Urgent Care :: my baby franklin is sick!! please help!! pics provided**

[franklin1]

I THINK MY LIL FRANKLIN IS DYING!! PLEASE READ AND HELP!!!
*he's a baby red-eared slider*

SOMETHING WRONG WITH HIS SHELL:
so i have not really known what is wrong with my turtle lately. his shell has been looking like it has been deteriorating and he has not been eating or swimming much. when i first noticed what was wrong with franklin's shell i had been telling people how worried i was and what they think it could be. i have never had a pet before let alone a turtle so i didn't know what to do. i would say i noticed the shell problem for about a month. then someone told me that it was probably because he was sheding. so i stopped worrying and just figured it was normal since i have never seen a turtle shed its shell. someone else told me that it might be because he occasionally bumps into the rock and scraps it when he swims under it. but today i read about shell rot and am becoming worried about it. i have attached some pictures so that you could see for yourself. it is kind of white and looks like it has been scrapped....what do you think it is?

NOT SWIMMING, EATING, AND HE IS FLOATING:
then he has been sitting on his rock a lot not moving, not eating, not swimming. i have been worried about this too but people were telling me that maybe he was just depressed because he wasn't in the window anymore. so again i didn't worry too much. but now he is not eating. could it be because i have not given him much of a variety to eat? what would anyone suggest? or maybe is it because his water isn't filtered?
i put him in the window today and he is swimming around but knocking into the tank walls pretty hard and often. his eyes have looked a little swollen lately and he has been swimming with his eyes closed often. he has been looking like he has been breathing almost gasping for air when on his rock. and today i noticed that he floats when i place him in the water and that has never happened before. also, he was sleeping by the rock with his body in the water and one claw holding him to the rock. i tapped the tank a bit to make sure he was still alive and he lost grip of the rock (still sleeping) and just floated across the tank. i have never seen this before either. i am worried and do not know if i should be worrying.......

HABITAT CHANGE DURING MOVE:
so i had to move from the dorms to my dad's house on the 21st. but that week before i was taking care of my freind's baby slider as well since she was on vacation. her turtle is a lot more aggressive than mine and would eat franklin's food. i would have to feed them separately but when they swam around howie (my freind's turtle) would swim on top of franklin sometimes kick him in the face. i thought i was just being a little protective over my turtle and thought howie was a bully but could this have caused for franklin to be sick? i was taking care of howie and a few times would have to keep them in a smaller tank together since my 20 gallon tank couldn't be set up for a couple days after i got situated. they were in a small 6" by 10" tank and then a fish bowl (howie's home) together. then i finally got the 20 gallon tank up and that is when franklin seemed sick. i witnessed howie even being nice and looked a bit concerned with franklin so this worried me as well.....

COST OF A VET VISIT?
i also have not taken him to a vet but am considering it because i am growing a bit attached to the little guy. but i do not have a job and am wondering how much it would be for a vet visit?

SO IF ANYONE COULD GIVE ME ANY INFORMATION TO HELP MY LIL FRANKLIN I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT!

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How big is your turtle?
- i would say about 2"

How long have you had it?
- i've had it for about 2 months


What is the water temperature?
- 86 F

Are you using a water heater?
- um yes, a mat that goes under the tank

How much water is in there?
- i would say about 3" in a 20 gallon tank

Are you using a water conditioner?
- yes, API tapwater conditioner

Are you using any filtration?
- no, i am going today to look for a filter. ihaven't had much time lately

What is the basking temperature?
- i am not sure

Is there a basking light?
- yes, in the top of the tank there is set up for two lights. so i have one 15 volt light and one 25 volt.

Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on?
- yes. part of it is sybmerged in water.

Is there a UVB light?
- um well i guess i do not know the difference between a basking light and this one. the top of the tank came with the light fixture already so that is the only form of lighting i use.


What have you been trying to feed it?
- i have been feeding him rainbow mealworms everyday. i was living in a dorm when i first got him so i have not had much time or access to get him new variety of food.

When was the last time your turtle ate?
- umm i think it has been a week. he ate half a worm 3 days ago but that has been it. and i put some pieces of strawberry in his tank today to see if he nibbles on it.


