General Care Discussion :: please HELP!!

[MoXyDaTuRtLe]

u know my tut Jenna? well today i picked her up and this black thing came out. she has short front nails and thin tail. she's (or he) is placed in a tank with a male and their friends. PLEASE HELPP!!!

[TXGUY]

Are you sure is a "she", looks like you got a BOY

[Safdar]

Can you post some pics up

Confirming will be much easier

[scripta_elegans]

Jenna may have fanned you. Did the black thing go back in after a short time, or is it still out? If it's staying out it might be a prolapse which is a serious condition.Here's a passage from this site's health section on fanning vs. prolapse.
The appearance of a turtle's intestinal organs, usually the colon and/or reproductive organ, through the cloaca (the opening on the underside of the tail) is a prolapse. Ingested gravel or some other impaction may cause this situation but may not necessarily be a factor. If the male merely exposes and retracts his reproductive organ, then it's referred to as "fanning" and is not a prolapse. If the organs cannot retract, then that turtle should be isolated immediately. Soaking a turtle in clean, warm water might help correct the situation. However, if it does not or if the organ(s) has been bitten, injured or scratched by another turtle, then a vet visit is immediately required. The area must kept clean and wet until proper medical attention is given.

[marisa]

If Jenna's SCL is 4.5 inches (you're sure?), perhaps the nails and tail haven't fully developed yet (although this would be unusual). Where is the position of the cloaca---is it nearer the tip of the tail or the shell?

Can you post a pic showing Jenna's tail (underside) and front paws?

[MoXyDaTuRtLe]

now she/he is fluttering it's claws towards moxy, he's a giant compared to it.

[MoXyDaTuRtLe]

body and tail
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/ ... C01393.jpg
look at the nails
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/ ... C01397.jpg

[marisa]

Very short nails on that right paw, which a female would have...

The tail is a bit cut off in the picture, but what looks to me to be the cloaca is awfully close to the shell, which a female would have. Plus the tail looks as you said, thin.

This black thing that came out...What did it look like? Could it have been poop that wasn't expelled?

Either sex can flutter.

Why is the plastron red in a number of areas? Does your turtle have a basking area that's abrasive, like rock, brick, etc.?

[MoXyDaTuRtLe]

i really don't know the basking area is slate, not it's like pink and pointy, i'll get better pics

[marisa]

If you're turtle moves around/changes positions on the basking area, even slate can rub and wear down the shell.

[scripta_elegans]

Jenna does look like a female. Like Marisa said, what did the black thing look like? Was it little or big? Did it go back in quickly?

[scripta_elegans]

I looked at the boy/girl pictures. That really looks like an intestinal prolapse to me, and I would recommend following that protocol. If it has been going in and out consistantly, and it doesn't look much bigger than that, I say go to the vet ASAP. Intestinal prolapse is an emergency. This is a picture of a turtle fanning. If it's identical and it hasn't happened more than a couple times, I guess I wouldn't ba as inclined to run to the vet tonight, but I am very concerned. http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... adults+res

[DavidY]

I second Scripta's diagnosis! That clearly looks like a prolapse to me too, and that is a very serious condition. I also recommend getting her to a vet to be checked out. Better safe than sorry.

[marisa]

What boy/girl pics are you referring to, Scripta? I once had a turtle that had an intestinal prolapse, and what came out was pinkish, not black.

OK, I saw them in the other thread. With the whole tail showing, it looks like a different turtle (except for those short claws), with the cloaca further away than in the pic above. There's still some black in that mass that's coming out, and I really wonder if it is the intestine...Has this happened before that you know of? If so, does it happen fairly frequently?

To be sure it's nothing serious, do take him to a herp vet with the pictures you've taken. At least show a vet the pictures you've taken to find out for sure what it is.

[steve]

I think it's these:
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11389