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Hello everone,

I have fallen victim to the mall turtle. My daughter was with us in the mall recently and saw a stand selling RES. She fell in love with them so I wound up buying two. We set them up in a 10 gallon starter tank. It is filled 1/3rd with water, has a floating basking area, I need to get rid of the small substrate rocks though. I went PetSmart and picked up a UAV/UAB light and a 30 gal. water filter designed for turtles. Our one problem is that one of the turtles has come down with a severe vitamin A deficiency. We didn't find this forum until a few days ago but it helped us diagnose the problem. From there we took the her to the vet to get a vitamin A shot. She still has swollen eyes and we have to feed her through a syringe. Any suggestions to help clear up the eye troubles would be appreciated. BTW, could not figure out how to include a photo. will work through in over the next few days.

Welcome to Turtle Talk! I'm glad to hear that you took your turtle on to the vet. I hope that your turtle gets better. I'm sure someone will be able to give you better advice about your turtles eye than I can.

Welcome!! Just another word of advice that wasn't asked for, but check Petsmarts prices online before you go. The prices are sometime cheaper and if you print out the page and take it with you, they will price match in the store. The last heater I bought was 40 bucks in the store and 19 online.

Hope your turt improves and best of luck!

Welcome to Turtle Talk

Have you tried www.photobuck.com yet? Here is a demo of how to post on pictures here http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1811

Welcome to the forum... Glad you found the info you needed to help your little ones.

Removing the small rocks is a really good idea as is filling the tank the rest of the way up without giving the room to escape. RES are aquatic turtles and need all the water area they can get to swim. That's why floating docks are good, they don't take up swimming space. Also, remember that 10gallons per inch of shell is recommended for each turtle you have. If both turtles measure 1 inch+ now, then the smallest tank you should provide for them is twenty gallons but the bigger the better. They will grow fast so be prepared to upgrade their home as they grow to keep them healthy and happy.

I know some owners use Cod Liver oil applied with a q-tip on their turtles eyes to help them when swollen. You may want to do a search using the search button at the top on this topic in posts to see if it may help your little one as well.

Welcome. If your turtle has already received a Vitamin A shot, I wouldn't add any more Vitamin A supplements to the diet, with cod liver oil or whatever (even on the lids). More is not necessarily better in this case--Vitamin A can be toxic if overdone, and the chances of doing this with a smaller turt (although you didn't say how big yours is, I'm assuming he's small) are greater. I'd give the shot a chance to work. A turtle doesn't just "come down" with a vitamin A deficiency, it occurs over time with an inadequate diet. And it may take a little while before the eyes are back to normal.

When your turtle is healthy and eating again, a safe way to get Vit A in the diet is to feed foods high in beta carotene (which your turtle will convert to Vit A as needed without the chance of overdosing). Carrots, squash, pumpkin, dandelions are all good choices. A young turtle may not take to such foods immediately, but it's good to offer them.

Well,

I am not holding out hope that the sick one of the pair will make it. He's starting to get very pale and has stopped using his rear legs. It is getting increasingly difficult to get food in him. We have been using a syringe filled with softened and mushed pellets. But he rarely opens his mouth enough. My wife typically bugs him until his mouth opens then squirts in some food. I was using the toothpick like I've seen suggested in another forum, but I am afraid I will hurt him more since I don't know how hard to press to force his mouth. It's really upsetting to see him slowly starve to death. But I just don't know what else to do to get him to eat.

my male RES refused to eat the first week I received him and he almost starved to death. He became so weak that he didn't move and when he did move his head, it would stagger. I cut baby reptomin into 4 or 5 pieces and he would eventually accept it. Try tuna fish, that works well for me when he is being picky. Good luck

I am sorry to say that our turt passed away last night. I am really crushed that I did not get him to the vet sooner for the vitamin A injection. Needless to say, I will be paying much more care and attention to the remaining turt. She seems to be doing quite well.

I'm sorry to hear of your sad news. But I wouldn't blame myself for not taking the turtle sooner to a vet for a Vitamin A shot. Turtles purchased in places where you bought yours are often stressed from shipping, handling, generally less than adequate living conditions. It's possible the poor thing was just too far gone to be helped in any way. And I want to caution you about thinking that a vitamin A shot will automatically help. The shot is known to have the opposite effect, especially in smaller turtles. Vitamin A is toxic if too much is given. While a turtle can usually utilize Vit A if given orally or in the eyes, if injected, the chances for it doing harm in the system increase dramatically. (I'm not saying that this is what happened to your turtle, but I've read too often in other forums where a hatchling was given a shot and ultimately was worse off than before it.)

I wish you well with your other turt. The best way you can keep a Vit A deficiency from occuring is to feed a varied diet that includes foods noted in my post above.

Welcome to TurtleTalk. I am sorry about your turtle but glad the other one is doing well.

I also am a victim of the mall turtle impulse.

I was wondering which mall you went to because I have heard from many people that this has happened to. I got mine from Countryside off 19 and many of my friends are having the same problem. I only ask because if there is something that they are doing wrong maybe something can be done.

If you need anything please let me know as I live near and can possibly help. Again nice to meet you and Welcome, Selena

If the turts in the mall are being kept in an inhumane environment, then by all means there are things that you can do. See this thread... http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1992

Since purchasing my turts from a mall vendor, I have become very passionate about how the turts are being treated. I say, do what you can!