Urgent Care :: Help Confused on symptoms!

[steveslb]

Hi I have a baby res turtle ive had for about 2 months now. Ive always took amazing care of it and it really bothers me seeing it the way it is. this last week it stopped eating and it started to keep floating (tail end) up first but it never swam lobsided (Ri Symptom). All he does is bask so i seperated him into his first tank( i bought a 125 gallon for him and his friend that i bought with him) just so they can grow together in a big tank and stay there and never have to change. He doesnt eat all he does after i put him in the water is float back up and swim towards the basking area. He breathes like moving his throat and his front limbs in motion with his breaths so it looks likes hes struggling but he doesnt open his mouth or have anything come out of his nose or anything. I am so confused because it looks like he has Respiratory problems but his symptoms are confusing me. Also he was worse a few days ago as in always breathing deep. now when hes sleepin on his basking spot i dont see him breathing to deep or motion but when i wake him up and throw him in the water he will come out and breathe like that. I dont have many vets here that take turtles and the one that i called they said because hes a baby they wont inject him only orally and its really hard for baby turtles to accept it if it is respiratory infection. please someone help me if they had these problems before. Also his tank setup right now is very clean water with filter, 50 wat basking lamp, uvb reptiglo bulb and the water temp is at 82.

[marisa]

Welcome.

What's the basking area temp? You need to check it.

Breathing with the throat moving is not abnormal, and I can envision what you mean by his moving his front limbs along with his breaths. But, no wheezing? Mucus, etc.?

What do his eyes look like? Is he awake with them open or are they swollen and closed?

Swimming with the rear end raised can sometimes mean that the turtle has gas, though it doesn't sound that way from the description you gave. It's possible he was getting sick when you got him and now symptoms are beginning to show. Since it sounds like he's ill, he needs to be kept warm and out of drafts.

What have you been trying to feed him?

If you can't find a vet to give an injection, you might have to consider seeing a vet for oral meds. The vet should show you how to administer them.

Please do not "throw him in the water."

[steveslb]

His basking temp is good around 88-90 range. His eyes look ok he has them open all the time when he's awake. I've tried feeding him baby shrimp , his pellet food and even ham which he loved before but he won't accept anything. There is no mucus all I see is it looks like his skin is shedding on his head like white fluffy lose skin but everywhere but out of water looks normal.

[steve]

Did these changes occur only after you moved him into the new tank?

[steveslb]

he was acting a bit lazy before i put him in the new tank as he was always basking but he still ate.. then in the new tank first few days didnt eat then i bought him some baby shrimp and he ate it like crazy. then problems started and i took him out and put him back in his small tank. looks like his days r counted.. i keep trying to boost his strength by puttin him ina container soak with pedialyte i read it helps them regain energy if they arent eating. its just strange he floats even but if u put him in the bottom of the water he will tilt up from his tail side but then when he gets to the surface his floating evens out.. then he swims slowly to his basking area and lays down and breaths a bit deep ( but no opening mouth) but he just moves his limps to breathe then it seddles down again.. when hes sleepin you dont see him struggling to breathe looks normal. he just looks so weak

[steve]

Are there any resting spots besides the basking area? Have you tried any tuna or live prey... like guppies or minnows?

[steveslb]

I took him to the vet. He got an antiobiotic shot( baytril) and she gave me the oral ones to continue for around 2 weeks at home. But however asoon as i left the vet he became realllllly weak. i dunno i went back she said he was stressed but i took him home and all night all he did was lay down on his rock with his head down and usually either with his eyes open or closed for a bit. Im not sure if thats normal with antibiotics when their sick but he looks kinda weaker now compared to when i brought him in. has anyone ever had that happen to them after getting antibiotic vaccine?

[marisa]

He will lose his appetite while on Baytril. If he's ill, the stress from taking him to the vet would most likely make him weaker.

So the vet diagnosed a respiratory infections?

[steveslb]

to be honest i dont think the vet was to sure of anything. She said it had some signs of respiratory but not the usual ( like open mouth breathing and bubbles and mucus on nose and mouth but however was breathing heavy and was floating. So she told me she would give it an intial injection of anti biotic and for me to continue the rest at home with the oral mouth drops. Also she kept telling me to feed him with a syringe into his mouth of some wet recovery dog and cat food they had there mixed with warm water.