Urgent Care :: sneezing

[kamecare]

hey all, my turtle is currently sneezing but he has been eating some pellets still. below are my specs:

How big is your turtle? shell width of around 1.5"
How long have you had it? 2 weeks

What is the water temperature? 82-85f (to help immune system)
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? about 2"
Are you using a water conditioner? no, using 3-week water with turtle block
Are you using any filtration? fluval underwater (sponge)filter, have changed the water 1once in 2 weeks

What is the basking temperature? 92
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? rock
Is there a UVB light? no

What have you been trying to feed it? he is eating nutrafin max, trying to feel reptile xtra (anti-bacteria pellets)
When was the last time your turtle ate? nutrafin - ate 1 and a half pellets

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10gallon
Is the tank near a window?no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? average, no activity during sleep ours, 10-12 hours of no activity

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes'ish

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? lethargic, always basking or above water. when swimming, seems very clumsy. seems weak, i found him flipped underwater once. and sneezing like mentioned above. not sure this is RI? good sign that he's eating though. anyone have any home remedies that would help him?
i also dripped some melafix for the water, the petstore owner recommended this, as they use this aswell for their turtles.

thanks for the help everyone.

[cutepanda86]

I would definitly suggest getting a UVB light. How is your turtle getting UVA? Also how does the water look? I do weekly water changes.

Also, I've read that young turtles like the water between 78-80. The basking temp should be between 85 and 90. Things seem a little hot in there.

A simple adjustment in the environment has helped my Shledon immensely. I would try to change things and possibly call a vet.

[steve]

Did he fully recover from RI the last time? How often does he do it? Do you see any mucus?

[kamecare]

Unfortunately my last one didn't make it. Thank you for remembering. This one is a new baby. I hate to think I'm a bad parent. I believe I'm following things to the book.

I have a UVA and heat bulb.
Water is clear, little oil slick on water, used few drips of melafix.
Typically sneezes twice at a time, 1-3 times out of approx 8hours of me being around. Is this considered often?
No sign of mucus.

[steve]

Illnesses could also be from the source of these turtles.

Are you sure it's not twitching, which he might do when he's basking?

[kamecare]

i had to google what you meant by twitching... definitely no twitching.

as mentioned by cutepanda, i do think the basking temp might be too hot, since i do see him basking to the far side of the "basking" rock. I now have fixed the lamp with the center of basking temp to be near consistent of 88f.

i haven't seen much poop in the tank, would sneezing or lethargy be a symptom of constipation? he ate yesterday(mar04) 1.5pellets of nutrafin max mentioned above.

[steve]

He isn't eating much, so I'm not surprised there isn't much poop. Since there are other symptoms, then it might be a good idea to talk to a vet.

[kamecare]

thanks for the help everyone

[Moose]

Good luck! Keep us posted!

[kamecare]

my baby turtle is showing better signs now, he's eating more frequently and seem to be swimming much better when he was chasing after a floating pellet. still not as active when i first got him though.

since then i have purchased him a repti-glo 5.0 uvb light.
re-positioned the heat lamp further so the basking temp is 89-91.
water changed twice a week.
add 1 turtle block
fluval filter on 24/7

quick question/off topic. is cuttlebone suppose to melt? mine are just getting soft and sinking to the bottom. my turt doesn't like to eat it, unlike what i've read online from various of sources.

[steve]

It doesn't melt but will get saturated and sink. You can dry it off for a few days and it should float again.

[Reen]

hi... this is really helpful...
I've done all the suggested things here... but can someone please clarify 2 matters for me?
Am I supposed to leave the basking (heat+UVB) light on 24/7 when my baby is sneezing?
Should I separate him from the other 2 babies who are healthy? I'm afraid to separate them coz they've never been separated and when they sleep... they tend to sleep in a group. So if I were to separate the sick one, he might feel lonely and worsen his health.

[steve]

If he's sneezing, make sure the water temp is 80F (are you using a water heater?). The basking and UVB lights should be on when there's daylight in your area.

Always separate them when sick or inured.

[Reen]

Thanks Steve... I don't use a water heater coz I'm living in a very warm climate. The normal water temp here is at 80F. And yes, I do have a thermometer. I have saparated Scar from the other two and hv made an appointment with the local university vet faculty who specialises in turtles and he is only available next week Tuesday. So in d mean time... I'm doing my best to make sure that Scar comfortable. Still... I-m worried.

[steve]

Turtle owners always worry