Urgent Care :: antibiotics overdose

[hestylim]

Hi everyone,
This is the update of my sick turtle's condition.

I brought him to the vet today (finally!). I told the vet that my turtle probably suffered RI. He didn't give me Baytril like I read in this forum, but he gave me antibiotics called Zithromax Azithromycin. It is dried syrup that I have to diluted it with water. But, unfortunately because I felt nervous when I forced feed my turtle that antibiotics, I made mistake on the dosage. The vet instructed me to give 0,7ml of that antibiotics (diluted with water), but what I gave was 0,7ml (not diluted with water). I feel awfully guilty now. I don't know what will happen to my turt. (T.T)

Before I gave my turt the medication, I force-feed him with two injection of tuna juice (not thick tuna juice, it is thin one). And vitamin syrup. After that, I tried to force feed him one shot of tuna juice again, and right away, he pooped out liquid and green feces. There wasn't solid form of the feces.

So, I stopped force feeding him and put him back in the water. I saw his skin shed so badly.

My questions are :
1. What with that feces? The vet just told me that my RES system is not working well. I thought it was
2. What should I do with that overdose antiobiotics??

Please help.. (T.T) Thx in advance.

[steve]

You really need to consult with your vet. Have you tried calling their office?

[marisa]

If he's gotten an overdose, I'd stop all meds and speak with the vet.

Did the vet tell you to force feed him? If not, why are you doing so?

[hestylim]

You really need to consult with your vet. Have you tried calling their office?

I haven't called the vet yet, since it was 11pm already last night. I will try to make that call today. I took a little look at my turt this morning before I went to work, when I held him with his tail down, he urinated the vitamin that I gave him. He did it also last night. The vitamin that the vet gave me is sangobion syrup. I plan to stop giving him that antibiotics, since I had given him over last night. But I don't know if that could help.

[hestylim]

If he's gotten an overdose, I'd stop all meds and speak with the ve

Did the vet tell you to force feed him? If not, why are you doing so?

When the vet checked him up, he told me that my turt has been very weak and pale already. And he suggested me to force feed my turtle. He taught me how to force feed my turtle, too.

I plan to stop the treatment as well, but continue with the vitamin.

The vitamin dosage is twice per day per 0.5ml, and the antibiotics is once per day per 0.7ml. Is it too much for a turtle?

[hestylim]

edited :
I thought the green liquid feces was the toxic that got out from my turt's body... What do you guys think so? I am so so so worried.

[steve]

What are the other symptoms? Was he just not eating?

[hestylim]

What are the other symptoms? Was he just not eating?

I force fed my turt twice today. I mixed the food juice and the vitamin and also the antibiotics that I had diluted with water. my turt seemed very weak. Before my second time feeding, he peed. But still seems so weak. But what I wonder is, why he pees or poops when I held him? When his position is head up and tail down? His urinate and feces smell like the antibiotic and the vitamin that I given him.

Before I brought him to the vet, he was quite weak already. His eyes swollen and he didn't want to eat. I tried to apply cod liver oil on his eyelids, and he opened his eyes. Swim but not very active, and still didn't want to eat. Then he turned to lopsided. I read in some forums about turtle that I could try to heat up the water. So, I gave him warm water bath, soaked him in pedialyte which had diluted with water for some days. Then, after his lopsided solved, he seemed drowned, when I took him out of water, he just let his head fall (if you know what I mean), so weak. And I got more worried.

I took him to the vet before, but I always failed to meet the vet. And till yesterday, that I finally let the vet checked on him. The vet told me that my turt's system is in bad condition. And he said, there is no respiratory infection signs. What he suspected is my turt got digestion problem.

My turt is just so weak now. And I don't know what should I do? Is it better for me to dry dock him? Will he get stress and make his recovery not going well? Is my turt this weak because of the medication that he is taking?

[steve]

If he is pooping and peeing when you are holding him, he is likely stressed out. I think your turtle is weak because it hasn't eaten very much. That makes it very difficult, especially if he is only a hatchling and you're new to all of this.

If he is only getting his nutrition and medicine through force feeding, and it is what the vet told you to do, then I would continue it.

