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My turtle when to the vet because of prolapse. The turtle stayed over two nights and I picked the turtle up this morning. The vet said that my turtle is a little sleepy because they sudated it. I took him home and put him on the basking area. He closed his eyes and he hasn't moved since I took him home. Is it the drugs?

Doesn't sound right, how long has he been home? Does he react to the water?

As soon as I got in my car to drive home, my turtle's eyes were starting to close. I put him into the tank, still moving very little with eye's closed. So I thought it was the drugs they gave him. I left him in his basking area like instructed. One hour later he hasn't moved. Ok, I still thought it was the drugs. It was 10 hours since I took him home until my first post. In total 17 hours since I took him home. My turtle doesn't respond to anything. Splash some water, I pick him up. No response. I think he has died. Is the vet to blame?

I dunno. But I think a good vet wouldn't let you take home a turtle that wasn't "normal." Obviously it needed more care if it died so quickly after bringing it home.

Actually, when i came to pick him up it was the nurse who gave him back to me. She was the one who told me what to do. Do you think asking for a refund is out of the question?

I doubt they'll give you a refund but you could try.

Did the vet tell you before hand that there is a risk of death with sedatives?

The vet didn't tell me the risks of death with sedatives. I also didn't sign a waiver form.

is he all limp?

yeah i think he passed.

sorry to hear...

I'm so sorry for your loss,

losing a friend is never easy

Using sedatives on a turtle, or ANY reptile, is risky business. In fact, some people like to avoid it unless absolutely necessary. I'm not actually sure the particulars of why it harms reptiles, I just know that it supposedly does.

Did this vet even specialize in reptile care? If the vet did not, a responsible doctor would know better than to take on a patient they cannot provide adequate care for. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that a cold-blooded animal's body is far different from a kitten or a puppy.

The vet is suppose to be an "Exotic Animal" specialist. She suspects it could have been infection. I think it was the sedatives because it looked like my turtle just went to sleep with eyes closed. I had put him under ground this afternoon.

Beed wrote:The vet is suppose to be an "Exotic Animal" specialist. She suspects it could have been infection. I think it was the sedatives because it looked like my turtle just went to sleep with eyes closed. I had put him under ground this afternoon.

Exotic animal specialist, and reptile specialist, are two entirely different things.

Did they say WHY they gave your turtles sedatives in the first place?

I am so sorry that this happened to you, and your turtle. My condolences.

Well, the front desk says that their vet is a specialized with exotic animals including turtles. There where not any specific reptile vets in my area. As I think back, I don;t think the vet has worked with turtles often.


The sedatives where used because it would be easier to do the surgery.

Beed wrote:Well, the front desk says that their vet is a specialized with exotic animals including turtles. There where not any specific reptile vets in my area. As I think back, I don;t think the vet has worked with turtles often.


The sedatives where used because it would be easier to do the surgery.

Sounds that way to me... Well, using sedatives for surgery makes sense of course. I was concerned the vet had used sedatives for something that they weren't needed for. (The vet should've waited a while longer before giving back your turtle.)

Know what's hilarious? In my own career, as a teacher, I've worked with one child we suspected was autistic, and one child with a speech delay. Because of that, I can seriously walk into an interview, say these facts, and they will say I am specialized to work with any autistic children or children with speech delays. See, you don't have to actually know what you are doing, and work with a lot of turtles to become a specialist. (this whole paragraph is very fervent with satire)

This vet may have worked with turtles, but, define working with. Is that just picking them up and looking at them, keeping them as pets, or watching someone else do the clinic work? Heck, I've learned a lot from working with those two kids, but, if I was asked to work in a classroom full of children with those issues, I would decline.