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Internal Bleeding

PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 12:34 am
by Kevin664
I found one of my baby RES today with some red liquid around him, and I'm afraid that it's blood. I've attached a picture of it here. I'm really worried, and any advice on what I can do to heal him would really be appreciated. He has been sluggish for a while, and while he bites at food, he seems unable to eat even the smallest pieces. I am feeding him baby Reptomin pellets that I cut in half, but while he is able to get them into his mouth, he ultimately spits the whole thing out. This has been going on for a while, perhaps up to half a month. I recently moved him from a tank with multiple other turtles into a tank of his own.

The water temperatures are kept at about 82 degrees, and he has both a basking area (he's sitting on it in the picture) and UVB lamp that are turned on for about 10 hours a day. Please help!

Re: Internal Bleeding

PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 12:38 am
by Kevin664
I've uploaded additional pictures of the red liquid (blood?) itself and of the turtle (note the red spot at the back of the turtle).

Re: Internal Bleeding

PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 12:39 am
by Kevin664
Second picture

Re: Internal Bleeding

PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 12:46 am
by steve
Did you give him an inspection and try to locate the source of the blood, just in case it's not internal? I'm not sure what can be done for a hatchling as it's very unusual for any internal bleeding.

Re: Internal Bleeding

PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 1:24 am
by Kevin664
The above three pictures were taken five hours ago, but I just took two more pictures again, and it seems like there's some solid chunk that's reddish. I'm not sure if it's coagulated blood or if he ate something that then passed.

Re: Internal Bleeding

PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 1:25 am
by Kevin664
Here is a closeup shot of the chunk.

Re: Internal Bleeding

PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 1:25 am
by Kevin664
I did do an external check, and I can't find any scrapes of any kind. I'm fairly certain that if it's blood, it's internal.

Re: Internal Bleeding

PostPosted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 4:28 am
by steve
Yikes, is he feeling better today?

Re: Internal Bleeding

PostPosted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 5:00 am
by penelope
In the third pic, what are the red chunks floating on top? Food or the weird gunk?

Re: Internal Bleeding

PostPosted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 1:25 pm
by stephaniej
I would take him to a vet. This is not normal.

Re: Internal Bleeding

PostPosted: Wed Apr 02, 2014 2:24 pm
by MyTurtleMartina
I have never seen anything like this, do you have any pebbles in the tank, he may have swallowed one and ripped up his insides, which in this case its too late. Turtles are known for eating pebbles.