Urgent Care :: Help?

[Cougan]

Have 2 RESs , had for about a month.. one is about 1 1/2" and the other is 2 1/2" (shell size)....originally bought for my daughter, who changed her mine so my son inherited them and there names are biggy and tiny....(my sons 3 and a half, so the names seemed to fit..)....

they are in a 20 gallon tank filled about 80% with water, with a whisper filtration for the 30/40 gallon size, floating dock, and rocks as base...have a 7 % uvb bulb and a basking light (house light 60 watt that keeps basking area at 92 degrees) water temp is 75 degrees .....been feeding them Reptomin floating food sticks and zoomeds aquatic turtle food alternately...(bought 3 guppies the second week i had them, and all three are also gone now) also using Bone Aid Microstick Calcium powder calcium carbonate.....do partial (about half the tank) water changes once a week with siphon, and did a full water change 3 days ago...

Biggy was the culprit that ate all 3 guppies, and has had zero problem becoming aquainted with the setup and definatately knows when its feeding time, and play time.....

Tiny is the problem, hasnt eatin in about 5 days, he is alive and responsive, but doent want to do anyting but stay in the basking light. when i say responsive, he moves and responds to touch...the ultimate problem is that it appears he cant open his eyes..when he is distrurb or touched, he uses the back of his front hands to rub at his eyes like he is trying to wipe something off, but they wont open...havnt tried to "force" or touch the eyelids for possibly injuring him...is this a problem, normal, or is there a home remedy or should i consult a vet?

All suggestions and help is greatly appreciated,

Thanks,
Cougan

[Cougan]

I did a really close and long look, and it would look like/appear that his eylids are dried shut? the skin looks sorta dehydrated/dried out/baked in an off brown color....could the basking so long dried them out? the temp in the basking area is steady at 92 and am using a 60 watt house bulb....

dabbed a little water on his head, while he was rubbing his eyes and they are partially opened, and he then took to the water for the first time in about 3 days (that ive seen) his eyes are open, so that is definately a plus for me now...but im still concerned about it happening originally...

I have the lights on automatic timers so that they come on and go off automatically....uvb for 14 hours and the basking for 12.....is the basking to hot? or to long? and uvb to long or short also....

thanks
Cougan

[jenaero]

swollen eyes are a sign of a respiratory infection. Get him to the vet asap. You'll need to separate him from the other turt til he is better. Bump his water temp up to 80 for now.

[marisa]

I'd increase the water temp (about 78F) and lower the basking area temp a few degrees. You could try applying a little plain cod liver oil with a q-tip on the eyelids--if he does a Vit A deficiency, this will help. Is the water chlorinated? Are his eyes truly swollen or just stuck together?

Will he eat? Try to tempt him with smelly foods--bits of tuna or sardines packed in water, for example. Does he have any other symptoms such as open mouth breathing, wheezing, bubbles from the nose or mouth, tilting to one side in the water? Keep an eye out for these and if you see any (or if the eyes don't improve) he'll need a herp vet. In the meantime, keep him warm and out of drafts/breezes (do you have AC in their room?). Keep us posted on his progress.

[Cougan]

They dont appear to be swollen at all, just lie the eyelids dried / stuck together....after swimming a bit, they slowly start to open, and he is eating...none of the other signs, gasping, lopsided swimming.....yes there is a/c in the room, the tank is on the same wall as and under the vent, so the air is blown away from it....raised water to 78 and lowered basking to 90...

will be taking him to a vet tomorrow...

thanks
Cougan

[lydia_lady_fla]

let us know what the vet says and does o.k. I think you are making a wise choice, may want to seperate the turts?

[marisa]

I'd be careful of the AC, it can give a turt a respiratory infection.

Let us know what the vet says.

[Cougan]

my family vet for all my pets (german shepard, cat, red tail boa, ball python, , hampster, and yes my daughters hermit crabs, so yes i do have wild kingdom at home).... called and he said yes he treats turtles, never actually asked if he was a Herp specialist but he is listed on one of the links at herpvetconnection...Dr. Larry White...while speaking with him he was very knowledgable and said he has a pond and actually also breeds turtles, box and RES... he said it was a respiratory infection, and gave a diluted shot of baytril in left arm....due to size, since only 1 1/2 inches (shell length) and weighed only 6 grams...go back thursday for another injection in the right arm,...he said if was bigger, he would show me how to do so I wouldnt have to return, but due to size, we agreed he is more qualified, and he's only about a mile away...already looking better, hes been seperated from biggy, and he ate extremely well about 8 hours after...first time in 3 days to eat, so well deserved.....
for those out there im sure will be entertaining, and for those "new" to the site might find odd....but was laughed at by friends and even a few relatives, that NOT counting the money spent on the equipment, but today i spent 38.00 on a 5.00 pet..... I have 3 children, and all the pets but the cat are theres..cats mine....not one to just blow money on pets and then want to wait around for them to die slowly...think thats what the people that were making fun of me today would of done, and thats all the more reason there should be more thought when some peeps just buy pets on a whim or spur of the moment....
to end this book for now, would like to personally thank ev1 who replied, and whoever runs this site....IT IS AWESOME!

Cougan

[lydia_lady_fla]

so gr8 to see the update,glad to have pet owners that recognize the pet gets sick from time to time and need help.Hey guys just thought you all would be interested to know a baby bird has fallen out of her nest,kinda young so not sure what it is yet. a mocking bird meadow lark or a finch? any how its being kept warm and safe and has takingt to eating for me very well already so wish me luck. of all the animals I have had to rescue I find the baby wild bird can be one of the most difficult to keep alive till releasing,can be done just alittle tuff.

[STRAYKINGFISHER]

I wish you the best of luck with the baby bird, I know that most if not all birds will not take the baby back if it falls from the nest and I am sure it will be a challenge to keep it alive since it is so young.

[lydia_lady_fla]

thnxs I have done this before,really time consuming feed em every hour during the day but very rewarding too actually birds cant smell good and will take em problem is the nest is up in a very tall pine tree no hopes to return it .

[STRAYKINGFISHER]

I can relate, I had a baby kitten that I used to feed just like a baby, I even had to help it poop, because when the mother is there, she will lick their business end to help them do their business, I didn't lick though, I just massaged near the business end until it started on its own, unfortunately, my kitty got run over when I was at work, I guess my nephews were playing with it and forgot about it long enough to get under my sister's truck wheel. , poor baby, I miss him.

[lydia_lady_fla]

yup raising a baby anything is much tougher than the real mom can do, I just weened 4 baby kittens man thats a tuff one bottle, lick x 4 to imatiate a mothers licking a soft rag like a diaper wet with warm water helps em get the job done.funny story that might help to know. kittens do not have to be trained to a litter box, even 3 week olds will go.....o.k. with the 4 kittens I used a shoe box lid with kitty litter in it, one morning I noticed the little boy would scratch around squat scratch squat this went on for like 7 or 8 spots with nothing being produced so I picked the little guy up and looked OMG I was using the scoopable litter well thats not a good thing, his poor little winky had the clay litter clung all too it from where he had gone potty the night b 4, and he could not pee, I could not wipe that cemented stuff off,I had to soak him in a butter bowl of warm water for a long time to unplug it lesson learned hey?