General Care Discussion :: how long does turtle need to take the antibiotics from vet?

[insane]

hi, im going to canada on april 4th, i can take my turtle in for a vet checkup on tuesday which is march 24th, if she gets antibiotics, how long will i usually need to give her them? i have 11 days from the vet to the day i leave to canada, i'll be in canada for a little over a week, should i wait till i get back to take her to the vet or do it this tuesday? and it looks like she does have RI but not serious...please help

she is an adult res, about 5 inches

[SpotsMama]

Your vet will have to advise you as to how long to continue with the antibiotics. However long the vet says, that's what you need to do, even if she seems to have gotten well. My guess is you'll have plenty of time to complete any treatments before you leave but it depends entirely on the vet's assessment.

The one thing you can't do is wait until you get back to start the treatments. The stronger the turtle is when you start treatments for RI the better chances your girl will have of survival. If RI is allowed to get too bad, then the turtle usually doesn't make it. Time is of the essence.

Good luck - keep us posted.

[insane]

thank you....what if my turtle have had RI for a while? wouldnt the treatment be longer im not sure how long she has had it, i just want to make sure i have enough time to treat her, or cancel my flight..

[SpotsMama]

I think the length of treatment is going to depend on other things than just how long your turtle has had it. The vet's going to look at how large your turtle is, how strong, how severe or mild the infection is. Then, there are various types of treatments - several different antibiotics to choose from, and some are administered orally, some by injection - and some need more time to work than others.

Why don't you see how it goes Tuesday before you think about canceling your flight. With luck, you won't have any problem completing the treatment before your flight. If time is going to be a problem, maybe the vet (or someone in your family or friend) can take care of your turtle while you are gone and administer the medication him/herself.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Yes, there are these people that offer pet sitting care, and they are generally inexpensive for just a brief visit each day. I would imagine that a good pet sitter wouldn't charge more than $15 each day they needed to stop by and give antibiotics. I know my pet sitter that I use for my cats took care of feeding my turtle and fish the last time for no charge over the cost of the cats. And a lot of them have insurance and training as well.