General Care Discussion :: [Need advice] recovery from swollen eyes,lethargy,can't sink

[Kemul]

How big is your turtle? 1¼"
How long have you had it? 2 weeks

What is the water temperature? 84°F
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? approx. 22 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? approx. 90°F
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? inverted soap dish
Is there a UVB light? no, turtle brought out to get sunshine every morning

What have you been trying to feed it? baby reptomin pellets
When was the last time your turtle ate? approx. 2 weeks ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? approx. 25 gallons
Is the tank near a window? yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? no

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?
Rather swollen eyes, milky white inner eyelids, eyes closed most of the
time, can't sink to the bottom, floats all the time, basks a lot.

Story:
I got this turtle on Nov 20 (previous one escaped and got lost while
basking in the morning). It looked fine when I got it, but it closed its
eyes and sleep a lot when I brought it into the tank. It is still not eating,
so it hasn't eaten anything for two weeks.

For the swollen eyes, I thought it's because of vit. A deficiency. So, I
dabbed cod liver oil on the eyelids for about four days. No improvement.
I noticed rather hard white-colored thing underneath the lower eyelids and
I read somewhere online that it can be removed on several cases found
on Chelonians. I tried it myself (gingerly) and my turtle's eyes looked
better afterwards. However, I think it's still swollen. I started to worry
about my turtle getting RI. I stopped dabbing cod liver oil at this point.

Then I noticed my turtle couldn't sink to the bottom of the tank. And it
still can't sink until now. It has to swim downwards to get to the bottom.
It floats too easily. I became worried that it was RI. So, I took it to a vet
who is not specialized in herpetology (can't find any where I live).
However, he knew what to give for infections. I got generic Baytril I have
to give orally three times a day for three days. I finished the dosage
today.

Turtle is more active now, but still sleeps and basks a lot. Eyes can open
but still closed a lot, in or out of water. It still won't eat, but I understand
that after RI medication, turtles lose their appetite for a while.

So, is there anything else I should do? Is floating normal in turtles? (I
doubt so). I want to quicken the recovery process so my turtle can be
active and healthy, and fun to watch.

[joeybsmooth]

Are you using a water conditioner? no

Maybe his eyes are burning seeing how you don't use a water conditioner, I don't no about Indonesia, but where in the states the government buts stuff in the water. So that could be a reason his eyes are always closed . And he should be scared one more reason for this eyes always to be close.

[rishu19]

try feeding him live tubifex worms to him that should solve the problem ...
also reduce the water level ...water level should be only 2 inches for ur young turtle(res) also but some stones for it to rest on and come out of water ....

[megcornell]

I think your assumption that its an RI is correct.
However, the antibiotics weren't given for a long enough time to be effective. Turtles take a lot longer than dogs or cats to get better and therefore they need antibiotics for a longer period of time. When my turtles were ill, they were both on baytril for weeks.
I'd go back to the vet and get more baytril. You should not give it three times a day, though. I believe I gave mine one shot each every other day because it takes them so long to metabolize (break down) the medicine.

Good luck!

[bradmeisel]

try feeding him live tubifex worms to him that should solve the problem ...
also reduce the water level ...water level should be only 2 inches for ur young turtle(res) also but some stones for it to rest on and come out of water ....

i think the water level is fine. You might want to pt something for your turtle to hang onto near the surface tho becasue they like to rest near the top.

[Kemul]

@joeybsmooth
Well, the water I'm using is the same as what I used for my previous turtle.
Nothing wrong with my previous turtle. The difference is tank size. However,
thank you for your suggestion. I will keep an eye on water quality. Problem is
water test kit is rather expensive here.

@rishu19
It was fed live worm (I don't know what kind) in the store I bought it. I'd rather
my turtle eat pellets, so I want to change its diet. As for water level, I read that it
doesn't matter to have water that much even for young RES. If I only have 2"
of water, I will have no filtration and I don't want that. It has a place to come
out of water. Problem is, it's out of water too much! Thank you for your
suggestions though.

@megcornell
Thank you. I will try to get more medicine from the vet. Should I keep giving
my turtle the antibiotics until all symptoms go away? What I did was instructed
by the vet, but again, he's not really trained in herpetology.

[Kemul]

@bradmeisel
I put the inverted soap dish near the top. My turtle can climb on it to bask or
sleep. It usually cling on to it to sleep in the water too. Thank you for your
suggestion.

[SpotsMama]

Kemul, you are correct on the water level. Turtles are aquatic and can swim and dive from a very early age. In fact, water levels that are too low can actually be dangerous because if a turtle flips over in shallow water and can't get right side up, he/she can drown.

However, the turtle does need a place to rest when he/she gets tired swimming. The inverted soap dish should work. The shell also must dry out completely - top and bottom - at frequent intervals or it will develop infections. When he/she is out of the tank getting sun each day, is he/she out long enough to completely dry out?

I think Meg gives excellent suggestions on the treatment. She's been through it herself. I'm no expert but it seems like most of the time people on here are administering the antibiotics until the symptoms go away.

[Kemul]

@SpotsMama
Yes, both upper and lower shells dry out completely every day.
Thank you, I will start the antibiotics again as soon as I get more (I ran out).

Lots of very experienced people in this forum. I'm glad I found this place

[steve]

Hi Kemul, has your turtle been eating? Have you looked at some of these options? www.redearslider.com/entice_eating.html

[Kemul]

Hi Kemul, has your turtle been eating? Have you looked at some of these options? www.redearslider.com/entice_eating.html

Hi Steve, last time I tried, my turtle still hasn't been eating. I read that
being on medication could make a turtle lose its appetite for up to two
weeks, so I'm still waiting. Thank you for the link. I have read most of
the info pages on the main site, but I haven't tried the enticement methods.

I think I'll try with boiled egg white first. Yesterday, my turtle took a small
bite from a reptomin baby pellet and spat it out again. I hope it's going to
eat soon. It's been fasting for more than two weeks now.

Oh, yesterday my turtle seemed like it could sink better, without as much
effort swimming down. Perhaps it needs exercise swimming back and
forth after being lethargic for a while. Who knows the exercise will bring
back its appetite and, ultimately, its health. My turtle didn't go swim on its
own, I had to "encourage" a little.

[steve]

For hatchlings, I would try to get him eat sooner than later. Who knows when was the last time he had eaten, so if that can be addressed, the better his chances.

[Kemul]

Well, considering that my turtle was making good progress, I didn't get more
enrofloxacin (Baytril). This morning, my turtle could walk for a while under
the morning sun. Before, it would just sit tight. I think the eyes are not
swollen anymore and they can blink much faster. It is swimming a little
more actively although it still sleeps a lot.

I tried giving hard-boiled egg white two days ago, but my turtle didn't even
touch it. However, I saw today that my turtle bit two chunks off of the
Reptomin baby pellets I left in the tank. I really hope my turtle swallowed
them instead of spitting them out again. And I hope it likes the pellets so I
don't have to worry about finding other food for it.

Here are some photos of the latest setup and latest eye condition. By the
way, I'm going to start calling my turtle "Ramen" here. Typing "my turtle"
is a little too long

Ramen's Photo Gallery

[SpotsMama]

His eyes are looking great. Keep offering him good things to eat - he needs the calories. Boiled chicken, canned tuna (packed in water) and shrimp are turtle favorites. If he'll eat pellets that's even better but for now it's ok to tempt him with treats.

[bradmeisel]

he looks so much better. he is adorable.