Urgent Care :: size zero turtle with shell condition

[christianmg]

Hey guyz, im starting to get really concerined about the health of my tutrle! It started out with just one white spot on his shell, in december. I got them in Early November. I took him to a local reptile shop (I live in donegal Ireland so there are no reptile vets close by) and the guy said it was proably because I wasnt using a UV light. I then bought a light and his condition is getting worse. Ive taken him back twice to the shop but the man says he looks quite healthy.
Ive been reading on your site for nearly a month and have been worried about taking action but now I want to do something about him. What can you suggest??
Oh and thanks guyz I changed my tank a few weeks ago, getting rid of all the gravel etc.

Whats right
His eyes and everything are fine.
He loves to eat, is very aggressive too, will take the food out of the big ones mouth!
Swims with great enthusaism
Is alert and will still knock over plants and statues move rocks etc.

Whats Wrong
Hes got white spots all over his back and today one appeared on his belly
Hes VERY small compared to his/her brother/sister/mate - He was slightly smaller when I got them but now the other one is a tank. Even the mussle on his legs seems thin compared to bakes
Hes likes to bask but maybe a bit too much, but he still does go in the water
He appears to be boyant on his bum when in the water, he always floats around the top - however he could just be lazy because when he wants to swim he does dive properly
He loves blood worms and eats them no problem but while he likes the other food, he eats alot slower - a couple of bites per pellet, where the other one eats the pelletes in one go. He also tends to bring the food to the waters edge before eating? Ive started taking bake out of the tank now when I feed shake.
I feed them a mixture of - frozen blood worms, king british complete turtle food and Narniba Tessa Canivo Rep turtle food. A different one each day.

Also whats strange is that the spots on his back come and go, the longer he is out basking the more they go away and half way through the day they look like there no longer there, then when he dives they go a golden colour in the water?? They were white at the begining and then gold for a long time, hense me thinking he was getting better, but now they are white again??

can you please PLEASE help me? Ive found a herp vet about 3hrs away and dont mind taking him to it, as a last resort but they are illegal in this country, could they take him off me??

I dont know how to upload pics so I put them here.

http://www.jamjardesign.co.uk/christianm/turtle/

[SpotsMama]

Ok. It's a very good sign that your sick one has a good appetite.

A couple things come to mind. One is - since he's small, still eating and submerging ok but thin - internal parasites. This is a fairly typical cause of a turtle not growing. There are many different types - round worms, tape worms, flat worms, protazoa - and the treatment for each is different. Could you get the vet to analyze the poop - maybe even through the mail - and if there's something there, prescribe the appropriate medication?

Where confiscating your turtle is concerned, maybe you could give the vet a call and ask. You don't need to give them all your particulars, just ask what would happen in a hypothetical case. Hopefully the vet is kind hearted. Since you were able to buy your turtles in a store, it sounds like the laws aren't too rigidly enforced.

On the shell, what you're describing really sounds like normal scutes that are about to shed. That coppery or golden color is very typical. White is also typical. What happens is that the very top thin layer of the shell is lifting and air gets underneath. Can you see that there is lifting around the edges of any of the scutes?

Hopefully your turtle doesn't have a respiratory infection. The symptoms of RI are lethargy, poor appetite, swimming lopsided or difficulty submerging, swollen or irritated eyes, mucus around the mouth or nose, and yawning a lot or breathing with the mouth open. The turtle doesn't have to have all these symptoms, but if he has several, then it's cause to be very concerned. Only a vet can treat an RI with antibiotics.

For a sick turtle, whatever the cause, keep him warm and away from drafts, keep the water very clean, avoid stress and make sure he/she gets plenty to eat.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes with the vet.

[christianmg]

thanks! I think il just take him to the vet next week, there seem to be too many particulars involved and id hate it if something happened and I coulda prevented it!
As for getting him ... well thats a kinda romantic stupid story. My gf always wanted ones ever since she seen them out diving in thiland. I happened to be in NYC on business and well came across them and fell in love with them and ... kinda bought them home. Very stupid i know but when ur 23 and in love u do stupid things. Lets hope the vet watches romance movies!!!

[SpotsMama]

Oooo - tell the vet your story! No one could resist such a romantic story!

Little turtles really are lovable - so cute. So are big ones! They are intelligent, friendly, and active. It's a lot of trouble to get a good setup for an aquatic turtle and to keep him/her healthy until he/she gets past the hatchling stage, but after that they are easy - and fun - to care for.

[SpotsMama]

Here's some info on transporting a turtle:

http://www.redearslider.com/transportation.html

If one of your turtle is sick or has parasites, chances are the other has caught it too even if he/she isn't showing symptoms yet. You might talk to the vet about that too.

[grey goose]

The "butt buoyancy" sounds like intestinal problems, maybe parasites, like Spotsmama said. I can't really tell whats going on with that shell, but it could all be part of the larger problem. A vet visit is in order......I've never heard of a vet turning someone in for having a RES, only for having an endangered or threatened species. Different countries have different laws though, especially since you snuck him into the country. I'd give the vet a ring just to make sure he is OK with it.
You're setup looks good, but you didn't mention the basking or water temps. The water should be between 76-78F for a healthy turt, 79-82F for a sick one. The heater in your tank should be completely submerged. My guys like their basking temp at exactly 90F.

[marisa]

Cute little fella. From you're description of the shell, it sound like some of those scutes are slowly getting ready to shed. The larger turtle doesn't have anything like it on his shell?

How long has he had the problem with the butt not being able to submerge?There's a chance he could have parasites, but if the butt sticks out of the water it also could be gastrointestinal upset (gas). Aside from the vet visit, it would be good to start weighing him on a consistent basis (every two weeks or monthly at the same time) to concretely see how much he's growing. It's good you're taking the larger one out of the tank when you feed him. Some turtles are more deliberate when they eat and need a little more time to feed.

BTW, should that heater be as far out of the water as it is? If it's fully submersible, it should be under water.