Urgent Care :: I think my turt has RI ??

[Buddy777]

My turtle was having trouble keeping her eyes open, and then it became that she wouldnt open them at all. So on wednesday i took her to the vet and she got a vitamin shot and an antibotic, also the vet gave me iodine to scrub her shell with and some eye ointment. but i think the eyes were an early sign of a RI, because she threw up when i brought her home from the vet and now she wont open her eyes at all and wont eat cuz she cant find the food. also i seen on one of the forums that they strech there necks out when they have RI, but she doesnt open her mouth when she does that. I am taking her back to the vet tommarow, Does anyone have any suggestions of what else i can do to help her improve. I dont know what more the vet can do for her she had two shots. I care for her and its so sad to see her ill like this.

[SpotsMama]

I'm so sorry to hear she's having a hard time. I understand how tough it is to see.

Did the vet say what he/she thinks was wrong to begin with? What sort of antibiotic did she get?

I think the vitamin shot may be disagreeing with her. Keep her warm (water temp 80 to 82 degrees) and very clean. If she's having trouble swimming make sure she has a place to rest so she doesn't have to exert herself. Avoid stressing her (in other words, don't pick her up unless you have to and keep the room quiet.)

If she hasn't eaten in a few days, you could get some Pedialyte (you find it at places like Walgreens) which is a drink for sick children. Dilute it 50% with water, and let her soak in it a couple of times a day for around 15 minutes at a time.

Keep trying to entice her to eat. While she's sick, you can offer her things you'd normally only give her as occasional treats - tuna, shrimp, boiled chicken. These are rather smelly. Perhaps if you put them right in front of her she'll try to take a bite.

Just curious - does she have a UVB light bulb? What kind is it and what strength?

Good luck. Let us know how it goes. We'll be thinking about you and your turtle and hoping everything turns out all right.

[TheComputerGremlin]

If it doesn't stress her too much, try feeding her in a smaller container so she won't have to look too hard for the food.

[grey goose]

Turn off the UVB light (not the basking light) for a few days and see if she improves.

[SliderGirl]

When our turtle was sick she started eating again when we gave her tuna. We were so relieved to see her appetite come back. She didn't have the eye problem you describe though. That sounds terrible. I hope the little guy recovers soon!