Urgent Care :: Lethargic lil' Yawara

[kamekichi]

Update - we walked by the tank and she was yawning a lot. I realized there was a lot of red around her mouth - she was bleeding just under the bottom part of her mouth (on the outside). I think maybe she cut it on the dock?

Hey guys, I have a vet appointment scheduled with the herp vet, but he wasn't in the office when I called. You all usually have good insight so I wanted to see if you have any suggestions in the interim.

Yawara has been basking a lot lately, but I chalked it up to the weather change. We had the bullying issue with Taro eating all Yawara's food, so I've been removing Taro from the tank while Yawara eats. For a few days Yawara did well. Yesterday he ate very little (even after I dipped the pellets in tuna water) and remained on the dock most of the day. Today he ate nothing - not even kale - and has slept or held to the dock most of the day. He went in the water once and another time I set him in the water - both times he clung to the plastic plants and would not go for pellet pieces even when they were right in front of him. He hasn't grown much since I got him - a quarter of an inch.

How big is your turtle? 1.25 inches
How long have you had it? Two months

What is the water temperature? About 83F
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? About 6 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? No
Are you using any filtration? Yes, but I need more carbon (ZooMed shipped it Tuesday)

What is the basking temperature? Mid-80s
Is there a basking light? Yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? It's a turtle dock
Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? Kale and pellets
When was the last time your turtle ate? A little yesterday

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallon
Is the tank near a window? No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Somewhat

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? Lack of activity.

[steve]

Has he been very timid? I would keep them separate, even if it's not a physical issue.. better to be safe at this point.

[kamekichi]

Hey Steve, thanks for the response. Yes, he's always been timid.

The herp vet was able to see us yesterday morning. He suspects an infection and a suppressed immune system due to stress. He also noticed an injury on the bottom part of the eye. He told me to separate the turtles and gave me antibiotics mixed with B vitamins. He offered me to do an injection, but I took the oral meds instead. Yawara's a little guy and getting the rounded syringe in his mouth has been tough. Even when he finally opens, it hardly seems a big enough opening. I am also trying to figure out what I should do about separating them. I have been saving up for a 55 or 75, which the vet said may also work if I get a big tank with two basking areas.

Does anyone have any advice for getting the food into Yawara's mouth? He did bite a pellet tonight, but spit it back out immediately and I worried about lacking nutrition, but I know he hates the meds and I don't want to stress him more. Since he is so small, do I need to just go back and get the injection? And any ideas for temporary separation environments or should I just go buy a dual set up? Thank you for any insight.

[steve]

I'm not sure if that injection would offer any nutrition, so I would have skipped it too. Would you be willing to try any live prey? It can be very enticing to something wiggle in front of their eyes.

[rivaladversary]

Live Brine Shrimp worked for my rescued turtle.

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