Urgent Care :: I am concerned

[Dobby]

Yesterday my little turtle was basking in his(?unsure of the sex at this time) basking area (a Reptology Life Science Turtle Topper). I have had the same basking area for several months without any issues. I happened to walk by, and I noticed that he had somehow flipped himself over. I don't know for sure how long he had been like that. It could not have been for hours and hours or anything like that, but it was for enough time for him to be very dry. I immediately picked him up and started sprinkling water on him from the tank. Then I slowly submerged him into the water. He seemed "ok" just a little shaken up from the experience. I have been monitoring him, and I notice he can't submerge. He's floating at the top of the water. He's not having difficulty breathing or floating lopsided. He seems a little lethargic, but not overly so. His eyes seem a little sunken in compared to usual, and that makes me nervous. I haven't attempted to feed him yet today, but I will and I will also add the results of that.

*edited to add*
I just tried to feed him some pellets. The interest for the food is definitely there, and he tried to eat, but the problem with him not being able to submerge seems to be the issue. I tried to hand feed him, but he's not that comfortable with me because I've never fed him like that before.

How big is your turtle? approximately 3 inches
How long have you had it? approximately 1 year

What is the water temperature? i don't currently have a thermometer, it broke.
Did you use a thermometer?
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? a little less than 29 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? a fluval 4plus

What is the basking temperature? i don't currently have a thermometer, it broke.
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? it is a Reptology Life Science Turtle Topper, and it is made out of plastic and fully enclosed
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? pellets and some greens & carrots.
When was the last time your turtle ate? 2 days ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? it is a 29 gallon tank
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? not a lot, it's just my boyfriend & I and we don't use the living room a lot.

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no

[marisa]

Pellets should float, at least for a while. Is he able to eat any of those?

A turtle that's really hungry doesn't really take that long to get used to fed by hand. He may be skittish about approaching your hand initially, but should overcome his reluctance fairly quickly. Try some thing that has a strong smell---bits of sardines or tuna packed in water for example.

If he was on his back for a while and got really dry, his eyes could be a bit sunken because he got dehydrated.

A healthy turtle should be able to right himself if he gets tipped on his back. Perhaps if the basking area wasn't level he couldn't do this. You could "test" his ability to turn himself over by taking him out of the tank and putting him on his back on a flat surface. If he can't right himself after trying for a while, or if he just lays there and doesn't even attempt to do so, I'd be a little suspicious. (If he does this, don't leave him on his back for long, it's difficult for them to breathe in that position.)

[Dobby]

Thank you for the response. He did eat a bit, but it still appears that he can not submerge. I still don't notice any other concerning symptoms, but I am worried about his inability to go under the water. He just floats partially submerged under the water, but unable to dive down.

[steve]

He's unable or hasn't tried? How is his coordination?

[Dobby]

Well, for example, I have another turtle in another tank. When I put her in the water, she sinks to the bottom if she does not make herself swim to the top. When I place him in the water, he just floats straight to the top. Also when I fed him the pellets after they had been saturated by the water they were falling below the surface a bit, and he would attempt to go after them, but it almost looked like he was having a difficult time forcing himself to lower below the surface. His coordination seems alright he swims about the tank fine, except the buoyancy and the inability to sink.

[steve]

This only occurred after flipping over? It's usually turtles who are underweight that have submersion problems, though it shouldn't be an issue with a 3" turtle. Is he roughly the same weight as the other turtle? If you submerge him, does he float right back up or does he swim up?

[Dobby]

Yes, this only occurred after I found him flipped over in the basking area. The other turtle I mentioned is approximately 6", but I do have another one approximately 3 1/2" and heavier, but only a little bit, and he doesn't have the same problem. I tried putting him to the bottom of the tank, and he just floated straight to the top. I read in other posts here that a good suggestion is to soak in a solution of 50/50 pedialite/water, so I tried that today. I also put a small dosage of liquid baby vitamins in the solution hoping that helps him out. I did a complete water change in case there are any issue with the water. I will also try to feed him a bit more if you think that it's a weight issue, but he eats approximately the same as the other turtle his size, and he doesn't seem to have this problem. I have been monitoring him quite steadily, and I still don't notice any other concerning symptoms. I do appreciate all your help.

[steve]

Keep us updated with his status. I wouldn't feed him extra, but it's good that he has his appetite. Keep an eye out for any other symptoms and he must be taken out immediately if is having difficulties swimming.

[Dobby]

I saw him dive a bit yesterday, which seems promising. He still seems to have difficulty diving like he's fighting gravity. He also seems to be a bit more energetic. He is basking a little more than usual. I am keeping a close eye on him to see if there are any negative changes. I do appreciate all your comments. I will keep you informed.

[Dobby]

Status update: He seems to be almost back to normal. I fed him some pellets today, and he was munching away. After I fed him, some of the pellets had gotten saturated and were slowly sinking, and he was diving below the surface like a champ. I placed at the bottom of the tank, and he didn't float up. I believe he must have been dehydrated, and the pedialyte and vitamin solution must have helped. Thank you for all of your support.

[steve]

Great news! Keep up the good work