Urgent Care :: Refuse to eat. Eyes closed.

[reeba_chan]

How big is your turtle? The shell is about 7 cm long
How long have you had it? About a year and a half

What is the water temperature? 20 degrees Celsius
Are you using a water heater? No. (Few people in HK would do so because the water is still quite warm in winters)
How much water is in there? A little. Just up to the shell.
Are you using a water conditioner? No.
Are you using any filtration? No.

What is the basking temperature? I don't know. I just put him out in the sun for 10 minutes or so.
Is there a basking light? No. (Again, because sunlight is readily available, few people in HK would install basking light)
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes.
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Plastic. A flat thing.
Is there a UVB light? No.

What have you been trying to feed it? Pellets. Occational dried shrimps.
When was the last time your turtle ate? By the end of September.

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 25cm x 38cm x 23cm
Is the tank near a window? About a metre or so from it.
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Yes. In the sitting room.

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? No

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?
My turtle ate a lot during the summer. I think I overfed him then. He showed a little bit of "pyramiding" of the shell. But before I decided to cut the number of pellets for him, he started to eat very little one day in the September and just refused to eat anything starting from October. About the same time, I realised that he always hide in corners with his eyes closed. I thought he is going to hibernate like last year. (He stopped eating in November last year and had not eat a pellet till March. His didn't keep his eyes closed then.) The winter in Hong Kong is unusually warm this year, especially for the past few weeks. Average temperature is about 21-25 C. I expected my turtle to be remaining active but he seem to sleep all day. Yesterday, I realised that he was not sleeping. He slowly walked along in the tank - with his eyes closed! When I looked closer, his eyes seemed (to me) to be a bit puffy. I am not very sure about it as I forgot how the eyes look like before.

Why did he keep his eyes closed? Are there any problems with his eyes?
And I am quite concerned about his refusing to eat. I noticed that he has become a lot lighter since last month. Will he starve himself to death?

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Sounds like you need a better setup for him,take him to a vet..and get him a water heater because 20 degrees celsius is too cold,get him a basking light as well because ten minutes isnt enough.And water up to his shell?..Poor thing give him more water,WAY more water...

[cam722]

I believe the problems you are having are a direct result of an improper habitat. 20c is too cold for an RES. You should have the water around 78 (25c) degrees, A degree or 2 lower isn't bad but yours is like 10 degrees cooler.

What do you consider warm water in Hong Kong? What is the air temperature there?

The tank size is too small for a turtle the size of yours, you need one at least double if not triple the size. You also need a LOT more water. RES are aquatic turtles which means they need a lot of water for their habitat.

Going on the information you've given, I'd say you turtle is in a semi-hibernating state. If the water/air temperatures are too low, your turtle won't be as active nor will it eat. This can be very dangerous if the proper environment isn't available for them to hibernate properly.

As for the puffy eyes, do you have treated water? If so, this could be caused by chemicals in your water.

[steve]

I've been to HK this time of year. Reeba, they are not a native species there so even though 20C is not very cold, you are keeping your turtle in captive conditions. It's been a very long time since your turtle ate, and at his size, it's far too long.

Closed eyes is usually traced to water quality situation (you need to conduct frequent water changes without adequate filtration). In some cases, it is a Vit A deficiency but that is usually not the case. Closed/swollen eyes can also be symptoms of other infections and diseases.

What kind of pellets are you using?

I would get a heater and get the water to 27C. Considering HK has a lot of good sources for equipment compared to other countries, I would not hesitate in investing in a better habitat/diet.

[marisa]

It's really hot in the summer/early fall in HK and I've been there at the end of the year/beginning of the year at times when it's been both warmer than usual and much colder than usual. Even though the weather may be warmer than usual this year, it still is most likely much cooler than even a few months ago. Getting a heater to bring up the water temp (he needs a greater depth than just "up to the shell"--more like at least the length of this shell, and more would be better) and keep it to a constant temp. Since he's ill, I'd set the water temp to be a bit warmer than usual--27-28C, and lower it down to 26C when he becomes more active.

I know people where your are usually let their turtles "sleep" in the winter months (when I lived in Tokyo, people were amused that I had a water heater for my RES), and many come out of it just fine. But your turtle is showing signs that he's ill, and letting him sleep like he did last year isn't a good thing. He doesn't have the reserves that a healthy turtle has to withstand being in that state. He needs to be warmer, so his immune system will work better and he'll be more willing to eat. (His basking area temp should be more like 33C.)

You said you put him in the sun for 10 minutes or so. Is this in front of the window (won't do him any good except warm him) or outside? If it's outside, is it breezy? If he were out on a cooler day with a good breeze, it wouldn't take much for him to get an RI, especially if he were weaker from not eating for a while.

About the swollen eyes---since you have very little water in his tank and no filtration, the water will get dirty really quickly. Unless you're changing the water just about daily, it's possible he's picked up some bacteria and has an infection. If his diet is lacking Vit A (what is in the pellets you're feeding him?---look at the ingredients and see if there's a Vit A supplement included in them)--they can become swollen as well.

I can't say exactly why his eyes are closed, but I suspect it's a combination of one or more of the factors I mentioned previously. I'd start by getting him a bigger tank, getting him warmer as was suggested, keeping him out of drafts/breezes if there are any (he does need UVB rays, though), and improving his diet. Keep his water clean (get a good filter if you can).

You said he's losing weight, and he can eventually starve if he doesn't eat. You need to start him eating. See if he'll eat from your hand (he won't eat if he can't see the food on his own) by holding small bits of something smelly in front of him (so he can smell the food) in the water---bits of fish, even moist cat food. You might get some plain cod liver oil and add a drop to the food (don't do this often, maybe once or twice a week) and maybe apply a little of the oil on the eyelids with a q-tip to see if this helps the eyes.

Good luck. Give an update when you can.