How big is the tank/pond/enclosure?
- a 20 gallon tank

Is the tank near a window?
- when i was in my dorm yes. i just moved to my dads on the 21st so he hasn't been near a window. but today i found a spot by the window. he wasn't swimming much since the move from my dorm. but today when i moved him towards the window he's been swimming a lot. although he has also been swimming and bumping into the walls of the tank more and harder than usual.

Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity?
- it is in my bedroom. i put him on my desk so i guess i will be around it a lot more since i put my laptop there. but currently i do not use my laptop for other than music. i use my dad's computer. and i do not stay in my room too often so there is not much activity.


Have you read the Basic Care section?
- no i haven't. but i have been reading many sites talking about the care for a turtle.

Have you searched the forums for similar situations?
- yes, but they have not really given me much help. i have actually worried more reading about other people's situations. and i have not found any exactly like mine.


Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?
- so when i moved him to the window today, i took him out of the tank so that i could clean the water, being that i was away for the weekend and i do not have a filter. i decided to put him in the water since he has been on his basking rock all weekend (my dad's girlfreind told me). when i put him in the water he usually sinks to the bottom then swims around after feeling used to it. today he floated. that kind of scared me so i put him back on the rock but on the edge so he was partly in the water. this i think helped with him swimming again. but now whenerver i go near the tank he gets up quickly and swims rapidly around the tank and into the walls. he didn't use to do this that much before. but i noticed that he does float and his bouyancy must be messed up.

[tissigirl]

He needs some veggies in his diet big time. Especially leafy greens. You also really need to get something better to regulate the temperature in his water as well as the basking area. It also looks like the water level is way too low. Plus it should be high enough for the basking dock to float on top, but it's hanging down.

I would highly suggest getting him to a vet ASAP to get that shell checked out!

[missibsu]

Bear with me if this is in some random order...I'm just going back and skimming and commenting on different things as I see them...

Vet visit and cost...the best thing you can do is find a herp vet or vets near you and call and ask. Make sure the vet will see turtles, because some won't. They will be able to tell you what an office visit will cost, and the cost of any possible anitbiotics.

The open mouth breathing sounds like it could possibly be Respritory infection. When the turtle was in the dorm room next to the window, was the window ever open? Drafts from windows can cause RI. Normally I would say raise the water temp, but in your case, you water temp is already too high. For a hatchling we say 78F, and raise to 80-82 when sick. Also, in regards to possible sickness, you mentioned turtle sitting for a friend. From the way you talked, your friends turtle was in the same tank as yours. Whenever there is a new turtle introduced, it should be quarantined for at least 90 days. If your friend had a sick turtle, it could have infected yours. Or vice versa.

A UVB bulb is essential to turtle health, especially the health of the shell. Check other posts on UVB lights, there are a number of recommended bulbs out there. Your basking temp needs to be about 10 degrees higher than the water temp. UVB won't give you the heat, but adding a standard household bulb will give you heat. Experiment with distance and wattage to get the right temp.

Start on some leafy greens like tissigirl said, and you may want to try some cuttlebone for added calcium. It's found in the bird section of the petstore, just remove the hard backing and break it up before throwing it in.

Your tank really does need more water in it. RES are aquatic turtles and love to swim.10 gallons per inch of shell length. Just don't fill it so high that he can escape over the edge.

[steve]

If his shell is looking like that after a month or so.... then there is a HUGE problem with the diet and his setup. He may have a disease or illness.. it's hard to say.

For UVB... his tank does need one, but I would try to get him some direct sunlight... he'll need to be outside for this. Also, that heating pad you have is not intended to be used in aquariums since it won't be able to generate enough heat.

[sarah]

Just a random comment here, I have a basking dock like that & mine doesn't float either. & there's over 11 inches of water in the tank.
I just think they're made to hang like that.

