General Care Discussion :: New RES owner

[Ispakles]

I took a closer photo:

Is it really an abcess?

[xsavingsaturdayx]

No you cannot do it yourself. Only a vet can, he will need to be put on anesthesia and antibiotics after to kill/prevent infection. An abcess will only get bigger and bigger, and it will hurt worse, and worse, and worse for him. Eventually he will die, if he is not treated.

I have no idea about the shell, honestly. But you realy need to get him to a vet asap..

Oh and about the clamp lamps, he NEEDS them, both UVB and UVA, i would not rely on an open window as cool breezes can get him sick and it may not always get to the desired basking temps (88 - 92 degrees) plus when winter comes, if you rely on a window, all your asking for is pneumonia. Seriously, i have two setups and my electrical bill hasnt gone up at all.

[SpotsMama]

What Steve and xsaviingsaturdayx say about getting the abcess lanced by a vet is correct. The sooner the better - won't help to put it off.

On the shell, you might try GENTLY cleaning it with a soft toothbrush. Hold him over the sink while you do it so he doesn't get away from you. Don't rub too hard because their shells are sensitive. If the coating is just algae perhaps it will come off. If it doesn't, though, don't force it.

[Ispakles]

Ok, thanks for all the advice. I cleaned the shell and most of the black stuff came out but some is still there. I don't dare to brush too hard so I guess I'll wait for it to drop off slowly by itself. I've booked an appointment with the vet this Friday.

By the way, is a filter needed for my tank? I'm changing the water daily and I add anti-chlorine. I don't feed him in the tank so the water is clean most of the time. He doesn't seem to like to stay in the water much even if it is warm or cold. He always climbs up the rocks or slope and would just rest there and falls asleep sometimes.

We don't have winter here in Singapore as it is always hot and sunny though I guess I would ask the vet if it is really necessary for me to get a UVB light.

[octpusgirl8]

I'm glad you are taking the little guy to the vet, such lethargic behavior is really not normal. You should really get a filter, even if the water looks clean it can be full of ammonia and other nasty stuff. About the basking lights, you need one that heats the basking area up to about 10 degrees (that's in farenheight, i don't know what that would be in celcius) warmer than the water temp. A thermometer is a must, you can't tell by feel. He/she also needs a source of UVB rays, this can come in the form of a flourescent bulb designed for the purpose, or it can come from careful daily exposure to unfiltered sunlight. Light coming through a window, even if it's only a screen, is not sufficient. UVB is very important for the proper growth of your turtle, it allows the body to utilize the calcium in their diet.

I'm so glad that you are giving him a good home, i'm sure you will take good care of him (or her). Let us know what the vet says, and best of luck!

[Ispakles]

Hi guys! I'm back from the vet. She says that she can't operate on him to remove the abcess as he is too young and small so the anesthetic might be too much for such a young turtle to handle. Also, she can't hold the head to remove it as his head is so small! She gave him anti-septic solution and told me to apply twice daily to the area and let him dry for 5-10 mins. It would help prevent the abcess from worsening and hopefully it would drop off.

By the way, Tinky(that's his name) is much more active now. I guess it was because I had only fed him vege for the first few days that was why he was lethargic. And the vet says it's a 'he' as he has a very long tail.

One more thing: when ever I put him in a seperate container for feeding, he tries really hard to climb up of it after eating. He even clings onto the edge of the container and tries to pull himself up! So far, I'm really impressed by his strength, he almost got out of the container! I guess I would need a container that is taller to prevent it from escaping after eating but is this common for RES? Do you guys experience similar situations?

[SpotsMama]

It's really good to hear that Tinky is more energetic. It's also good that he has an appetite. And yes - it's quite normal for him to be trying to escape - they do that all the time and they never outgrow it.

Isn't it interesting how strong they are? I've had my little guy for four years and the strength in his legs still amazes me. He can lift himself straight up with the strength in his arms, which means that any time he can get his "hands" on the rim of something, he can climb out of it! You really have to be careful about whatever container Tinky's in - make sure he can't reach the rim - turtles are great little escape artists and they will get away from you given half a chance.

About Tinky being a male, I don't think the vet is familiar with this type of turtle because they don't develop their differentiating characteristics until they are around 4" long. Little Tinky is much too small to tell. Your vet has a 50%/50% chance of being correct on this!

I sure hope the vet is right about the abcess. Keep a close eye on it and if it grows at all you'd better see if you can find a different vet.

[SpotsMama]

On the tank water quality - as long as you're able to change it every day it should be ok. When he gets to be too big for his tank and you have to upgrade to a bigger one, you're probably not going to want to change the water every day, and then you should be prepared to invest in a good filter.

And on the UVB, if you're able to be outside with your turtle in the sunshine for several hours every week he can get by without without a UVB bulb - but my guess is that would get old pretty fast. The UVB in sunlight is filter out by glass and screens so he won't be getting any while he's in his tank. It's essential that he get enough UVB because he needs it to absorb calcium, which is what his shell and bones are made of.

[Ispakles]

OMG good news! It fell out! I woke up today, and saw that the pus has fallen off. There's a little hole there but the vet did say that it would heal. I just have to continue applying the antiseptic solution. I'm so glad it came out! Tinky seems happy too as he's not scratching the area that much when I applied the antiseptic solution. =)

I'm not taking any chances if the water gets dirty and he might come down with something else, so I'm changing the water daily. I'm bringing it out into the sun at least an hour a day. Yeah, I'll get a better tank with UVB when he gets bigger.

[Threepwood]

Glad to hear the abcess fell off (ick). Hopefully Tinky makes a full recovery. I mean, he has to -- that's a cool name.

[Ispakles]

It looks like this now:


And the shell's much cleaner now:


Anyway, thanks for all the help guys!

[SpotsMama]

Isn't that something! I've never seen anything like it. I'm very happy for little Tinky - and you too!

[Ispakles]

Yeah I'm so happy and I've learnt much about taking care of terrapins. =)

[Threepwood]

Holy wow...must feel pretty good having that out of there now, even though there's a giant crater in the side of his head. Very interesting picture.

[Tenodera]

glad to hear the little baby's feeling better!