Urgent Care :: Please help for baby RES!

[Kazari24]

I have a baby RES that weighs 9 grams and is about 1.5-2 inches big. anyways he's been to the vet frequently and I think he's getting a respiratory infection. He's on antibiotic. Lately since he has been sick he has been sleeping a lot and he won't stay in the water. He use to freak out about it but he can sit in the water calmly but he won't sleep in there. Also he does have mucus sometimes blowing out of his nose. He hardly eats anymore like he use to. He just wants to stay on his rock and bask.

I am worried because yesterday and last night I found him on his back floating around. When I pick him he's responsive but I don't know why he's doing that. Can anyone help me? I am so confused because I am getting conflicting information from 2 turtle owners that I know and my vet. My vet told me to get him an infrared light too which I have at night to keep him warm since my tank is too small for a heater since I use river rocks for him to bask on since he hated the platic log. Thank you SO much for any information.

[missibsu]

Why was the turtle put on an antibiotic? Was it for the respritory infection or something else? What antibiotic is it?

What is the temp of your water?

If your turtle is having trouble swimming, flipping himself over, there is a real risk of drowning. I would suggest that maybe your turtle be dry docked in a place that you can keep warm. Place him back in the water for frequent hydration, but under supervision.

I'd also consider a new vet. Have you been seeing a herp vet? There are a list of vets in the stickys in the urgent care section. Good luck to your little one.

[Kazari24]

She gave him some antibiotic for his respiratory infection. i am not sure what it is called. it is a liquid that i have to put into a syringe to put in his mouth. What do you mean dry dock?

Thank you. No I haven't. I can't find any vets around here to look at my turtle since he's so tiny.

[missibsu]

Dry dock means that you take him out of his tank with water. An empty cardboard box with some towels would be good. Make sure he isn't in any drafts, or around any vents.

If you let us know where you are located we might be able to help with locating a vet.

[Kazari24]

Okay. I called my dad since I'm at work and told him put in his plastic tank I bought him in and put him near my lamp on my dresser to keep him warm without water. He's not near drafts or vents so that way since no one will be home much today I don't have to wrory about him drowning. I don't get home til 5 in the evenings. I live in Salem, Virginia. Since RES babies are illegal to sell in VA a lot of people won't touch them around where I live. I bought him in NYC. My vet thinks he was way too young when I bought him.

I called one guy for the emergency servies and he only does house calls he basically griped since he said that he's a baby so I hung up on him. We use to have one avian and exotic vet but she left. I have been looking in the phone book. Any help you can give me will be helpful. I have been stressing bad. Thank you soo much for your help. I REALLY appreciate it..

I am waiting for the vet to call but any ideas why suddenly he's flipping on his shell? are infrared lights bad for them?

[missibsu]

I'm not much help on lighting, other than knowing what he needs. UVA and UVB. I know that using a light to heat the water isn't a recommended way to go, and that if your set up is too small for a heater, then it probably isn't be enough.

Is it possible that he got flipped on his back and didn't flip back over because there wasn't enough water for him to do so? I just went back and reread your original post, and caught the fact that you mentioned no heater because tank was too small.

[missibsu]

http://www.anapsid.org/vets/westva.html

[Kazari24]

No he has deep water too. He was in deep water yesterday and he has enough water to flip over. Yeah his tank is too small to have a heater. I have a 5 gallon tank. The vet said that was fine since he's so tiny. I have river rocks for him to bask on piled up and then a filter on the other side. I have a slope with pebbles near the rock and around so he can crawl up better with ease for right now. I read in another topic that sometimes turtles are not as active due to the weather change. He was more active in the summer but as Fall came around and Winter, his activity has decreased more and more. I keep the temp from 74-80 and when I change his water I try to heat it and make it about 82-84. Yeah I bought a plastic log like my friend has since she has a 5 gallon tank too. She has a heater on the bottom of her tank since she has the log however my turtle hated the log and kept getting stuck under it so i had to take it out and put in his rocks again instead. right now at my house I don't have room for a larger tank sadly so I am trying to make due with what I have.

He has a UVB light during the day to bask and at night I got a 50W Infrared light

[Kazari24]

The vets you gave me are in West Virginia, they do not have any in Virginia?

[missibsu]

Sorry wrong list, lol. Let me go back and find it again.


http://www.anapsid.org/vets/virginia.html

http://www.arav.org/Members/VA.htm

[Kazari24]

thank you so much!! They have one near me.! I will contact the doctor on my first work break.

[megcornell]

You may also want to get a larger tank, at least 20 gallons so that you can more closely regulate the temperature (with an in-tank submersible heater) and fit in an appropriate basking perch. It's very important, especially for young turtles, to have a constant temp and to have a space to dry off. Good luck with the new vet!

[Kazari24]

Thank you yeah he told me to get a 10 gallon tank which I am trying to figure out where to put one at. I redid his rocks so that way he won't fall back when climbing on so he won't fall on his back. They gave him a calicum injection and a solution for him to swallow that his proteins.

[marisa]

If he's sick and weak, it would be good to use a basking area that's easy for him to climb up on so he doesn't have to expend a lot of energy getting on it (like I'm thinking rocks would be). I wouldn't have the water really deep for the same reason (but deep enough for him to turn himself over if he should flip on his back). Keep him warm until he sees the vet.

Do you know the name of the antibiotic he's on? How long is he supposed to be on it?

[Kazari24]

He was on Batryl. But he's off on it now. I have pebbles all around to make it easier. I put him in his plastic tank this morning and he ate a lot so that's good. I am going out today to look for more stuff I am going to get a heat lamp to put in his tank tonight for him.