subsided substantially (the pattern is returning, too) but not completely; he keeps his eyes closed a lot while basking. His skin is slightly pinkish, mainly around the neck. This appears to be going away as well, but it's a little hard to tell. He is eating normally, but is not as active (or splashy) as usual. I was thinking everything was fine, but reading the health section on this website is causing me to to freak out a little. I do not know of any reptile vets in my area (Hudson, NY). Any information or advice would be much appreciated.

How big is your turtle?
shell is 8 inches long

How long have you had it?
6 years

What is the water temperature? 80 degrees
Did you use a thermometer? no
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? about 65 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? not sure
Is there a basking light? yes (light doesn't produce much heat)
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? PVC and tile
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? reptomin, organic lettuces
When was the last time your turtle ate? eating normally

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 48 x 24 x 36 in
Is the tank near a window? yes, but doesn't get sun
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? some, not a lot

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no

[ScrewZoo]

Is he kept with other turtles? I wouldn't think it was the wasp.. Maybe though.

[robertwilson]

No, he is the only turtle. I have not been able to see an actual bite. But I couldn't imagine it having been anything else, as he is normally very healthy and active, and then all of a sudden was swollen and listless, with a wasp in the tank. He is about 60-70% back to normal now.

[ScrewZoo]

The eye swelling is possible light issues.. Do you have a UVB?? how close to the tank is it?

[robertwilson]

we just got a light with UVB (reptisun), a couple of days before this happened... it is about 14 inches above the basking platform.

[ScrewZoo]

Thats the problem with the eyes.. Maybe its too strong or too close.. try to move it farther away from the basking area still pointing at it.

[robertwilson]

how far away, would you say?

[SpotsMama]

Here's a link on the UVB bulb:

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11796

I keep hoping Zoo Med will take all the bulbs that cause this problem off the market but it doesn't seem to be happening.

Turn off the bulb see if his eyes don't get a lot better. Also, try some Zoo Med Turtle Eye Drops (follow instructions on the package) as this may sooth his eyes.

It's possible, of course, that something else is going on here, but at the very least I believe the bulb is contributing to the problem, if not causing it altogether. Is he eating normally? Have you noticed him breathing with his mouth open or yawning a lot?

If you don't seem improvement after several days that the bulb is off, let us know.

And next time you get a bulb, try an Exo Terra Repti Glo 26 watt 5.0 compact fluorescent. They haven't been known to cause any problems and put out a respectible amount of UVB.

[robertwilson]

thanks for all of your help. i'm keeping the light off for a few days- it didn't even occur to me at first that it could have been anything other than the wasp, but now it makes perfect sense.
i moved the light app. 25 inches above his platform, for when i do turn it back on.

one other question, though: do you guys use a heat lamp in addition to a UVB-emitting bulb? i want to make sure that the platform is warmer than the water, which at this point it is not.

he is eating normally, if not quite as enthusiastically (usually he splashes profusely). he rubs his eyes a lot while in the water. no yawning that i have noticed. he's getting better for sure, but i feel terrible for having introduced this hurtful bulb into his environment.

[TheComputerGremlin]

You need both a heat bulb (a regular incandescent household bulb works fine) and a UVB bulb. The heat bulb entices them to bask and get all dried off, the UVB converts their calcium into vitamins.

What strength bulb did you buy? Is it a 10% or a 5%? Also, you want your basking area to be 90-100 degrees. I accomplish this with a 60W incandescent that is about 6 inches from the basking area. Increasing the wattage, you can increase the distance. You need to invest in a thermometer to measure these temps, they aren't that expensive. Also, considering that you have a 65 gallon tank, you can look into a mercury vapor bulb, which provides both heat and UVB at the same time.

[DebbieJean]

I'm not sure how far from Saratoga Springs you live but there is a vet there, thats where mine will be going if they ever have a problem. The vets number is 583-0609 and they are open 9-7 Monday- Thursday 9-5 on Fridays and 9-3 on Saturday they are closed on Wednsdays. The vets name is Dr. Lucas