Urgent Care :: I NEED HELP ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[iloveny83]

How big is your turtle? 1.5"
How long have you had it? 1 WEEK

What is the water temperature? WAS 79
Did you use a thermometer? YES
Are you using a water heater? NO
How much water is in there? ABOUT 5
Are you using a water conditioner? YES
Are you using any filtration? YES

What is the basking temperature? 85
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? ITS A TURTLE FLOATING DOCK
Is there a UVB light? NO

What have you been trying to feed it?
When was the last time your turtle ate? IDK

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 20 GALLONS
Is the tank near a window? NO
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? YES

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? YES.... JUST THE OTHER DAY EVERYTHING WAS FINE (LIKE MON) YESTERDAY I GET HOME AND SQUASHI WASN'T MOVING SHE WAS JUST BASKING. SHE LOOKS LIKE SHES GASPING FOR AIR AND ISN'T OPENING HER EYES AS MUCH. SHE HASN'T EATEN ANYTHING SINCE I'VE BEEN HOME AND SHES ONLY MOVED ABOUT AN INCH. WHAT DO I DO BECAUSE I DO NOT ANT TO LOSE HER.

[SpotsMama]

I'm afraid she's ill. Most likely, since she's gasping for air, is that she has a respiratory infection (RI). Little bitty turtles are quite suseptible to RI, unfortunately we see a lot of it on here. The only way to cure it is to get her to a herp vet right away. A herp vet is one who has training in the treatment of reptiles, not just dogs and cats like most vets. The usual treatment for RI is a round of antibiotics.

If you've only had her for a week, she was no doubt already sick when you got her but just wasn't showing symptoms yet. Turtles hide it pretty well when they first start getting sick. Lots of times turtles sold in pet stores like in overcrowded, unclean conditions and don't get a good diet so they come down with things. Even if they were living in sanitary conditions, little turtles are rather delicate and get sick a lot more than the grown ones. So don't feel like it was anything you did wrong that's caused this.

Until you can get her to a vet, keep her warm (around 82 degrees because warmth will stimulate her immune system), very clean and avoid stress (ie, don't pick her up unless you have to). Keep trying to get her to eat. She can have things like shrimp or tuna while she's sick that she'd normally only get once in a while as a treat.

If she is going in the water but has trouble swimming, lower her water so she can stand up in the water if she wants to so she won't use up energy swimming.

Good luck. We'll be thinking of you and SquashI. let us know how it goes.

[iloveny83]

It was very weird because the turtles reversed their roles. Squishi was the very slow always basking one, then all of a sudden now he's the active one and Squashi is now the non-active one. I cleaned the tank and put clean water etc in.....so hopefully everything will get better. Is there anything else that I should do?

[mikee]

ilo83 - If I am reading correctly: How are you keeping the water at 79 without a water heater? What kind of filter do you have and how many gph is the filter? Is there "5" gallons in a 20 gallon tank? When you get back from the vet you will want to get an uvb light as they need it to metabolize their food. You will need to keep the water very clean during this illness and recovery. There is a lot of help here. Don’t hesitate to ask.

[iloveny83]

one other thing, her eyes lids look like they are slightly puffy she keeps them close. she opened them slightly before but they're closed again.

[emma]

It is VERY likely that your turtle has RI. Get her to a vet ASAP. Look at the top of the URGENT CARE forum to find vet listings.

[iloveny83]

ugh~ i'm going to try my hardest to get her there, but now i'm even more worried her head is bowed down like on the rock.....this is the first time it's like this..is this normal?

[octpusgirl8]

All of what you are telling us is indicitative of a very sick little turtle. Keep her warm and try not to stress her out (pick her up etc.) Get her to a vet ASAP, it's the only chance you've go to save her. Good luck, i hope she gets well.

[iloveny83]

Thank you so much to everyone for all the support and advice. thank you~