Urgent Care :: Stinkpot turtle having trouble with his eyes!!

[jozzep]

How big is your turtle? 3"
How long have you had it?2 weeks

What is the water temperature?76 degrees
Did you use a thermometer? yes digital
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? 75 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? yes cascade 1500 canister

What is the basking temperature? 88-90 degrees
Is there a basking light? yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? custom
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? pellets,veggies
When was the last time your turtle ate? 2 days ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 75 gallons
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? yes

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? described below:


Ok....So here is the deal....If your answer is just gonna be "take him to a herp vet" ,don't even bother cause i already know that.

My sister's friend bought 2 musk turtles (stinkpots) online, but had no clue of the expenses that came with such a pet.
So after having a talk with her saying "SHE CANNOT KEEP THEM IN A BOWL" she decided she didn't want them anymore (after a week she had them).So i figured for now i would just put them in my (75 gallon already over crowded) tank while i try to find a home for them.
My 4 RES all get along even if the tank is undersized cause they grew up together since babies.
When i first put the stinkpots in (2 weeks ago),i saw they would "nip" at them here and there the first 2 days,but then it stopped.
Now the past few days i noticed the male stinkpot would not stay in the water.He just hangs on the basking area ramp all day,which is very weird because stinkpots are very aquatic and barely ever bask or leave the water.
So tonight i examined him, and his right eye seems to be "white" like he's blind from it,and when i pick him up and put him in the water he rubs them like they burn or something and just floats around being pushed by the water movement till he hits the ramp and climbs back up.

I have "zoo-med repti sulfa dip" that i use for my turtles (it treats and prevents shell fungus and bacterial diseases and i made a dip for him tonight in a tupperware container,but i'm not sure what is causing it...

i read vitamin A deficiency,but that's not an option unless he had it before he got to me 2 weeks ago.
also i'm thinking the RES might have scratched it?!

Now i don't have any money to spend on another person's turtle to take him to a herp vet,so suggestions are welcome on how to "home medicate" this poor little guy.
p.s. i know about cod liver oil as well, but has any of you had this problem and tried it if it works?




I put him under the lights so you can try to see his eye,but otherwise he just lays on the ramp away from the lights









Can't really see the "whitish" pupil but thought i'd post some pics anyway



This one is him in the water...you can see he closes his eyes.

[papoopeepoo]

I would avoid throwing those turts into your already established tank until you quarantine the new guys. You don't want to make your RESs sick!

[jozzep]

Agreed, but i don't have another tank.

[RyanJ]

Aww, he doesn't look like a happy little guy right now. Does he have any other indicators of illness aside from his eye (wheezing, gasping, etc.)? You said he was nipped by the RES- he very possibly is staying on the dock because he's afraid to get into the water. Any turtle would be put off a new environment because of aggression. I'm wondering if his eye got nicked, which would be a bad situation.

I know you've heard this, but you should get another tank for the stinkpots, even as a short-term tank. Think of it this way- if any of your RES ever get sick, it'll be a great quarantine tank. Plus, one day your RES won't get along anymore- it seems mostly inevitable, so that extra tank would be handy for that. Try the eyedrops, people have had success with them before. Try to get a tank if at all possible (you can find some deals out there, you'd be surprised). I wish I lived nearby, I'd love to have a pair of stinkpots. And, I know you don't want me to say it, but if it gets worse you should take it to a vet or donate it to a shelter that can treat it. You did a great thing taking them out of a bad situation, but you're now responsible for their health and well-being, even for a short while.

Good luck!

[jozzep]

Aww, he doesn't look like a happy little guy right now. Does he have any other indicators of illness aside from his eye (wheezing, gasping, etc.)? You said he was nipped by the RES- he very possibly is staying on the dock because he's afraid to get into the water. Any turtle would be put off a new environment because of aggression. I'm wondering if his eye got nicked, which would be a bad situation.

I know you've heard this, but you should get another tank for the stinkpots, even as a short-term tank. Think of it this way- if any of your RES ever get sick, it'll be a great quarantine tank. Plus, one day your RES won't get along anymore- it seems mostly inevitable, so that extra tank would be handy for that. Try the eyedrops, people have had success with them before. Try to get a tank if at all possible (you can find some deals out there, you'd be surprised). I wish I lived nearby, I'd love to have a pair of stinkpots. And, I know you don't want me to say it, but if it gets worse you should take it to a vet or donate it to a shelter that can treat it. You did a great thing taking them out of a bad situation, but you're now responsible for their health and well-being, even for a short while.

Good luck!

After much research and diagnose, i have come to the conclusion that he has a respiratory infection.
RI can cause eye problems,weird floating and swimming pattern,lose of appetite,and he sure has these problems.
Last night i could here him wheezing.Also i hear him here and there as i'm typing this .I need to get a hold of "enrofloxacin" which is the injectable antibiotic he needs to fight this infection.

I know how,where.and amount to inject him (front legs in muscle), but just can't get a hold of the medicine without a prescription.

If any of you have any of this antibiotic left-over from previous treatment of your turt, please reply.I am willing to send you a reasonable payment for it and shipping charges.
please respond
thanks

[RyanJ]

Do you have experience injecting turtles? I'm not doubting you, but I'd urge you to take it to a vet to confirm your suspicions, even call one and describe the symptoms, ask for a quick opinion if you really can't afford to bring him. Good luck, I hope you find what you need but I would urge you to get it confirmed before you inject anything.

[steve]

I agree with RyanJ. With what's going on in the tank, I would thing that it's an injury that might be causing the trouble.

[jozzep]

I got some great advice from veteran members on another turtle site i'm a member on.
It is a RI and i obtained the meds..
Thanks for trying to help

[RyanJ]

I'm glad things look like they'll work out, good luck with your turts (I have a softspot for stinkpots, heh).

[grem89]

Any updates?

[TheComputerGremlin]

jozzep, you really shouldn't treat any animal without a medical license. It's simply, well, unethical. And besides that, if you mess up the dosage, he could either die from an overdose or receive too little, making for superbugs.

Also, if he does have an RI, they are incredible contagious and he will infect any other turtles he comes in contact with or has came in contact with since he was sick. If they are all in that tank together, you will need to treat the healthy ones as well, which poses even greater risks.

Remember that most forums don't care as much as we do about the animals, this is the best turtle forum I've seen.

[jozzep]

Just as an update.......
The turtle is fine and healthy.Was treated with injectable antibiotics for 2 weeks.Noticed recovery after 4 days.
Gremlin, i find unethical that this site has an "urgent care" subforum where the only response you get is "take the turtle to the vet" WOW that's a lot of help....Why did i not think of that myself??!!
Here you are talking about how contagious RI's are and superbugs and this and that...What are you a herp vet?!Where did you learn that from vet school?!
As long as you get reputable advice from people with EXPERIENCE, i don't find anything "unethical" about helping a poor animal that is suffering.
Preach to yourself.....

[SpotsMama]

Jozzep, you need to take a deep breath and calm down. The people who respond on here are giving you their best possible advice, based on lots of experience. However, none of us is a vet. If you ask a question in "urgent care", then there is a high probablility that the problem is serious, hence a lot of times the advice is to "see a vet". That only makes sense.

I'm going to lock this thread as it's pretty old and the problem is resolved.

And I am glad your turtle is doing well.