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Hi Everyone. I've been on this forum for quite awhile. I have two male 4 year old RES turtles and have had my challenges over the years. Most I've overcome, but this one, devastating. My male Tommy (the smaller of the two) was fine a couple of days ago. Active, eating from my hand as usual, totally normal, no changes in the tank. Yesterday, he started basking a lot and was not moving around much. But this happened before, and a few days (and many crickets) later, he would be fine. But this morning, totally different. Nothing I'd ever experienced before. He laid a HUGE poop, and was on the rock for hours basking. He swam a bit when I dropped him in the water (to see if it was RI) and a few hours later he was laying on the bottom. I put him on the basking rock, and his head hung over the side. His penis also went in and out, then he just stopped moving. I took him to the vet virtually hours later, and the vet said he's totally not responsive (even to the antibiotic and fluid shot he gave him). This could mean toxicity, or organ failure. I was told to dry dock him, and bring him back in the a.m. to see the results of the blood work. Vet said he's seen them in this state for up to two weeks - some recover, some not. Says at this point it's a grave situation, but I'm watching him all night and can't stop worrying or crying. Can someone shed some light on this, if it's happened to them? I have put a lot of time, care and money into their tank, and would stop at no expense. Sometimes it's just genetic, the vet said. Saddens me to no end - he was such a cute and perky guy, with the greatest personality I've seen. Please let me know your thoughts. I am beyond sad. Val

i will research fr u nd update u asap! i really am sorry fr this i myself am nt much experienced bt all i can say is ... i wish frm the bottom of my heart tht yr turtle gets back to normal and its nothing but some positive sign .. now some major concerns .... do u have all turtle equipments tht he needs? UVB/Filter/heater/heating basking lamp? is yr turtle getting enough UVB light?... and turtles poop was it red by any chance?

maybe try taking yr turtle outside in direct sunlight i remember once my turtle act like this too i had no experience nd so i thought ill just use natural process and tht might be effective nd i took him out on terrace in sunlight and he walked daily fr 1 hr and within a week he was pretty active nd since then hez normal by the grace of GOD! ... so dont loose hope everything will be fine and if u mean yr turtle sleeps with his neck on baskin spot like humans then thts nothing to worry about my turtle sleeps like tht too looks very cute infact! first time i wz scared though bt then after some research i found out tht its normal ... I really hv feelings fr all the turtles and i knw how u must b feeling now! Just have some hope yr turtle will b as active as a rockstar soon! u r doing everything u can .... but i wud like some experts to reply the guy here he really needs help ty


ill try to help u by all means i can though

Sorry to hear it

I can't think of anything more stressful when they're ill. Most recently Starchick had a sudden loss http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... p?p=211629

She's a great keeper like yourself, it's so tough when there is no explanation and we feel so helpless, so powerless.

I think it's just simply difficult to know what's always going on since illnesses can be masked and symptoms don't always show up. Hopefully the test results will give a clue as to what's wrong and how it can be dealt with.

Hi everyone. Thank you for your thoughts and good wishes. This forum is a great resource, and support. Unfortunately I lost my baby last night. I did what the vet said and dry docked him, kept him warm with a heat light, and spritzed him down every hour or two, but he didn't move an inch. I was up ALL night watching him, praying for a little movement, but nothing. This morning he was frothing from the mouth and his body started to stink. I knew he was gone. I took him into the vet and he confirmed it with the Doplar machine. His blood results showed he was SEVERELY septic - that his calcium levels were off, that his liver and kidney weren't functioning properly, and that he was anemic. The vet said it wasn't anything I did, but could have been caused by something he ate, either recently or a long time ago that he managed to fight off until now. He also said it could have happened anyway despite taking in anything "toxic." Do any of you know more about this type of condition?

I am trying to not blame myself, but it's so hard not to. I think I did everything I could for him/them. Bought a 120-gallon tank, property UVB, heat light, filter, air pump, did best I could alternating diet with pellets, crickets, shrimp, beef heart, romaine - it just sucks. He was such a sweet little guy and I adored him. Now I have Tino left and am having some baseline bloodwork done on him this Friday just be sure he is up to par and not suffering from anything that we can avoid if caught early. I hope not - if they're both ill then I would feel awful.

Anyway, the vet says turtles are solitary animals, even though I worry Tino will now be alone. They got along ok (vet said I was lucky for that, most don't), and I was wondering if he'll miss having a friend. The vet advises me against getting another one, and at this point, I tend to agree, but don't want Tino to be lonely. What do you guys think on that?

