Urgent Care :: I need help with my RES please

[jenniferk]

My neighbor found a small (2") Red Eared Slider Turtle on the road 3 months ago and asked me if I could adapt it. He is about 4" now, not sure how old. He was fine until I lost electricity for 3 days, his tank water got messed up and I noticed he started to bask for a long time and not eating as much. I took him to the vet and told him, he might need antibiotic, he said since he doesn't see any mucus or discharge on his face, he can only give me Meloxicam (anti inflammatory) and Lactulose (for constipation). I put the poor turtle under a lot of stress for a week to give the oral medication with syringes but his condition got worse. His eyes got puffy and kept robbing his eyes and he stopped eating. I took him back to the vet and this time he gave me Enrofloxacin (oral antibiotic )Tobramycin Ophthalmic Solution USP 0.3% (eye drop). I was not able to open his mouth to give his medicine, he was too weak. I took him back to the vet and this time he prescribed 10 Ceftazidime injections. He received 3 injections so far but i don't see any improvement, he is not eating, his eyes are closed, not moving at all. I don't know what else to do. please advise! Thank you!!!

[steve]

3 days with a filter should not have been an issue, unless it was a really cramped tank. It could have just coincided with some other health issue. How long has it been since he ate?

[jenniferk]

it has been a week, he is not eating, his eyes are closed and he doesn't move. Since I started the antibiotic injection, July 20 , he got worse. I am doing carrot and Pedialyte soak every day, change the water, and cleaning the tank, plants and rocks with boiling water. I don't know what else to do.

[steve]

I would try a little cod liver oil on the eyes. If that has no improvement, then it's not related to a vitamin deficiency. If he can't see, he won't eat. What is the lighting setup like? Heat? UVB? You might have to ask the vet about force feeding if he still can't see.

I would also suggest taking him outside into to the sun... sometimes it can help them open their eyes.

[jenniferk]

Thanks Steve, I took him back to another Vet, he gave him a vitamin A shot. I have been using Cod liver oil capsule on his eyes. Still no improvement, his eyes are closed. he doesn't have mucus on his face, few days ago, he was making a wheezing and coughing sound, i created humidity in his tank and did a couple of vicks therapy and he seems like he is breathing ok, but he is not eating and he is not active. what I have noticed is that he keeps leaning his neck to the right, not sure what that means..

[steve]

Did they run any other tests? Did they discus any force feeding options? If the cod liver oil didn't work, I dont think the vitamin A shot will have any effect. Have you tried getting him sun? What is the lighting/UVB setup like?

[jenniferk]

he has good lighting/UVB setup. the vet suggested tube feeding, but he wants to sedate him with an injection. so far he has had 7 antibiotic injections, Vitamin A injection and vitamin B12 injection. his eyes are still shot and he is not eating, sometimes he does open mouth breathing, and sneezes. Do you think, I need to start around round of antibiotic injections? I hate doing this to him, this will add more stress. anything I can do at home to help him? Thank you

[steve]

Were there any (blood) tests to determine infections? I would do some Pedialyte soaks and leave up some crumbled up pellets in there.

I don't think his condition will improve, especially if he's not eating.

[jenniferk]

I took him to the vet today and they did tube feeding (horrible, he had to sedate him) and washed his eyes. He doesn't show any symptom of RI anymore, no gasping or sneezing , but the eyes are still shot. I can't tell what could be wrong. I do Pedialyte and carrot soak with pellets. is there a home remedy I can do to help with his eyes? Thanks

[steve]

Sorry to hear he has to go through that. Unless there was an antibiotic ointment prescribed for the eyes, I would also try getting him into some sunlight. Keep the UVB lamp off for a couple of days.

[jenniferk]

Steve, since the vet Flushed my RES eyes, his eyes look strange, I can't describe it. do you know the flushing process? I can't find anything on the internet, I am worried he damaged his eyes. He used a blunt needle and kept forcing it to his eyelids and pressuring his eyelids with his figure, he said he needs to get the pus out but I have never seen any discharge from his eyes. I am worried..

[steve]

Sorry, Im not familiar with it. I would check with a different vet for other options/opinions.