Urgent Care :: My turtle drowned, but still alive

[Glencoe]

Ok well me and my girlfriend just got home and one of my buddies go stuck under a rock and i dont know how long he was under the rock for. I use them for the basking area, but now im going to change that definitely and get something more sturdy. He was almost lifeless when we found him, we thought he was dead. But he keeps getting a bit better each time, getting stronger. now hes on the rock soaking in the rays and such.

He keeps taking big breaths. no vets are around here and such, but is there anytthing we can do? hes moving more right now with his feet and such. i hgope hes ok. i dont know how long he was in the water for. any help would be much appreciated. thanks

[jenaero]

The only thing I can think of is get him to a vet. There are links on this site for locating one in your area. Until then, get that rock out of there and make sure there are no other tight spots he can jam himself into. Keep a close eye on him, maybe bump the water temp up a few degrees and get to a vet asap. He probably swallowed some water and turtles can't just cough it up like we can.

[cam722]

I can only add to jenaero's suggestion of getting him to a vet ASAP. I'd be concerned about the possibility of RI or pnemonia from being under water too long. I know they can sleep underwater for a long period of time, but if he was trapped and stressed then it's definitely not a good or healthy thing.

Here is the link for turtle care in Canada.. please keep us updated on his progress.

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12

[marisa]

If there's water in his lungs, he could develop an RI, so it would be good to raise the water temp to 80-81F and the basking area 10 degrees higher. The added warmth will help him fight any infection, but if you do see any signs--open mouth breathing, wheezing, mucus/bubbles from the nose or mouth, tilting in the water when swimming or floating, for example, get him to a herp vet.

Keep the water level lower for now, so he doesn't have to expend energy swimming, and get a better basking area.

If he seems like he's recovering, watch for any symptoms mentioned or any other unusual behavior. Any doubts, take him to a vet.