Urgent Care :: Not eating and shell

[jenyip33]

How big is your turtle? 2.5 inch ish, not really clear
How long have you had it? close to 2

What is the water temperature? 72
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? Half a 10 gallon tank
Are you using a water conditioner? No
Are you using any filtration?No

What is the basking temperature? 74
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? Those white plastic things
Is there a UVB light? No

What have you been trying to feed it? Lettece, pellets
When was the last time your turtle ate? 1 day ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallon
Is the tank near a window? close
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? sometimes

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?
He started ignoring his pellets and vegetables. he started ignoring vegetables for 4 days, and pellets for 1 day. Also, his shell is white on top and on the bottom there are huge black spots.

Below are pictures of my turtle. I find that my turtle's eyes have yellow stuff around it and also, the shell is very white once it's dried. When it's in water, it looks like there is something fuzzy on the shell, as seen in the picture. Any help please?

http://s275.photobucket.com/albums/jj30 ... =slideshow

[marisa]

You've had your turtle close to 2??? years or months????

He was eating well before?

Just from the information you posted:

1. Your RES has no UVB light and no filtration, both of which are necessary for a healthy shell (and turtle).

2. The water temp is 72F, the basking area is only 74F, not enough of a difference for your turtle to even want to bask (which will lead to shell problems if he doesn't). There should be about a 10 degree difference between the two. If you think he's ill, bumping up the water temp. to 78-80F for now and increasing the basking area temp to 88-90F would be good.

3. A 10-gallon tank is is too small for him, only 5 gallons of water without filtration means you should be changing the water about every other day. Do you? If not, bacteria will quickly accumulate and can cause illness, not to mention shell problems. He needs a bigger tank (more like 30 gallons).

The fuzzy white on the shell when he's in the water sounds like a fungus, and the yellow "stuff" around the eyes sounds like an infection---both of which wouldn't be surprising given the conditions he's in. The black blotches on the plastron (bottom shell), however, are characteristic of RES.

You could try some of Zoo-Med's eye drops for turtles and see if that helps with the inflamed eyes.

It would be good to "reread" the Basic Care section a little more carefully---the info that will help you improve your RES's habitat and diet is there if you look.

[jenyip33]

about the water problem, would it be okay to get a filter and use one of those rubbermaid tubs? cause money is kind of low right now. And can you see the yellow circle around the eyes? cause are you sure that it's an infection? Also, about the shell, how should i get rid of the bacteria?

[SpotsMama]

Just any filter won't do. If the filter is too small or too weak for the job, it's ineffective. I'd start thinking in terms of a major upgrade - tank, filter, lighting, etc. Start saving now but as you work towards improvements you can do simple things that will make life much better for your turtle.

The immediate causes of the shell problem are probably dirty water and him not getting to dry off regularly - top and bottom. Does he bask? When he does, does he get to completely dry off?

It's critical to keep the water clean. Think of it like this. Your turtle goes to the bathroom in that water. Until you get a bigger container (more water will dilute the waste) and good filter, you'll have to change the water about every other day. For a bigger container, yes a rubbermaid tub will be a good interim home for your turt. Even better is a stock tank. Both are inexpensive and make good turtle homes. If you use a rubbermaid, you'll need to reinforce the sides since they aren't strong enough to hold much water for long.

Go to someplace like Walgreen's and get some Hibiclense. It's an antiseptic hand wash for people. Get a soft toothbrush. Dilute a little hibiclense to half strength with water. Then clean your turtle's shell carefully in the kitchen sink with the Hibiclense and toothbrush. Scrub very gently. Don't get any on his face or head. He'll be slipperly from the Hibiclense and will wiggle a lot, so be careful not to drop him or let him bite you. Rinse him thoroughly when you're done in clean lukewarm water. Now he'll be nice and clean when you put him in the tank with clean, fresh water.

Then there's lighting, basking, diet....

