Urgent Care :: RES: Not laying eggs?

[jnutprincess]

How big is your turtle? 8.5 inches by 9.5 inches approx.
How long have you had it? 3 years, but she is about 5 or 6 now.

What is the water temperature? 80-85 in the basking area and about 75-80 in the shade.
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? About 2/3 of a 45 gallon tank.
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes
Are you using any filtration? Yes, a canister filter.

What is the basking temperature? 80-90, I have an adjustable lamp, so they don't over heat on their dock.
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? I have two dome lamps, one is uvb and the uva.
Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? Shrimp, turtle jello shots (made with tuna, pumpkin, pellets, calcium powder, and of course flavorless gelatin), pellets, live gold fish.
When was the last time your turtle ate? Yesterday, some fish, had to hand feed her. She wouldn't take anything after the third fish...

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 45 gallon tank, but she roams our 600+ square feet apartment too.
Is the tank near a window? Yes.
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Sort of. In our bedroom, we are in there about 50% of the day.

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Yes, none speak of the white substance I found...

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? She seems more panicked than her last clutch.

I am worried about my girl. It has been three weeks to the day since her last clutch and for the past couple of days she has been acting like another is ready. I have done as I did before to make her comfortable, but she hasn't laid any. This morning when I checked on her, there was a bit of white gooey stuff in the dirt and when I picked her up to check she peed and a bit of white stuff came out. Could she have broken an egg inside? Do I need to take her into the vet? Just so worried, need some advice...

[steve]

Has she been going into the water? How many eggs did she lay the last time?

If you have a vet, then it might be a good idea to have her seen and maybe x-rayed to see if there are any problems.

[jnutprincess]

She had five. She seemed to be fine right after. Back to eating and basking. She's doing the same as last time, but she's just more frantic than last time. She is trying to dig into my carpet again. And she doesn't seem to do this at any one part of the day. It seems to be almost all of the time. I want to give her time, but I don't want to put off anything serious either...

[steve]

Have you felt for eggs? Hopefully her ovaries are not over active and she can find a place to lay them.

[jnutprincess]

Yes, checked her a few times. Has a few bumps on her left side. I have a nest for her, but she rather scratch at the carpet... Don't know how to get her to feel comfortable doing her thing in the nest. Going to give her another night and see if she's made any progress, if not she's going to the vet.

[steve]

Try laying out some clothes or towels in the corners or in places she likes to hide. I recall one or two people having their RES lay eggs that way.

[penelope]

Glad to hear a vet is an option.
Mine had no problems last year, but this year she had a horrible time and is egg bound.
It sounds like you are well versed in the timing between clutches, prior behavior, needs, etc.
I'd say follow your instincts.
If all was well before, and this has you stressed then get an appointment with your vet.
In the meantime, go with the flow on the alternatives Steve mentioned (i.e., laying out comfy things where she is hiding).
If she lays her eggs then great! If not, at least you are set up for an appointment.
Sending my best wishes your way!!!!!

[jnutprincess]

I thank you both for the advice. You'll never know how much it means to me. She's doing okay right now. My husband reminded me that she went through this for about two weeks last time. I have turned my machine-less laundry room into a nest now. The dirt is piled in a corner and there is a towel for comfort. Thanks to having clamp lamps, I am able to move the light with her. Unfortunately, I can't let her do her business where she wants because of my three cats, but she seems better after the reconstruction. Even dug a bit. Checked this morning and still none, but I think she might just need a little more time. If I feel she is in serious trouble, I can take her to my vet. They are open throughout the week, even Sundays. Thanks again for the suggestions.

[jnutprincess]

She's been acting restless still and I haven't found any eggs. Felt for them in her and can't seem to find any bumps. Could she have eaten her own?

[jnutprincess]

Also, when I put her into the tank, she ate half a dozen small goldfish...

[steve]

If she hasn't laid any and is acting restless, then it's likely she is gravid.

[jnutprincess]

She was, we spent 3+ hours outside today, digging holes in the apartment court yard grounds. She ran into rock on her first try and was successful with the second hole. She went at for a while, but laid the eggs and covered them back up. Only three out of the eight were salvageable. Two were very small and at the bottom of the pile, I assume they were the first to be laid. One above those was smaller than the average size. One had spots on the shell, and another was folded in. She must have been too ruff when covering them back up. She is fine now. Super hungry and tired. We both took a nap when everything was done. Could the smaller eggs in the clutch indicate that she maybe having egg development problems?

[steve]

In my opinion, the first few clutches won't be her best.

[jnutprincess]

I understand that, but I am just not a person that can easily dispose of the eggs. I have that annoying mother's instinct to protect my children and their's as well. I only kept the ones that looked normal. Disposing of the others was very difficult for me. I'd ask my husband to do it, but then I would probably be upset with him... It was my fault in the first place by getting another turtle without verifying the sex of my Judy. I'm sorry for all of this and I thank you for your help and the help I get from this site.