i am new on here, I have read around some and it seems there are many sick babies right now. I currently don't have a RES, but I have rehabed many different types of turtles/tortoises in the past, and I have other herps now. Currently I am helping a family member with a sick baby RES. He is small, 50 cent sized. They have 2 and both were healthy little piggies when they first got them. They were in a small critter keeper type cage, with no heater or proper lighting for about 2-3 months, and one became sick. He went to a vet, and just like a kid he was moving around well and active and the vet said he was fine and gave instructions on temp., lighting, and also gave some meds to worm him. Needless to say he went down hill fast, lost his appetite, eyes swelled shut etc.
I set up a 10 gallon tank with a large reptile filter, heater, basking island, plants, and extra large gravel , lighting etc. for the healthy one, but the sick one seems too weak for that much water etc.
So he was in the smaller cage with a small "pool" of water and lighting above, he has been going outside in this set up for a few hours a day since nothing is as good as real sunlight, The vet wouldn't give any antibiotics for him, so I went with broad spectrum fish antibiotics in his water, changed out every day for 5 days, and the zoo med drops for vitamin A deficiency. His eyes opened and he began eating again, but then within 2 days he was lathargic again.... I went to visit and his water was still too cold. I am thinking maybe since he ate and was too cold, his body can't digest the food and it wore him down again??? So we got a repti heat pad for under the tank, his tank is nice and warm now, and I believe he ate again (no one saw him eat, but the food was gone). He also got soaked in piedialyte a few times too when he wasn't eating this last time. Can anyone give me any other advise? He doesn't seem to have any signs of RI, nothing coming from his nose etc. I am sort of getting to my wits end as far as ideas go.
