Urgent Care :: Administration of Baytril medicine

[DMA02]

I'll answer the following to comply with forum rules.

How big is your turtle? 1.5 inches
How long have you had it? 1 month

What is the water temperature? 28 celcius
Did you use a thermometer? yes 2
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? 20 liters
Are you using a water conditioner? yes, Sera water conditioner for fresh water fish
Are you using any filtration? Yes, internal filter with activated carbon and filter wool

What is the basking temperature? Don't know
Is there a basking light? Yes, 40wat incandescent light bulb
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Legos
Is there a UVB light? No, but will get one on the 21st of March

What have you been trying to feed it? Turtle pellets, dried shrimps and tunafish
When was the last time your turtle ate? 1 day ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 40cm by 15cm by 30cm (LWH)
Is the tank near a window? in close proximity but not directly near it
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? No

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? He swims a bit lopsided.
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OK, my RES is quite young and I know he has a respitory infection because he swims a bit lopsided. So I put him in a small tank alone with a filter and heater and basking are so not to infect the other turtles.

He's been sick for maybe 4 to 5 days. He's doing ok in the sense that he still eats every day. I soak turtle pellets in tunafish juice to entice him.

There are hardly any reptile vets in my area and I may resort to giving him Baytril anti-biotics my self. I found this website as a small guide http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_agents/enrofloxacin_baytril.php but I am a bit unsure on the dosage and the amount of water to dilute it in (if it should.) So looking for help baytril administration with a young RES.

Thanks

[DMA02]

I found a place that sells Enrofloxacin 20%, which is supposed to be the same as Baytril. She said they have liquid and powder form. I asked for liquid form which should be taken orally.

I figure i'll dilute it in water (will see the weight of the turtles) and put them in the water for about 1 to 2 hours hoping they'll drink some of it.

[megcornell]

There's really no chance your turtle will willingly drink the baytril.

Can you get an accurate weight of the ill turtle? If you can, there are websites that show the correct dosage, but it gets complicated as some formulas are more "pure" than others. Really, it'd be best if you could at least CALL a vet and see if they can't counsel you over the phone. Randomly administering antibiotics to an already ill turtle isn't a good idea.

[TheComputerGremlin]

I agree with Meg, you need counsel from a vet. It doesn't have to be a reptile vet, any vet will be able to administer medications. They can speak over the phone with a herp vet if they need further assistance.

First, how can you be 100% sure your turtle has an RI? Does he have many of the symptoms, or just the lopsided swimming? The fact that he's still eating is positive that either it is in an early stage, or may not be an RI altogether. Giving antibiotics to any animal that doesn't need them is unnecessary, and giving the wrong dosage may lead to the formation of super-bugs if they aren't killed properly.

Second, I doubt that putting it in the water will do much good. Your turtle would need to drink all of the water, and that's not likely. You need to either administer the antibiotic via mouth (if it's meant to be taken orally) or via injection. And it will need to be the proper dosage for at least 7-10 days, but often herp vets recommend one dosage every 2 or 3 days, which is why this is best left to a vet.

People on this board have driven 2-3 or more hours away to get their turtles to a herp vet. Where are you located? It's possible that someone on the board here knows of one nearby.

[marisa]

You said there are "hardly" any reptile vets in your area---that means there must be some. Do call and discuss the situation with one and get some advice on the correct dosage for your turtle (it's normally by weight).

[DMA02]

1. The turtle does have RI infection. Gasps for air, swims lopsided and now hasn't eaten for 2 days.

2. There are NO reptile vets here.

3. I talked to some vets they told me a formual of 0.5ml of baytril per 100ml of water.

I know of some methods to force a turtle to eat but don't know if I can do that with a turtle so small. He's 1.5 inches in length. I'd guess 10grams.

Either way I am not gonna inject this stuff into the turtle my self, just trying to do whatever I can. Right now i'm just putting it in the water and isolating the turtle alone. Hoping he'll probably drink some of the water.

[Kemul]

What about swollen eyes? Eyes are the most sensitive organ for a turtle, so it's a
good indicator for RI. My hatchling didn't eat for a month when it got RI. The
enrofloxacin was administered orally. I made sure that my hatchling had shown
all RI symptoms before giving the medicine.

Right now, you can try the medicine in your turtle's water. Raise the water temp
too and don't touch the turtle too much. Good luck and keep up your effort

[DMA02]

His eyes are not really swollen but he's got the other symptoms as I mentioned. I'm pretty sure he has RI.

Just a question. How was it administered orally? did you just put it in the water and left the turtle in the water? or force open his mouth and give him the droplets?

thanks for the support.

[Kemul]

To administer orally, you have to wait for the turtle's mouth to open or force it.
Then quickly give a drop or two of the diluted enrofloxacin. How to force it? Well,
it's not really recommended, but I used toothpick. It'll be easier if there's someone
else to administer the medicine while you're holding the mouth open.

It'll take several days for the turtle to show improvement. If your turtle's still
eating, that's good. It needs the energy to recover.

Ramen was at 1" when it got RI four months ago, right after I brought it home.
Now, Ramen's at 1.75" and doing great.

[DMA02]

I have 2 turtles with RI one got sick much before the second one. He used to just be stationary, eyes closed and gasp for air every now and then.

I think one showed improvement and the other didn't. For about 3 days now I've been squirting the diluted anti-biotics into his mouth when he opens it gasping for air. It's the only way I can do it. I tried toothpicks like you suggested though I found that almost impossible.

The other turtle doesn't open his mouth at all and I can't force it. They're too small for me to do it. I used to be able to force open mouths of larger turtles (4+ inches) these guys are too small.

Right now the one whos been getting the anti-biotics.. I'm catching him with his eyes open more often now. A tiny bit more active than before, but still no appetite to eat.

I'm gonna keep treating him and see how things go after a week.

[Kemul]

Eyes open more often is a good sign. Keep separating your turtles so they don't
re-infect each other. Sometimes it takes about a week for the medicine to work
in a turtle's body. Keep offering treats for the turtle who has low appetite, it needs
the energy to recover. Try to raise your water temp to 30°C to speed up the
metabolism.

Now, what I'm going to write I have tried myself, but it's not recommended as it
can cause great stress for a turtle. When I did it, I was thinking that it's better
than letting my little guy die slowly.

To force open a turtle's mouth, use a sharp object (like a needle). Be very careful
not to poke any part of the turtle. Get a good grip on the jaw of the turtle. I used
my thumb and pointer to grip the sides of my turtle's head. Slip the sharp object
at the front side of the mouth and try to pry open the mouth. Pinch a little at
the jaw so the mouth opens easier. Using a needle is too risky, hence I used
toothpick.

That's it, when the mouth opens, quickly put in the drops. It's much easier if
someone else can help you with the drops.

Keep up the effort and good luck!