Urgent Care :: Baby res RI

[ItsVicc]

My baby turtle has RI, he keeps opening his mouth and doesn't eat or move. Should I take him to the vet? My turtle is only like 2 inches long, can they help a turtle that small? I don't want to waste my money if they cant...

[my.lovely.turtle.]

you wouldn't want him to suffer right? Please take him to the vet. They can help.

[squirt!]

if you caught this RI early, the vet appointment is worth it- especially to avoid emergencies in the future. i speak from experience- my own 2 in. RES wasn't taken to the vet until it was almost too late. he is on antibiotics right now, as turtles tend to respond well to them. hopefully we arent too late! i strongly recommend the vet visit!

also raise water temps to 82 and quarantine if there are any other turtles in the tank. ive heard that turtles are good at "disguising" sicknesses if you know what i mean, so even if the symptoms subside keep an eye on him.

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

Yes take your turtle to the vet. Some vets don't give turtles antibiotics that are under 4 inches due to the 4 inch rule and they don't know the exact dosage for a turtle under 4 inches. So make sure they can help your turtle before you go.

[ItsVicc]

Ok well I took him to the vet and they are going to give him 10 injections, 1 every 3 days. He just got his first injection today, but he's still not eating though.

[squirt!]

thats exactly what our vet did for my 2 in RES. and for the not eating part, it may just be a side effect of the medicine. still try to entice eating though! :]

[steve]

Did you tell the vet about the eating issue? Did he eat before the RI?

You can try live prey like feeder fish (hold the fish by the tail to help your turtle), canned tuna, shrimp and other things considered a treat.

[ItsVicc]

Yea, he would beg for food all the time before he had RI. Now, he just stays on the basking platform all day and even sleeps there, is that normal? He seems to be scared of the water.

[squirt!]

is your turtle lethargic (as in your turtle's head is laying on the basking platform, literally)? basking all day isnt normal, but i suppose you could talk to the vet and see if it might be a side effect or just characteristic of a recovering turtle. for my turtle, this was a definite sign of something wrong (started frothing at the mouth and bubbling out of water; made scary sounds). also, you could put a sponge on the filter to slow the current down, maybe it would help your turtle swim. when was the last time your turtle ate?

my RES's first night on antibiotics was much better than when we found him wheezing that morning, although the symptoms did not fully subside. just let the antibiotics work overnight, you're doing all you can. good luck, keep us updated!

[marisa]

Some medications (like Baytril) do cause a loss of appetite while the the turtle is on them. Still try to get him to eat, though, especially smelly foods (sardines, tuna, etc.).

[ItsVicc]

he was like that before the medication though,and yea squirt his head is laying on the basking platform... it's been like almost 2 weeks since he last ate.

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

Next time you go to the vet tell them about it.

[squirt!]

how long has he been that lethargic (head on basking platform)? sorry, im only 14 and not exactly a qualified vet... but i think all you can do right now is raise temps and let the antibiotics do their job. keep trying to entice eating, the smelliest treats can help. i can relate to what youre feeling... my turtle is recovering from the same thing. good luck, we're pulling for your turtle!

[steve]

Do try everything to get him to eat. Live prey and anything enticing should be attempted.