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how to inject turtle that has RI

PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 6:42 pm
by PastelPrincessKa
my turtle was recently diagnosed with RI by the vet a few days ago. The vet gave me antibiotics to inject at home for the following few weeks and he even demonstrated it for me so I could get it right. But, when I got home i must've done it wrong because the antibiotics came right out as i injected the fluid in his front leg. At first i thought he peed on me, but after some research i discovered that the antibiotics will come out if done improperly. I'm thinking maybe I didn't inject it into the muscle like I'm supposed to? Can anyone instruct me on how to find the arm muscle, or maybe have pictures that show where to put the needle? I'm worried he'll get worse if i don't give him the shot the right way :(

Re: how to inject turtle that has RI

PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 3:54 pm
by steve
Can you see the vet again, maybe ask for another demonstration?

Re: how to inject turtle that has RI

PostPosted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:53 pm
by marisa
If you do take him back to the vet, have him explain how to do it again, but try to have him let you do the actual injection so you get a better feel for what to do (and he can see if you're doing anything incorrectly).

Re: how to inject turtle that has RI

PostPosted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:20 am
by PastelPrincessKa
I brought Honu to the vet and he happily showed me how to do the injection, but for a followup fee of course. He had a vet tech come in and hold Honu so I could observe more closely. The vet tech kinda pissed me off though because she had NO idea how to handle turtles and even dropped him on the table! Anyhow, turns out I was originally doing the shots correctly but just freaked out when I saw Honu in pain. His kicking and thrashing kinda scared me a bit. He still hates getting the shot and even tries to bite me through the glass tank after wards. lol

It's been about a week and a half of treatment and i've seen no improvement. It's so disappointing because i expected to see at least some benefits by now. How long does it usually take for the antibiotics to kick in? He's still sluggish and swims lopsided but he eats a ton and maintains his weight. He perks up for feeding time so it's cool seeing him as his normal self.
It's been 3 months since I adopted him and I never knew how attached I could get to this little guy!

Re: how to inject turtle that has RI

PostPosted: Thu Nov 25, 2010 1:03 pm
by steve
How long is the treatment for? Also, aside from the listing and sluggishness, are there other symptoms?