General Care Discussion :: yawning/gaping a lot

[tipzysmum]

i dont even want to ask this but what do i do now? where do i put his body. i dont have a yard. i dont even want to think about this. it hurts to look at him lifeless...its just too much

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Your not stupid, dont hate yourself - you have no reason too. It's not your fault, you obviously cared enough as to call a vet. Some people dont do that..you know, they would rather buy another 6$ turtle

You realy cared about the little guy. Im sure he's fine wherever he's at right now

Dont let this experience ruin the wonderful task of or raising a turtle, there are many out there, in need of a good home..I'm sure tipzy would have wanted that.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

i dont even want to ask this but what do i do now? where do i put his body. i dont have a yard. i dont even want to think about this. it hurts to look at him lifeless...its just too much

Do you have a nice deserted forest area? A pond? When my girlfriends turtle died, we took it to a nearby pond in a closed jewelry box and buried it there...

[tipzysmum]

i guess i could take him to this place called edgewater...its a river viewing new york city.

[tipzysmum]

i don't think i will get another turtle soon...

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Thats fine..just keep your head up high, you'll be okay

[tipzysmum]

so i just want to make sure he is dead because people told me that they are suppose to go down the water and all their feet and hands would be tucked all the way in their shell...this is what he looks like now...his head is tucked in a little but his arms and feet are out of his shell. is he really dead? how do i really check? i mean i picked him up but he didn't move at all.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

How long has he stayed like that for? Try taking his leg out of his shell - if he's alive he will most probably tuck it back in.

[DavidY]

You could try tugging on his leg and see if there's any reaction. But if he's not moving at all when you pick him up, that's not a good sign. Are his neck and limbs limp?

I feel so sad for you. These guys are so cute and personable it's so easy to become very attached to them. Hang in there and please don't be hard on yourself. Even veterinarians don't always know enough about turtles to be able to take care of them. Sometimes these things just happen no matter how hard we try. I think you are a very special person because you care so much! I think you would make a wonderful turtle mom if you ever decide to try again.

[marisa]

If you tug gently on his limbs, does he respond (retract them at all)? What do his eyes look like? If they're open, is there a film over them? If they're closed and he is gone, they will eventually look sunken.

You could wait a bit (if it's not too painful for you) just to make sure he's really gone. I once waited overnight to see if a turtle was really gone (but I knew that was wishful thinking on my part).

If you're sure he's gone and you decide to bury him, find a place where you can dig deep enough so that nothing can dig him up.