General Care Discussion :: HANDICAPPED TURTLE

[KMOAR5]

HI ALL. NEW TO THIS FORUM. WE FOUND A RED EARED SLIDER IN OUR BACKYARD LAST THURSDAY. ALL 4 OF HIS FEET AND ONE OF HIS LEGS HAVE BEEN CHEWED OFF. TOOK HIM TO A HERP VET AND GOT HIM ON SOME ANTIBIOTICS AND HAVE BEEN FLUSHING OUT HIS WOUNDS W/IODINE SOLUTION. HE FINALLY ATE (A RECENTLY DECEASED FEEDER GOLDFISH) YESTERDAY. HE SEEMS AS ACTIVE AS A HANDICAPPED TURTLE CAN BE. THE PROBLEM IS, HE IS NOT ABLE TO GET HIMSELF INTO OR OUT OF THE WATER. WE HAVE A NICE TANK FOR HIM AND THE WATER IS HEATED TO BETWEEN 70-80 DEGREES. WE HAVE A NICE BASKING ROCK ALSO. MY QUESTION IS, HOW LONG SHOULD HE SPEND IN THE WATER AND HOW LONG BASKING? WE ARE HAVING TO MANUALLY MOVE HIM TO EACH AREA. I WORK 3 DAYS A WEEK AND AM NOT SURE WHETHER TO LEAVE HIM IN THE WATER ALL DAY OR ON THE ROCK. HOW LONG TO TURTLES USUALLY SPEND IN THE WATER. VERY NEW TO THIS. ANY ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

[retard]

please dont type in caps

[KMOAR5]

Oh give me a break! I said I was new to this!

[Kallistos]

Hmmm, this is tricky. Red eared sliders are more aquatic, but if he's left in the water, can he swim? Because he needs to be able to come up and get some air. I'm assuming that the water depth will have to be lowered compared to a regular red eared slider. So, if you could bask him maybe an hour or so a day I think that'd be good. Really I'm just trying to say what's practical, I'd wait for what others have to say.

[KMOAR5]

he actually can swim pretty well. he uses his head against the glass to turn himself around and he still has some of his front legs left. he goes under and then comes up for air. he just can't pull himself up on the rock.
right now we have about 5" of water.

[Kallistos]

Well it will take sometime to gauge his true ability of swimming, so I think 5" is fine for now, you can experiment very slowly with raising the level. Maybe you can construct a basking platform with a really low incline, meaning it rises very slowly and is long. What I'd reccomend for this is those $1 gutter guards, they're really long and have holes in them for traction. I'm sure there's a way to accomodate a basking platform for him, till then make sure he's eating well and that the vet keeps track of his infection.

[megcornell]

I'd also assume it will take him some time to adjust to his new handicap and learn how best to maneuver himself using what he has. Hopefully once he gets a bit more adjusted you can find a basking option that will work.

Basking is important for shell health as it lets the turtle dry out and absorb important UVB light so I'd suggest longer than an hour a day of basking- I know my turtle spends at least 5 hours basking a day, just make sure you can keep him hydrated because unlike other turtles he won't be able to go into a tank to cool off, maybe set him up in a misting unit like you can use with frogs? Just an idea...

That was very nice of you to take him in He's a lucky guy (or girl)

[marisa]

Wounds are still open (sounds like a predator chewed them off)? Will he or can he walk on his limbs? You need to make a basking area that's super easy to get on----one with a long gradual incline, which may take up space in the tank unless the tank is larger. The gutter guards sound like a good idea; I've also noticed splash guards for gutters---they're put on the ground and break the fall of the water as it comes down the gutter and hits the ground and redirects it (perhaps this is the same thing)? You perhaps could also fashion something out of a plastic paint tray. Good luck. I'll be interested to know how he's doing.

[KMOAR5]

thanks everyone for all the help. Would I get gutter guards at Home Depot? The vet says he is a male turtle-my son named him "Tank Frank"
Today he went after some turtle pellets. He is able to completely turn himself around on the rock but has not been able to slide off of it. I think a sloping area might do the trick. I'll let everyone know how he's doing.
we're huge pet lovers in this house and just couldn't let him fend for himself. It's funny, we've only had him a week but i've gotten very attached to him. I almost shed a tear when he went after the turtle pellets today! Silly I know! Anyway, thanks again for the support!

[N4784N R4613]

Yes, you can find them at home depot. It is just something you put over your gutter to keep leaves, and other stuff out, but has holes to let the water flow into the gutter. It will probably be to long,and you will have to cut it down to size.

[KMOAR5]

It looks like Tank has finally found his appetite!!! We stopped and got some feeder fish today and he's gulped down 3 so far!! Not sure how much is too much though. What kinds of things do most people feed their turtles. He is definately still a juvenile. Only about 4" long. We've established he likes fish and has tried some pellets. What else??

[Tertule]

We've found out recently that turtles will eat just about anything they can get their beaks on. Guppies would be good for your turtle. He'll get tons of exercise swimming after them, and it'll help him build back the muscle mass in his let that he probably lost. You might want to also try supplementing his diet with things high in protein to help the muscle regenerate.

As far as vegetables for him to snack on...
-Carrots would be particularly good for Tank Frank, they usually float, so that will keep atop the water.
-We usually try to stay away from zucchini, the stuff just falls apart and the fibers make a big mess and get caught in the filter.
-Lettuce has little vitamin content
-Pretty much anything green and leafy, like spinach and kale is good. These type veggies are packed with vitamins.

And much to our dismay...crayfish don't make good tank mates, but they do make great lobster dinners for turtles.

[megcornell]

This link should help you....
Green leafy veggies (romaine etc) are good, carrots once in a while, my turtle loves grapes- I would avoid the spinach as suggested earlier- the last thing you want is the risk of Metabolic Bone Disease, I'd imagine with Frank's stress his immune system is down as it is.

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5

[industrial_girl_2000]

Wow, I give you a lot of credit for taking this turtle into your home! What a wonderful thing you are doing for him, giving him a 2nd chance at life!

Take care of the wounds first & continue to observe him in the water to see how to make a basking area. Depending on how well he is swimming, his water may always have to be a little bit shallower. I like some of the other suggestions people on this thread have had in terms of making a basking area with a very long ramp. Also look around for some foam-rubber mats which help prevent slipping (like the stuff you use to open glass jar lids in the kitchen or those non-slip grip stuff for showers/bathtubs). Maybe something like that can be added to the ramp to help him up on his basking area.

Whatever you do, you have to take pictures and share with us on this board what works for Tank in the event that someone else on this board needs your experience in the future! Thanks again for sharing! You are doing a wonderful thing!