Urgent Care :: Turtle Affected by Gustav

[mpittm7]

Hello all. I am from New Orleans and I evacuated early Sunday morning. I have taken my baby Yellow Belly Slider with me who is about an inch an a half. I took him in a shoebox, lined with damp towels and a digital thermometer so I can monitor the temp. It has been a few days now, and honestly I do not know when we could go back. Probably sometime later this week. My house incurred minimal damage and my turt's tank is still okay. We just dont have power.

I am currently in Shreveport, northwest LA, and we are getting good amount of rain here. My problem is what should I do with the turt. He is obviously dehydrated but I dont really know what to do?

Any suggestions is greatly appreciated.

[SpotsMama]

Put some water in a sink or in a big bowl and let him soak. Soak him thoroughly several times a day. Just make sure the water isn't cold and he isn't someplace where the air is cold or drafty. Has he had anything to eat? In a pinch, he can have some of the good stuff that he normally would only get for a treat - a little tuna (in water) would be good. Some boiled chicken or shrimp would be nice.

Good luck - you all have really been through a lot. I hope you get to go home soon.

[TheComputerGremlin]

A few days without UVB won't be detrimental, after all, many turtles live their first few years in tanks without the proper bulbs. Since you might not be able to measure the temperature water, put tepid water (the temp of your fingers when you put them in the water) into the sink and let it sit for 5 minutes or so. That should bring it to around 75-80 degree water. Like SpotsMama said, let him soak (or splash around for a few minutes, no worries) and feed him in the sink. He'll be loving you for all of the treats he'll get!

Thank goodness your house is okay!

[Turtlebiz]

i'm glad to hear that your house is ok and still there! my boyfriend and i are big saints fans so we had been watching the weather channel like everyday, hoping that it wouldn't be as bad as katrina. we're also planning a trip down to NOLA in about 3 weeks for the 49ers game so we're keeping our fingers crossed that nothing else happens. good luck with ur turt by the way! i know i didn't have anything useful to add lol, but these guys know what they're talking about

[zoologist]

if you are staying in a hotel you can fill up your bathtub with warm water as a makeshift tank. i did that with Torti the first night i was in my dorm since i didnt have a tank set up. every hour or so i'd drain off some water and put more warm in so it stayed at a pretty good temp.

good luck, i hope you get home soon