[hestylim]

Yes, he probably is.. Sometimes when I force feed him, he will swallow some and throw out some. He is 5" RES, anyway..

He is still weak. I force feed him with a small portion of food juice that mix with all the medication.

Questions :
1. Should I feed him more to make him not to be this weak?
2. Is it better that I just let him in the water except drydocking him?
3. Is he being weak, is the side effect of the medication he is taken?
4. Can I add cod liver oil in his vitamin and food juice? Just one small capsule?

[hestylim]

Edit in question: is it better that I let him in the water than drydocking him? (if he is stress out to be drydocked.. Cause I read about it somewhere.. Drydocking sometimes stress out the turtle and make the recovery slowing down or worse no recovery at all.. T.T)

[Miss Tee]

I've been worrying about your turt all day...I imagine YOU are very stressed and anxious as well, and sometimes this can communicate itself to our pets.

So here is what I would do. (I'm not an expert, like most of you guys, and I'm certainly not a vet!)
First, I would try to relax and not be so anxious.
Second, I would consider that force-feeding him is pretty stressful for him (although it HAS to be done) so I would only do it once a day--and not too much quantity wise. Especially if he's peeing and pooping it right out.
I would set my water heater to a higher temp (like 80 degrees) and allow him to be in the water as much as he likes. He might grow a little stronger if his conditions are less stressful.
I have no opinion on the cod-liver oil--but it seems like he's getting alot of different things right now. His system can only take so much.
You might be right about stress slowing down recovery.
Disclaimer: this is only my opinion, and what I would do.
Good Luck!

[hestylim]

Yes, miss tee, you are so right that I am so anxious and worry so much about my turt. I try to be strong and calm a bit. But all I can think of is him.

I force fed him twice because the vitamin should be taken twice a day. And the antibiotic once.

I can feel that force feeding is stressful for him. After I force fed him this afternoon, I let him laid and he looked at me with his opened eyes. The look in his eyes was so sad, I never saw that kind of look from him before. Should I just reduce the vitamin given into once a day?

I finally mixed the cod liver to his lunch, for I read, that vitamin A can improve eating desire. What I am doing is simply to give complete nutrition so that he can heal well.

I see that he only swallows not more than two shots. When I tried to give him the third shot, he spit it out (it is better a little, than not at all). Should I just give him 2shots per feed??

The antibiotics stands for only 5days. I am doing antibiotics once and vitamin twice a day now. I think, since I have antibiotics, maybe vitamin will help to boost his health. After the antibiotics, the vitamin will only come once a day. What do you think?

Is he being so weak, because of the medication he is taking??
What do you think guys? Thx

[steve]

What kind of food is he getting? Don't feel bad about what you're doing, he was weak prior to the medication. You really have limited options and are doing your best to take care of him.

I wouldn't add cod liver oil, just continue with the antibiotics and vitamins, though if you feel there is improvement, perhaps you can reduce the dosage a little.

[hestylim]

What kind of food is he getting? Don't feel bad about what you're doing, he was weak prior to the medication. You really have limited options and are doing your best to take care of him.

I wouldn't add cod liver oil, just continue with the antibiotics and vitamins, though if you feel there is improvement, perhaps you can reduce the dosage a little.

Last night, when I got home, I saw my turt floating, lopsided. I put him outside after I gave him vitamin in the afternoon. I gave him shrimps juice, and sometimes tuna flakes. But, he always only got the essence because the syringe is too small. I directly put him out of the water, and let him dry. I soak him in warm water for a while so he won't get too cold. And when I hold his head to open his mouth, he had a little strength to fight me already. His head not that fully stretch out already. though sometimes still.

Like always, he only took two shots. I once again soak him in warm water, then after a while, I dry-docked him. I heard noise when he breathed.

And my female RES, I don't know what happen to her, but since I fed her tuna flakes (I never did before, I just fed him shrimp, and pellets and sometimes carrot), her poops are brown to red. And I once noticed a red spot on her poops which were green at that time, like I always see. I saw that once again, after I fed her cuttle bone.. Is there anything that I should worry about?