[jenyip33]

RIght now, i'm tryin to change the water every day. When he basks, his whole shell on top is out of the water. Also, at this minute, after changing the water, he's still not eating the pellets. What should i try to feed him that will make him eat?

I also raised the water temp to 82

[SpotsMama]

Good for you on the water changes! I know it's hard work - I did something like that for a long time too. Eventually you'll get your setup up to standard then life will be ever so much easier.

When he basks, he needs to be completely out of the water - top shell and bottom shell both. Bacteria and fungus grow where it's always wet. Drying out helps protect against shell and skin infections.

On the eating, try soaking his pellets in tuna water (the juice from a can of tuna packed in water). This will make them smelly - the way turtles like them.

What kind of pellets are you using? Some turtles have preferences.

Let us know if soaking the pellets in tuna water doesn't help.

[jozzep]

Poor little guy

The eyes seem fine to me, but the shell has some serious problems.
All above is great advise and you have a long way to go in improving your turtles habitat....
You don't have to spend a load of money.The main expenses in your case are a bigger container and a good canister filter you can find used on ebay or craigslist.
For the basking area try to find a nice "smooth" rock the turtle can easily climb on so he is COMPLETELY out of the water and bask.
The water needs to be around 76 degrees so put the heater a tad higher and put the light closer to the basking spot so that the temp is 10 degrees higher than the water.A UVB/UVA bulb might cost a bit as well.
Feed him in a separate container till you get a good filter.
For the eating problem,buy turtle treats or gammarus (dried baby shrimp). Turtles love that stuff!!
Other than that and what everybody else already told you....I have nothing to add.
Good luck and keep us posted

[SpotsMama]

Here's a suggestion from personal experience. Several years ago I got my turtle a smooth (or so it seemed to me) flagstone to bask on. After a couple of months, I noticed small red spots on his plastron. Turned out the rock was damaging his plastron when he slide off of it. The red spots were tiny infections just getting started. I treated him for a few weeks and changed out the basking surface for cork bark, and he's been fine ever since.

Even when a rock feels smooth it is hard - harder than shell - and over time it will take a toll. I suggest either a store bought basking platform or ramp (if you need suggestions, let us know) or cork bark or a home made basking area. Several people have made very nice basking platforms for very little expense. Here's a link with a ton of good ideas for basking areas on it:

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15260

[jenyip33]

Here's an update: He started eating pellets again after I made the water temperature to 82 degress F! Is that too high? Afterwards, I started lowering it back to 79 and he still ate the pellets. HOwever, he's refusing his veggies. Any way to make him eat the veggies?

[novroz]

I have almost the same problem here...but I won't disturb your thread

I hope he is getting better

[SpotsMama]

82 is really too warm for a healthy turtle. The extra warmth does stimulate his metabolism, which is probably why he's hungry, but it's overstimulated and over the long term that's not healthy. It will also result in very heavy skin shedding. 79 is better. Better still would be 76 to 78.

The key is to keep the basking area significantly warmer than the water - about 10 degrees warmer. The extra warmth on the basking area is what motivates the turtle to get up and bask - which he has to do to stay healthy.

You never answered the question as to how long you've had him - 2 years or 2 months. If you've had him 2 years, then that means he's at least 2 years old. At 2 years old, 2 1/2 inches long is pretty small. Have you had a stool check by a vet for internal parasites?

At 2 1/2 inches, a lot of turtles aren't that interested in veggies. When they are fully grown, that changes and suddenly you find they love their veggies. For now, keep rotating in tempting things to catch his interest. Fresh basil is often a favorite, as are tomato, carrot, bell pepper, blueberries, and steamed sweet potato. For all the non-leaf-lettuce veggies, don't let him have too much as they can be fattening. A couple of servings a week (except for leaf lettuce, which is a daily thing) is enough.

[jenyip33]

Well, I've had him for 2 years. I haven't taken him to a vet cause there are no vets in richmond bc that treats turtles

[steve]

Would there be any vets there that would prescribe silverdine?

[jenyip33]

Haven't tried yet, but what does the silverdine do?