[franklin1]

so since today i have put more water in franklin's tank, and i fed him some chicken. i put a little piece of cooked chicken (a piece of chicken which i ate for dinner) and then i left it in the water at the bottom of the tank andwent to the pet shop to buy a filter and ask for help. when i came back he was swimming around and i looked to see if the chicken was there and it was gone! so tahnkfully he is eating! as far as vegetables and greens...what kind would people recommend? and here attached is a picture of how much more water i put...i would have put more except i worry that he is going to be too close to the light bulb if i put the basking rock higher...should i worry about it? i also have attached the water filter i bought...do people recommened a better one? i bought it because the girl helping me told me her sister uses it for her slider and it was cheap but i feel that it takes up too much room..?
*CORRECTION: MY TANK IS ONLY 10 GALLONS - MY BROTHER TOLD ME WRONG*

so since i thought it was 20 gallons i put more of that tapwater concentraion drops in it...if i put too many will that be bad for franklin???

thanks for all the comments and suggestions so far!!

ooo and instead of a sulfa dip the girl at the store said that her manager told her to put her turtle in a bowl of gatorade and swim in it for like 15 mins because her turtle was sick.......

[missibsu]

I don't know much about that filter. I don't recommend the sulfa dip, but gatorade doesn't sound good either. I mean, I know it's good thing for humans and all, but we're talking about a turtle here. And I would like to add that pet store people are notorious for giving out false information...even when they carry sliders.

You didn't mention getting a UVB light, and I feel that it was more important than the filter.

As for feeding greens. Don't expect him to just start chowing down right away. Even mine when they were healthy took a couple of days. There is a recommended feeding list in the nutrition section, but to get started, some red leaf lettuce, or carrots would be good.

[KellyP]

In the last pic you posted what is that thing sitting at the bottom lefthand of the aquarium? It looks like a frog.

[franklin1]

ummm well the thing at the bottom is a toy frog...my roommate got it for me because i wanted a frog before a turtle and then people were suggesting i get both...so she told me to put it in there to see how hed react to it even tho it's not a real animal....but he plans around it sometimes so i just left it in there.....n as far as the UVB light i was gonna get it but i dont know where to put it..........since my tank comes with a lid would i get a tube UVB light to go in the designated fixture that my lid has?? but i didnt see any...so would i just get a lamp n shine the uvb light through the tank wall???

[marisa]

In a pinch, the Gatorade would help hydrate your turtle if he was dehydrated, but it doesn't sound like that's the problem.

That water temp is way too warm, it needs to be lowered about 8 degrees...

If the light fixture came with the tank, it's for fish, not turtles. Your turtle needs a light for a heat source and a UVB light (which is normally flourescent and doesn't give off heat). There should be no barrier (glass, plastic between the light and your turtle.

You could get a UVB tube and use the fixture you have and position as much of it as possible over the basking area (the heat source, which can be a regular light bulb) should also be trained on the basking area. If you don't want to use a UVB tube, there are compact flourescent lights that will screw into a regular socket and can be clamped over the basking area with a clamp lamp. Reptisun is a reputable and popular brand of UVB light. Depending on the strength of the bulb (Reptisum makes ones that emit either 5 or 10% UVB rays) position the bulb 6 to 8 inches from your basking turtle. Shining the lamp through the tank will isn't good--the glass will block the UVB rays from reaching your turtle.

How often have you been changing the water? If you had only 3 inches in the tank, it should have been cleaned at least every third day. More water and a good filter will help maintain water quality (although with a 10-gallon tank the options for a good filter are somewhat limited). I'm also wondering if you don't have hard water and some of that is mineral deposits.

To me, the shell looks like the result of a lack of basking under proper lighting and inadquate diet (inadequate habitat in general). For the diet, please STOP the mealworms---they have minimal nutrition and a really bad calcium and phosphorus ratio. A steady diet of those things will eventually cause health problems (as you're seeing). If you want to feed live worms, cut up an earthworm into small pieces and feed him some---see if he'll eat it.

He most likely won't take to veggies right away, but he might nibble on some anachris (and aquatic plant) which would be good. In fact, you would be helping his diet if you went to the frozen food section of Petsmart and bought some San Francisco Bay Aquatic Turtle Diet. It's a blister pack with frozen cubes that contain both plant matter (anachris) and animal matter (pollock, bloodworms) and a host of added nutrients. I've had good success using this product with hatchlings. I cut it into quarters and let the pieces float in the water.

The pieces of cuttlebone have to be really small for him to want to bite them (or so it seems from my hatchlings). You could add more calcium to the diet by getting some non-phosphorus powdered calcium supplement (RepCal is really good), moisten some pellets (Reptomin Baby is good and in itself has a big more calcium than other brands), coat the pellets with the powder and let them dry and then give him a few.