Urgent Care :: Help! My RES floats?!?

[prollo11]

Hello All,
I have recently inherited a 5 year old female RES from a co-worker who moved to CA. My co-worker did not have an adequate setup for this size turtle, but I'm doing my best. She is alone in a 55 gal tank, with Reptisun UVB, and I got a dock for her first thing because she never had one. She seems worlds happier now, her colors are better and her scutes are going - I've also been taking her outside to bask in our yard. But, for some reason she cannot seem to drop below the surface? She tries, but she is so buoyant that she is constantly floating unless she is on the dock. Do RES have an air bladder like fish? Or is there something I can feed or give to her to help her impairment. Thanks for the help!

[Love of Animals]

Does she have any mucus coming from her mouth or nose? Is she floating lopsided? Does she seem to gasp for air? Is she pooping and what do you feed her? She should be able to submerge easily.

[steve]

How much does she weigh?

[prollo11]

Sorry for the delayed response, my internet has been down.There is no mucus to speak of and she is not floating lopsided. Appears to breathe just fine and her poops are frequent and seem normal. I've been feeding her these turtle bites which the former owner had been feeding her. When I kneel down in front of her tank she tries as hard as she can to get lower than the surface, but she is just too buoyant. I don't really have a way to weigh her, but her shell is about 5x3.5. She seems to have a reasonable weight, I'd say somewhere between 14-18oz but I don't have another to compare her to...

[steve]

If you tease her with food, does she try to follow when you move it beneath the water surface?

[prollo11]

She tries as hard as she can, but cannot drop below the surface. I've been watching her a little more closely and she does swim very slightly lopsided (like Love of Animals asked) with the left side up closer to the surface. Its almost like she must have an air bubble in there.

[Love of Animals]

If she is swimming slightly lopsided that is one symptom of RI. The lopsided swimming is due to fluid in the lungs. Bump up her temps a bit to help her immune system fight it while you're looking for other symptoms. Try to get the water temp to 80 and the basking area temp to 95. If the lopsided swimming gets worse or any other symptoms occur take her to the vet for antibiotics. It couldn't hurt to take her to the vet before other symptoms present themselves. RES will hide their illness because it makes them prey. By the time you see symptoms they are usually in advanced stages of their illness. Good Luck!