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I took my sick little turtle to the herp vet on Monday, explaining that I had one baby RES that just passed away, and the left seems to have similar symptoms of Respiratory Illness. My baby Clyde, was energetic on the car ride to the vet, and even while at the doctors office. I think maybe the sunlight and all the movement activated my turtle. Anyway, the doctor told me that he might have RI or something related by the symptoms I described. The doctor injected my baby with an antibotic called Fortaz, 280 mg. I am supposed to give my turtle 8 more injections over the next 24 days, a shot every 3 days. Is anyone familiar with this medicine??? And secondly, I am terrified to administer the shot to my baby turtle. I'm too squirmish and hate needles, and also it seems to risky if I miss the muscle of my turtle and hit a vein. Does anyone out there have any experience with giving their turtle a medication in a shot form. What was your experience?? After the first shot, my turtle still doesn't seem to be doing any better, eating and active wise. I'm really scared for my baby RES. Please share your words of wisdom on Fortaz antibodic and if you have any experience with giving your turtle medication in the little arm of the RES. How do you know if you are hitting a muscle and avoiding a vein on the little guy?????

Thanks in advance for your guidance..!!

I've never heard of Fortaz, but I have had to give shots to two of my turtles. Once you get used it it's not too bad. The easiest thing to do is hold them in one hand with your thumb pinning the leg flat against the side of their shell. It's an easy position to hold, it doesn't hurt for them, and they don't have much strength in that direction so they won't be able to jerk their leg away. Did the vet say something about trying to distinguish between muscle and vein? I've never heard anything about that. I think mainly you're trying to avoid hitting bone or an internal organ. You have to sort of push the needle up under one of the scales on the leg, and because of that the angle will be pretty shallow, if you're careful there's not much risk of hurting them. Their skin is surprisingly thick, so you do have to be firm, although it may be different for a baby. Hope this helps.

Fortaz is a pretty common antibiotic.
I had to give my hatchling shots once every three days when she had an RI as well. I used long Q-tips to keep her head from biting at the leg I was holding and then injected the leg by placing the needle up under a scale and giving it a firm push. The first few times I stuck her pretty good and I've given lots of animal shots before-just not turtle ones... but with practice you'll get better.
Turtles have a pretty slow metabolism so it will take a few for the antibiotics to kick in so that's why you haven't seen any miraculous changes yet. It will help if you boost the water temp to around 80-82F.

Fortaz (ceftazidime) is a good drug of choice for treating RIs, and injections allow it to get into the blood faster to work. I'd alternate legs so the injection isn't being given at the same site all the time.

Hope your turtle recovers quickly.

Well my baby turtle clyde seems to be doing a bit better after I got a higher wattage lightbulb. Who figured going from 60 to 75 watt would make a big difference. But my baby got on the docking area and basked for a few hours. That is definetely a plus, although he's still not eating. Tomorrow I will go to the vet again and they are going to give my baby turtle the fortaz shot since I wimped out doing it myself. Besides, they are going to also feed him somehow, through his stomach. He hasn't eaten in days, or should I say like 2 weeks, so he's not growing and although he is sick, I'm concerned about him.

Does anyone know if feeding him through his stomach is really stressful and draining to the little turtle? I just hope the little guy pulls through. Seeing him bask today was pretty exciting since he didn't seem to show much movement or strength to get up on the rocks before this for as least 3 or 4 days.

I found my baby at the bottom of the aquarium this morning. I don't know if he drowned or what but when I turned off the water filter and picked him up, he wasn't moving and was very stiff. I called the vet this morning to ask if he could be revived but they said I would have to come in immediately but that he sounded as if he was dead. I had to work so I couldn't go to the ver this morning. I placed my baby on the basking rock with the light over him. But he didn't move all day long! I came home and he was right were I left him, 6 hours later. I then called the vet to cancel my evening apptment since I had pretty much decided he was dead. I don't know what happened, bc just last evening he was basking and moving much better from more heat and light, 60 to 75 watts. So what gves, anyone know?

Oh how sad! I am so sorry to hear it. When they are little like he was they are rather delicate and sometimes they don't make it even with the best of care. It sounded like you did everything in your power to help.

All I can say is that it sounds like he just wasn't quite strong enough, even with the antibiotic. You've had a very difficult time. You have my sympathy.

I'm sorry to hear he didn't make it. Hard to tell exactly what when wrong, perhaps he was just too weak and the stress of everything was just too much. You tried as best you could, though, and I hope you can take some comfort in that.

With hatchlings you can never really tell how ill they are, and you never know how their previous environment affected their ability to thrive in life.
What a sad turn of events. I'm so sorry, you really did everything you could to give him a fighting chance.

I am sorry to hear about your turtle..

Thank you to all those who responded to my messages and the lose of my 2 baby RES. It does bring me comfort to know that there are people out there who can understand and share in my grieving. I did the best I knew how to do to take care of them, but sometimes I wonder if I could have done more.. I buried my turtles next to each other at this lovely park near my home. I know that are in turtle heaven. At least they are not suffering anymore!! It was raining on Friday when I went to bury the little guy. My mom said that it was God crying for my lose.. ever notice that it often rains during funerals. Anyway, I plan on buying a few more baby turtles next time I'm in NY. Hopefully I can do better next go round.