Urgent Care :: Aftercare for an Unconcious Baby YBS?

[Naomi1987]

How big is your turtle? 1.5 inches possibly smaller
How long have you had it? 17 days

What is the water temperature? 79 degcrees
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? 30 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? reptisafe
Are you using any filtration? fluval 4plus

What is the basking temperature? 88-90 degrees
Is there a basking light? yes exo terra clamp lamp & turtle tuff bulb 75w
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? zoo med dock & floating turtle log
Is there a UVB light? yes repti glo 5.0

What have you been trying to feed it? reptomin
When was the last time your turtle ate? this morning

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 62 gallons
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? no

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?


Got home from work yesterday night to find an unconsious turtle, immediately thought it was dead as when i tried to move him he floated away in the filter current and all his head, legs and arms were limp, so i picked him out and put him in a tub.

Completely emptied the tank and disinfected everything and refilled it as i have another little hatchling in there and was worried that when they die they might release gases or something into the water.

Went to the body and hour later and found him slowly moving about!!
Put him on the dock under the lamp to warm up, he moved very little and didnt eat all night.

I woke up this morning to find hes still ok, resting on the floating plant and ate a little reptomin.
I called the pet shop to see what sort of guarantee they do with their turtles if he was to pass away and they said a 48hr guarantee eeeek!

So I just would like some advice on whether or not you think he will make it and if so how to keep him going, and if there are any long term effects to him cos of this!

[megcornell]

Did he get stuck somewhere in the tank? It sounds like he nearly drowned from your description.
The thing I'd be most worried about is an RI if he got some fluid in his lungs. Just keep an eye out for symptoms such as listing.

Have you double checked the tank to make sure there are no drowning risks? Hatchlings can get stuck anywhere- behind the bars of floating docks, pinned by too strong filters, etc.

I'm glad he's rebounded though.

[Naomi1987]

I made sure even before i got the turtles that there is no possible way they could get stuck anywhere!
the filter flow is just over 3 foot of open tank with no obstacles to get caught in!
Plus im sure he cant fit behind the dock bars either, not that I've seen anyway...
He's perked up a lot more over the last few hours, I will look into the symptoms of an RI, thanks!
Would any vet would be able to treat it and help him overcome it?

[megcornell]

Where was he when you found him unconscious? Was he on the surface?

If an RI develops a vet can give you oral or injectable meds to combat it. I used injections when my hatchling developed one or the start of one ( I didn't wait to find out) and had no complications.

[SpotsMama]

The most common place a turtle gets stuck in a filter is the intake pipe. Is there a guard over the intake pipe?

Another thing that could cause a reaction like what you describe is water that is much too cold. Does the tank have a water heater? If this were the problem, I would think the other turtle would also be affected, but not necessarily.

[marisa]

Are there resting places like fake plants or ledges he can rest on (in addition to the basking area) if he gets tired of swimming? Small hatchlings can drown if they tire of swimming and can't rest...

I'd keep him warm and in water that's not too deep for a while and keep an eye out for any unusual behavior.

[Naomi1987]

He was lying on the bottom of the tank when i found him.
Their water has a heater and is 79-80 always and there isnt an intake pipe either as its a internal fluval 4+.
There is a floating plant and a floating zoo med turtle log for them to rest on.

He is seeming a lot more happy today playing in his log, i think hes gonna be ok, definately back to his normal self! Just shedding his skin, dangling off his neck and arms! Is there a lot of that while they are small and growing fast?

[marisa]

Hatchlings can have growth spurts, which can cause shedding to be heavier than normal. But, it should not be an ongoing process. If he doesn't seem to stop shedding (areas that have shed start immediately shedding again), it would be good to check the diet and temps for starters. Too much food, especially if it's high in protein, can cause too fast a growth, which will cause excessive shedding, as will temps that are too high.