Urgent Care :: sick turtle?

[harleysmom]

okay this is not my turtle, my guy is happy and healthy. but I am taking care of my friend's two RES while she is away. they are babies, both about 4 inches shell length. they are in seperate tanks. one is not eating and barely moves, I think something is wrong with him...she doesn't have the greatest set-up but it seems okay for now, she is buying a 120 gallon tank and upgrading all her stuff when she gets back in December, but i am worried the one turtle will not last that long.

How big is your turtle? around 4 inches maybe...
How long have you had it? dunno, its not mine...

What is the water temperature? i dont know.
Did you use a thermometer? ...
Are you using a water heater? yes.
How much water is in there? not much. it is in a 30 gallon tank but about 3 inches of water in it.
Are you using a water conditioner? yes.
Are you using any filtration? yes.

What is the basking temperature? not sure, no thermometer there...
Is there a basking light? yes.
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes, but i have never seen the turtles on it...
What kind is it or what is it made out of? a round rock thing
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? turtle pellets
When was the last time your turtle ate? i have not seen it eat. i have been caring for it for a month now.

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 30 gallons
Is the tank near a window? no, it is in the basement of the house.
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? no, no one lives there right now i go there every day to check on them

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no

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The turtles were both in one tank, but I noticed that one was bullying the other and pushing him away from the food, dive-bombing him, etc. I noticed the one getting beat up was smaller and skinnier than the other one...its neck and legs looked so slender and thin, not healthy like the other guy. I told my friend she she bought the second tank to seperate that one but he still does not want to eat. how long can he go without eating? maybe he is eating when I leave? how could he live for weeks with no food? He barely moves...just hides partially under the rock. is he just stressed? he doesn't look abnormal in any other way except being skinny, could he be sick?? what do I do? thanks.

[steve]

Try to get a temp reading on the water... and get it to 82F. Aside from a vet visit, you'll need to try everything to entice them to eat and be persistent. You might want to try a 50/50 soak of water and Pedialyte. It's most likely stressed and possible she waited too long to separate them.

[marisa]

What's the water heater set for? If it's working, you'll have at least a rough idea of the water temp. If it's low, get it up to that 82F point. I'd find out what the basking area temp is as well. Does the turtle bask?

Are the eyes open? Swollen at all? Is the turtle alert?
Perhaps with warmth and a tank of its own, the turtle will become more responsive. Keep trying smelly foods and perhaps some live food (earthworms).

[harleysmom]

thanks. I will check the water heater temp when I go over. I have never seen the turtle bask, ever. I'm going to bring over my little portable thermometer to test the basking area temp.
alert....well it does not move. at all. my bf poked it gently and it moved but other than that, just basically sits there.
the eyes are open. I will try live food, thank you.