Urgent Care :: Help! Just bought a new dock for my terrapin

[terrapin]

Help! Somebody help!
I have just bought an exo terra medium turtle bank. I had put his food there and he tried to get on it but he flipped into the water. So I had put some stones to make a step. But he won't get on now and he is a bit stress at the moment. He is staying in the water with his mouth open like yawning.
I thought it will be a good thing for him to have more swimming space. what can I do? Should I put everything back like before? Or give it a couple day to try?

[worldpeace]

Every time you change something in your turtle's tank they become stressed and unsure of their surroundings. You have to give them time to get used to their new environment, sometimes they need a few weeks. Until they feel 100% comfortable and safe, they won't bask.

A very important thing that you have to make sure is that he can get on it easily. If he fell in the water the first time then he can't pull himself up on the turtle bank. You have to try to make it more accessible to him.

Can you talk a little bit more of the yawning that you saw? Do you see it happen often? Are there any sounds coming from his mouth when he yawns? Does he have difficulty swimming or swims a little sideways? I'm asking all these questions because excessive mouth opening can be a sign of a respiratory infection.
Do you mind reading over this http://www.redearslider.com/respiratory_behavior.html and observe your turtle to make sure that he's not exhibiting any other symptoms.

[seanwb]

Give him more time. Leave him alone with the dock and he will chill out.

I disagree with worldpeace re "If he fell in the water the first time then he can't pull himself up on the turtle bank". Turtles subscribe to the practice of "if at first you don't suceed try and try again".

My RES needed a few attempts to learn how to climb onto bricks! Then she spent a day falling off the turtle dock. In her pond she spent an hour or so falling off the rock and ending upside down before working it out. Once worked out, she rarely falls off.

Unlike the Mississippi Map which still sometimes struggles to get up on the dock because she tries the wrong end and the side before realising where the ramp is.

Not certain on the yawning, but if he did not have RI before, then he won't have caught it off the bank.

[worldpeace]

Just trying to clarify things. I didn't say that he might have caught the RI from the bank. I only suggested that Terrapin should keep an eye out for symptoms just in case. Better safe than sorry.

Seanwb - I guess what you're saying about climbing on the bank makes sense. My turtles still try to climb up the wrong side sometimes and it takes them a while to remember where's the easy way up.

I just looked for a picture of the bank we're talking about and it seems that it adjusts according to the water level and seems pretty accessible even for a small turtle.

[jwinters]

Is he opening and closing his mouth like yawning, or leaving it open?

Once my turtle had his mouth open and eyes closed because of a Vitamin A deficiency. Turtle drops and better food healed him up right quick though.

[terrapin]

Thank you very much everyone. He is better now. I haven't see him yawn and I saw him on it (but won't stay long).
You know he is just a very nervous terrapin. I guess he was a bit stress yesterday after all the changes. I had adjust the height of the stepping stone and he has no problem getting on it.

[worldpeace]

If he goes up there, even if it's for a short period of time, that's a very good sign. He's just trying it out now. He's probably a little scared because he feels more vulnerable there than in the water. Try to give him a little privacy and don't move to fast around the room when he's up on the bank.

[terrapin]

Guys, thanks for your advice. He is doing very well now. He finally finds his route and he seems enjoying it.