General Care Discussion :: john's not eating

[pumpkinsherbet]

at least not that i'm seeing. i took him out of the tank and put him in a small dish with the tank water & some red bell peppers. he went around the dish a bit, i waved the pepper in his face, he just looked at me funny.

didn't seem to have any trouble breathing, never opened his mouth not even to bite (like he usually does). he's been rubbing at his eye a bit, but it isn't swollen.

his activity has been the same, too. i have been tense over the last few days, this is about when it started. could he be sensing and reacting to my tension, or is there something i'm missing?

i hope my baby's not sick

[pumpkinsherbet]

sorry, i posted this in the wrong forum. can someone move it to urgent care for me?

[DavidY]

Will he eat pellets? Did you have this problem before?

I hope he's not sick too.

[pumpkinsherbet]

he usually swims up to the front of the tank to beg for food in the morning, but now he just swims away from me and into hiding. i put pellets by his hiding spot like i did before when he spent all his time in hiding (back when i first got him) and came back later they were gone. that could've just as easily been aeryn eating them, though, she's a hog. i notice she's been spending her time away from me as well, but i still see her eat.

i bought them the live feeder fish a couple weeks ago... i don't typically like to give it to them more than once a month though. but should i maybe try putting a couple more in there to see if he chases them?

[DavidY]

hmm, maybe try a feeder fish to see if he perks up. how long has it been since you last saw him eat? I would think that a turtle might have different mood swings (like anyone else) once in a while, but if he hasn't eaten in a couple of days I would worry since he's so small. Are the water and basking temps warm enough, and does he come out to bask at all?

[pumpkinsherbet]

no temperatures have changed. the switch came monday morning, and i've been very tense since sunday night, which is why i'm wondering if my maybe my stress is stressing him out?!?! i'll get the feeder fish and see what he does.

[DavidY]

Yea, could be he's just sensing your tension. Maybe just sit in front of the tank for like 20 minutes and relax. Focus on the turtles and the water, the swimming, peaceful, no worries, no troubles, just two cute little turtles chillin' out. John will be okay, you will be okay, Aeryn is already okay...

[xsavingsaturdayx]

My turtles sometimes go a day or two without eating, its tottally normal. It just shouldnt go on for long.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Try a coupla pieces of tuna & see if he will eat those. It's ok if they go a day or two without eating. Sometimes they have an upset tummy (like if they ate too much the day before) or just aren't hungry.

[pumpkinsherbet]

i went to the vet and asked them, telling them everything including what my setup was. they said it's possible there is something wrong with his eye and it just hasn't swollen up yet (since he's been rubbing at it).

i went to petco and bought a few rosies, aeryn's chasing after one right now. there were two right in front of john, one waving its tail in his face. he didn't do anything, not even snap. he just turned around and went back into hiding.

i'm so sad

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Aw, dont worry too much. Im sure john is okay. I have two turtles as well and i too have faced this same problem, like kristen said. Sometimes they just dont want to eat because their tummy's a bit upset or they just arent hungry, id start to worry if he completely stops eating (more than two days) you could try offering food, but i just left my turtle alone, then the next day he was waiting for me by the glass to feed him, desperately splashing and all!

For his eyes, you could try Zoo meds turtle drops, see if that helps a little.

[pumpkinsherbet]

should i try a strength test, then? he seems to be moving a little slower now, too.

i just don't know what to do. i told my boyfriend that the vet visit was $35 maybe we should take him, and he said ''just see if he gets better, if he dies we'll get another one" which had me quite upset.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

No, come on now. If he is sick take him to a vet, dont listen to what you're boyfriend said. The fact that he is moving slower isnt a good sign, just remember the earlier he gets treated the faster and better recovery he will make.

[SpotsMama]

I agree with xsavingssaturdayx. If you're concerned the best thing to do would be to take him in. The ones that survive an illness are usually the ones that are treated early on and aggressively. If you catch it in time the survival rate is pretty good.

You know your turtle best. If I were feeling uneasy about my turtle's behavior, I'd go ahead and take him in. Worst case, I'd be out $35 for a checkup. On the other hand, it might save his life.

[pumpkinsherbet]

yeah i'll probably wind up doing the sneaky bit and taking him while the boyfriend is at work. i'm not going to listen to him, forget that. i just can't believe how nonchalant he was about ''if he dies we'll just get a new one" how hateful!