Other Turtle Discussion :: We have a house turtle.

[steve]

Has she been able to go outside yet? It's a bit cool, though not a problem for older turts. Are you she's sleeping that whole time and not just taking cover?

[apondfortimmy]

That's a really good idea, Steve. I'll try to get her some exposure today - it should be about 70 when I go out later.

When we pull the covers back from wherever she's hiding, she's either got her front legs and head a little extended but her back legs and tail tucked in, or she's just hanging out with all her legs extended. She never retracts her head fast when we peek, but I haven't caught her with her eyes actually closed yet. I think she knows we're coming because my kids are a little less than subtle with the "sneaking up on" part.

She found a good place to hide last night because we didn't find her until she came wandering out to see us this morning.

[apondfortimmy]

We let her outside for a bit the other day, and again the day after. I got some cute pictures that I'll put up when I plug my phone in again. She doesn't eat any greens so I'm making her the turtle shots tonight / tomorrow now that I've finally remembered to get the gelatin.

She does sleep a lot; we put her in the water bin for feeding time and I decided to leave her in there for more than the 30 minutes we'd been doing and when I came back, she was asleep. Head under, eyes closed, asleep. She woke up and peeked her head above water when I got closer, but she was definitely out. And yesterday I was running errands almost the whole day (unintentional) and she slept in her box the entire time. We woke her up and put her in the water for dinner, but then she went right back in and has stayed in for today since I was out for a good portion of today too.

I'm a little concerned. Could she be malnourished and weak because of it? She still does look skinny, but I know she eats. Not a LOT, but she eats. I've been giving her a half a head of pellets twice a day but I've been cutting those down a little to see if she'd eat the veggies instead. No such luck. Is it too cold and she's trying to hibernate? She never seems scared of us unless the kids barge into the room and even then she just kind of scoots her head in a little and looks at them like, "Come on you two, seriously."

It's been dang cold outside so we haven't gone out since Thursday / Friday. It was even pretty cold Friday so we didn't stay out much. She gets the UVB bulb while she's in the water, though.

I'm nearly to the point of wringing my hands but I know she's of a hardy species so I'm not totally stressing yet.

[adbritta]

I feel the same way about Flippy. I made the jello shots (minus the gelatin because every store was mysteriously sold out around Christmas, but I just froze them into little ice cubes- I have gelatin now and will make them the right way) but she wouldn't touch them for a very, very long time. She finally showed some interest the other day and nibbled at it, but any time I drop one in the tank she swims up to it, and if it moves or bumps into her head she gets scared and pulls her head into her shell. It's a little funny. I tried cutting back on pellets, too, but that didn't work. I put a little bit of tuna in mine, and I think that's what attracted her to them once she tried them.

[apondfortimmy]

Warming up her water now and making the jello shots while I wait!
... she'll probably get them for lunch, but close enough.

[apondfortimmy]

I put a little bit of tuna in mine, and I think that's what attracted her to them once she tried them.

Definitely, definitely doing tuna too. I have a container full of smelly tuna water waiting in the fridge.

[apondfortimmy]

Well, she loved them despite them looking like green snot wads. I've made more out of dandelion greens from my neighbor's yard. Let me tell you, dandelion greens put in a food processor make the whole kitchen smell overpoweringly like mown lawn, but in a nauseating way.

Then she disappeared for two days. We just found her tonight. She got out of her box Monday night while we were asleep and buried herself in my clothes that were beside my bed. We looked and looked and only just found her.

I've put her into her box again with a lot of old clothes but this time she's in our closet so it's quiet and dark.

Can she hibernate without water? When I found her, she was cold and asleep. It's not cold in our house by a long shot, but she keeps trying to find dark places to sleep.

I don't know what to do now.

[steve]

They don't technically hibernate (brumate) out of water, but can slow down their metabolic processes. Does she have a tank available to her?

[apondfortimmy]

Well... not a tank, but a bin that I've been feeding her in. I've been keeping the top of her shell dry even when she's in the feeding bin so she doesn't get the shell rot part wet, but ...

I could give her a full bin if you think she needs to hang out in it more.

[Into_the_Mystic]

Have you taken her to a vet? Maybe you should make an appointment to see how she's fairing. My concern is she is not getting in the water enough.

Can't they die if they are out the water for too long? I am just not sure 15 or 30 minutes a day is enough for her. She does need to bask too I would think.

Just my 2 cents and hope you take her to a vet.

[apondfortimmy]

Well, she does get to bask; I either put the lights on over her bin or keep her in a confined area with the lights.
I mean, she did before she hid herself in our room.

I was thinking of a vet visit if I couldn't find a suitable happy medium soon.

[steve]

How's the shellrot treatment progressing?

[apondfortimmy]

I'll post pictures of her shell today when I get a chance. She hasn't had her scrubbing in a couple of days because she was missing, but I'm planning on doing it today.

[apondfortimmy]

Well, here she is:

BEFORE


NOW



I'm not sure if that second one is shell rot but it's a different colored spot, anyway.

[steve]

Wow, looks much better. You'd probably want to think about getting her into the tank soon. Is still on the same treatment?