Thanks again, this is such a sad, sad day - I give more to my pets than I do myself, and always wish it were me suffering, not them. I'm sure many of you can relate. Val

Sorry for your loss. It's way too easy to beat yourself up over a pile of 'what if,' but try not to. Instead think about all the good you did and the good times you had. It sounds like you did everything right and with good intention the entire way.

99.99% sure Tino will be ok by himself. Most turts turn on eachother eventually due to competition of space and food even after several years of peaceful existance. If it isn't nipped in the butt with separation, it can turn fatal.

What a sad story! Sometimes these things happen and there's nothing anyone can do. Try to console yourself with the thoughts of the good times with Tommy and the fact that you did everything that could be done for him.

The vet is correct on whether Tino needs a companion. Turtles are naturally solitary creatures and do just fine on there own. In fact, over time having another turtle around would be stressor for both of them and they nearly always wind up needing to be separated because they fight. Instead, now you can concentrate all your attention on making a good home for Tino. He will like that!

Thank you everyone - it's so natural when you feel helpless to blame the next best thing, yourself! Also, thanks for assuring me that Tino will be fine on his own, and loving it. He has a few little rosey minnows in there he can chase, and a big [---] tank to roam. And me of course, catering to him and worrying about him incessantly! I will feel better Friday when I bring him to the vet to have him checked and bloodwork done. Hopefully he is in the "normal" range and has nothing even close to what Tommy had. You guys are great - I'll let you know how it goes xxoo

I'm sorry to hear of your loss.

I'm very sorry for your loss. It could have been genetic, but just to ask the obvious, have you been giving calcium supplement in the form of cuttlebone? If not, you should start Tino on some immediately. The other thing to be sure of is that none of the foods you have been feeding are high in oxalic acid, like spinach. Also, romaine lettuce is in the "moderate" feeding because it's not as rich in calcium as things like dandelion greens or green/red leaf lettuce. You may want to add more of those rather than romaine.

Hi, thank you so much. I tried cuttlebone several times but they did not really take to it. I just used the calcium powder supplement. Can you please tell me the best way to leave it in the tank? Just floating on top or suctioned to the side? A few times I cut it and Tommy ate it like that, but Tino not so much. As for spinach, no, never. I now have green leaf lettuce in there, but will also try dendelion greens as you suggest. Any other advice would be much appreciated. My vet said another good thing to do is to blend up greens, insects, dog kibble, pellets, squash, etc. into a blender, then mix it into jello mix and freeze in ice cube form. That way they get everything they need. I tried that and they were not keen on it when younger - maybe now it would work. Any thoughts?

Damn :S i really am sorry fr the lil baby turtle! bt u did everythin u could! ... sometimes u just cant do anything ... and i knw how u must b feeling i also think more abt my turtle then i think abt myself! exactly like u do! they are our lil babies! and thts how we take them so we our feelings fr them is just too much! bt u dnt need to worry u have TInO who will live a long life and a happy one with such a caring keeper like u

TheComputerGremlin wrote:I'm very sorry for your loss. It could have been genetic, but just to ask the obvious, have you been giving calcium supplement in the form of cuttlebone? If not, you should start Tino on some immediately. The other thing to be sure of is that none of the foods you have been feeding are high in oxalic acid, like spinach. Also, romaine lettuce is in the "moderate" feeding because it's not as rich in calcium as things like dandelion greens or green/red leaf lettuce. You may want to add more of those rather than romaine.

Hi, thank you so much. I tried cuttlebone several times but they did not really take to it. I just used the calcium powder supplement. Can you please tell me the best way to leave it in the tank? Just floating on top or suctioned to the side? A few times I cut it and Tommy ate it like that, but Tino not so much. As for spinach, no, never. I now have green leaf lettuce in there, but will also try dendelion greens as you suggest. Any other advice would be much appreciated. My vet said another good thing to do is to blend up greens, insects, dog kibble, pellets, squash, etc. into a blender, then mix it into jello mix and freeze in ice cube form. That way they get everything they need. I tried that and they were not keen on it when younger - maybe now it would work. Any thoughts?

munkly wrote:Damn :S i really am sorry fr the lil baby turtle! bt u did everythin u could! ... sometimes u just cant do anything ... and i knw how u must b feeling i also think more abt my turtle then i think abt myself! exactly like u do! they are our lil babies! and thts how we take them so we our feelings fr them is just too much! bt u dnt need to worry u have TInO who will live a long life and a happy one with such a caring keeper like u

Thank you, you are so sweet. Yes, they are our babies, and our hearts break when they are gone - feel so helpless and sad. Anyway, all the best to you and yours. I'll let you know how my Tino does

Sorry to hear the little guy didn't make it.

The story really touched my heart. I cried a little.

Well, I suppose your turtle will reborn with a golden spoon .