Urgent Care :: Leg cramps/inactivity/skin shedding

[Ligeia]

Hi,

I visited a vet on Monday and was told my turtle had pneumonia The symptoms became visible just a few days ago. Until now it looked that she had constipation or inferile eggs. The vet perscribed enrofloxacin and vitamin A, D, C shots every second day. Yesterday my turtle got her 3rd injection. The vet said that I shouldn't expect quick results but I'm so worried Today she breathes very heavily, often lifts herself on front legs, retrieves her head to her shell and then extends it up as if she wanted to push something out to ease breathing. I sometimes hear wheezing sound. Is there a way I can help her ease breathing? I've read on the net that some nasal drops for humans can be used for turtles when dissolved with water (1:5).
Please, give me some advice. All I can do at home is to keep her warm.
Thank you!

[steve]

I haven't heard of people using nasal drops with their turtles before. You might have to stick with the course of treatment that the vet has outlined for you.

Does your tank have any gravel in it?

[Ligeia]

No, there's no gravel in the tank.
I keep her in a box with a heating mat and a lamp because she doesn't want to stay in water. I just put my turtle in water twice a day for 30 min just as the vet recommended. He also told to force feed the turtle because she looks really exhausted

[Miss Tee]

and remember that these little guys are often tougher than we think. Try to stay calm. Sometimes the turt can pick up on our fear...Good Luck, be sure to let us know what happens....

[Ligeia]

Thank you. I'm really doing all I can. It all happened so suddenly. The vet told she's been sick for quite a while but reptiles are very good at hiding symptoms until they get really sick.

[Ligeia]

My turtle looks very dehydrated When I put her in water, she doesn't drink at all. The vet told me that turtles can absorb some water through cloaca. I have read about it but I doubt they absorb enough I've also read about injections but the vet told they are very dangerous.

[Love of Animals]

When you keep her in the dry box with a heat mat and a light what is the temperature? When dry docking a turtle the air temp shouldn't be much more than 75 degrees, because they have no way of cooling down if they need to. Dry docking can also be stressful for turtles so you can add a small towel for her to burrow under.

[steve]

When you put her in water, is it her regular tank or just a container to rehydrate her? She just floats?

[Ligeia]

The temperature in the box is about 30-32C but it's hard to control although I do my best.

No, it's another container with a bit of water (3cm depth) because she's too weak to swim

The vet changed antibiotic because this one wasn't helping. It's called linkomycin.

[Love of Animals]

Might want to put her in a mixture of 50% pedialite and 50% water and let her soak for a half hour a day twice a day for hydration. Did I get those directions correct Steve?

What does 30 - 32C translate to in Fahrenheit. I'm not good with that stuff. Does it translate to about 75F?

[steve]

That is 86-89F. The mixture is correct, though there have been no specific directions on frequency. Twice a day should be fine.

How long was she on the other antibiotic?

[Ligeia]

Thank you a lot! I will try that.

She's been on enrofloxacin for a week but there were no results at all.

[steve]

Is she doing better with the new meds? Any idea how she caught pneumonia in such warm water conditions?

[Love of Animals]

If you're dry docking at a high temp. Make sure it's a big enough container that she can get away from the heat source if she needs to.

[Miss Tee]

any news?