Urgent Care :: Is my slider gravid or sick?? (BLOOD SPOTTING FROM HER HOLE)

[Amana]

I have a five year old female red eared slider. Her name's Peekaboo

But recently, she's acting weired. She's digging around the aquarium. Not eating her pellets- havent for about more than a week. I feed her chicken, beef, squid, scallops, or shrimp so that she doesnt starve. Those are the only stuff she eats. She doesnt touch her pellets at all.

She also tries to get out of her tank from her basking area. If she sees me there, she tries to grab my hand and climb it to get out. She used to love basking, and now goes up on her dock and then dives back in the water right away.

When i get her out, she keeps scratching and clawing the carpet, digging it frantically.

Sometimes, she swims crazily, splashing water everywhere, as if she's drowning.

Also, her head is always sticking out of the water....she swims down for a while and then comes up. IS THAT NORMAL???

Is she gonna lay eggs??? or is there something wrong with her?


How big is your turtle? Not sure of the measurement, but she's 5 years old
How long have you had it? 2 months and a week

What is the water temperature? 75 - 80
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? 55 gallon tank half full
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? not sure...using an incandescent lamp
Is there a basking light? yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? regular docks you find in petstores
Is there a UVB light? no

What have you been trying to feed it? repto pellets, cold cut beef and chicken, salami, squid, scallops, shrimps, carrots, fruits, tomatoes, beans, corn...but she only eats the meat and seafood products at the moment
When was the last time your turtle ate? she's only eating meat and sea food, but not pellets..stopped eating pellets about a week ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 55 gallon tank
Is the tank near a window? basement window, so it doesnt really count
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? not really...its in the basement..people do go in there, but not all the time...but i do go visit her quite often and take her out

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? i recently saw some blood spotting on the carpet when she was out. she bled from her anal or pee hole. That really worried me. I'm not sure whats the cause of it.

[SpotsMama]

Sounds like a gravid (ready to lay eggs) female.

If there is bleeding from her cloaca, sounds like theres a problem. An egg may be stuck inside or broken. Best get her to a herp vet right away. Has seen been to see a vet before?

[lunabebe4]

This doesn't have to do with the problem at hand but you do have a few problems in general... seems like you don't feed her any veggies? She should eat them everyday. Plus you need to get a uvb blub over her basking area ;where she can dry out all the way. Also if you can make it so you can fill the tank up more im sure she would like it once she is feeling better, they love to swim.

Hope she gets better and you can find out whats wrong, from what I have read it does sound like she is ready to lay eggs.

[Amana]

i do feed her veggies...its just that she doesnt want to eat any at the moment....and im going to get the uvb light soon...i just have a regular incandescent bulb on top of her basking area..

also..u said i have to fill up the tank more...but then i heard the tank should be half filled and the rest is for basking...if i put more water in then the filter wont work...the filters nozzle needs to be out of the water...

she hasnt seen a vet yet...then again im not sure exactly where she bled from..there was a spot of blood in her back area under the shell

SHOULD I FIX HER UP APLACETO NEST WITH SAND OR SOMETHING....cause she;s always digging the carpet when shes out

[TheComputerGremlin]

You can try a nesting box (50% sand, 50% potting soil), though they don't always take to those. Sometimes all they need is a towel to bury under and they'll use your carpet, sometimes they'll dig under a bean bag chair, sometimes a pillow, etc. Obviously if you can take her outside, that's the best option. It has been a little warm out lately, so you might have a chance.

Meanwhile, if that blood came from inside your turtle, she must get to a vet immediately or she will die. A burst egg leads to a serious infection, one that a vet must treat. Also, if there is internal bleeding, she may need surgery.