Urgent Care :: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DEATH AND HIBERNATION

[neshkaa]

hey i really need some help,

I have two baby turtles. only 2.5 inches the biger one, and the smaller one like 2" .

I found the smaller one submerged underwater when i came home. i didnt think much of it until i tried to get her attention. no response to my touch.

so i thoguht she drowned because she was underwater and her mouth was half open. so i followed the instructions and tried to help the drowning. i opened her mouth and no abnormal amount of water came out. :S

shes not breathing, not responding whatsoever. how do i know if shes dead or not??? is she just heavily asleep? :S

if a turtle is hibernating, is there a way to wake them up or get them to respond???

can anyone help please im worried.

[jenaero]

If you can't get her to a vet today, I'd suggest leaving her on the dock, not directly under the lamp, for an hour or so.. If she's dead, you'll know by then, as the blood will settle in the plastron, and the eyes will probably start to sink in.. I know it sounds terrible, but I've had to do it.

If this is the case, I'm very sorry. I know how difficult it is (hugs)

[Arisu]

that really sucks. I would keep her warm until I know for sure about her death I'm so sorry! be careful not to change the temperature for her too drastically tho... it may kill her if shes not dead :X

[moldygrape]

im so sorry i know this sounds bad but if you tip her on her side and shes limp like her head i think she might have passed but this happens alot with hatchlings alot!!!! its hard to find a place that has taken good care of the hatchlings before they are purchased ive gotten two that were ill and died because they were poorly taken care of from birth you can only do so much .... im sorry but you should also take it to a vet you never know try everything else before you assume the worst..... im sorry and good luck!!!!!

[TurtleLover_S&B]

I'm sorry and good luck!

[briannashea]

wild RESs know to hibernate when it gets too cold, but in captivity that should never be an issue so captive bred turtles generally don't know how to hibernate. and animals don't stop breathing when they hibernate, even if that were the case.

RESs are aquatic, so I'm not sure what your concern was when you found her "submerged" underwater. they really can only drown if the water they're in is too deep for them to make it up to the top in time for air.

are your water temperatures normal? hatchlings are effected more easily by water/bask temps that are too warm or cold because they're so tiny and their shells are still soft and thin. if you don't already, make sure the water and basking temperature are in the correct range, and make sure your water heater is still working properly, so your other turtle doesn't potentially have issues as well.

I'm really really sorry....good luck with everything.

[bradmeisel]

i'm hoping for the best, but very sorry if that's not the case.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Please post an update either way, I know it's hard to lose a pet, but the people on the board will wait eagerly to find out if everything is okay or not.

Whether your turtle has passed away or not, you should try to isolate the cause. Did she get caught in the intake for the filter? Did the other turtle attack her? Was she already ill, i.e. was she lethargic, not eating, acting funny, refusing to bask? If she was ill, it's possible that your other turtle is now ill as well. Keep a close watch on the other one for the next couple weeks and get them to a vet if anything seems out of place.

[moldygrape]

ANY UPDATE ?

[neshkaa]

Hey everyone. Thank you guys sooo very much for offering all information and advice. She did not drown. Nor is she hibernating. Shes not breathing at all. I kept her warm and seperate from the other bumble for like 2 days now. I've tried everything. Eliminated all challenges and thought of every cause. I dont know what happened but I think she died. Front and back legs and tail are limp and dried out I don't know for sure but i'm guessing she is really dead. i'm just scared of burying her because i still feel like shes still alive, and acting dead.. how do i know for sure for sure if shes death. im guessing not breathing is a def sign right? :( </3

blah i always get sick animals. its always so damn hard because shes soo friggen young and i tried caring for them both with evrything i could give. It's weird because the other one is soooo healthy and strong. why cant both my bumbles be healthy???

[neshkaa]

one really important question. i swear im trying SOOO hard to make her alive. when i tilt her to one side, she is limp and her whole body moves with the gravity. but when i have her normally on her bbelly and i pull her legs gently but they go back inwards. is that a sign shes alive and pulling her legs against me? or are her body parts supposed to pull inwards because shes connected to everything. ugh why is this so dificult to determine death??? :s

[marisa]

You've been trying for over a day and that's the extent of the response you get? Look at the eyes---are they clear or cloudy? If you've gently pulled on her legs and all they do is slowly and stiffly retract to their original position, it doesn't sound very good. A live turtle should give more of a response than that.

I'm sorry, but it doesn't sound like your turtle is alive.

[moldygrape]

yea if its legs are drying up she or he has passed. im sorry if you want to know for sure take it to a vet or just wait till she drys up than you can have a little cerimony for her im sooooo sorry its ok hatchlings are very very hard to care for because of how they were raised from birth its not your fult....... sorry!

[briannashea]

if it's not breathing it shouldn't be that hard to determine that it's dead...I'm sorry, but it sounds like you're putting yourself through torture trying to will her back to life and if she hasn't responded for 2 days there's nothing you can do unless you have magical healing powers. it's tough but you have to let go so you can grieve and make sure your other turtle is in the best home possible so the same thing doesn't happen again.

[joeybsmooth]

Many of us have had to deal with this . It is ok. The little ones can die so easily.

How long did you have her ?