Urgent Care :: Urgent: turtle doesn't eat, swollen eyes

[volunge]

Hello,
I have RES. He is 4 years old. Was always active and eated very well (except vegetables). To 2 weeks ago he started eating less and sleep more. For 1week he hasn't eaten at all. 4 days ago his eyes got swollen. We read an article at your webpage that it could be a vit A deficiency. We also consultated with a vet by phone, because in our country there is only one or two vet's who treats reptiles. He said that we should inject vit A, but we aren't sure in which part (vet said to the leg) and we don't want to hurt our turtle more. Maybe we shoud force him to eat, cause he doesn't move a lot. If yes, how should we open his mouth.
Thanks for your help.

[penelope]

I don't recommend force feeding. You can try to entice it to eat by wiggling a little fish in front of its nose, or give some treat. Its ok to give them junk food at times like these (feeding for energy, not just because they don't like their health food).
How would you get the Vitamin A shot?

[volunge]

He doesn't eat at all. We really tried everything. We got Vit A shot from veterinary pharmacy, but we are not sure where to inject.

[Kurtni]

He doesn't eat at all. We really tried everything. We got Vit A shot from veterinary pharmacy, but we are not sure where to inject.

Ironically, swollen eyes can be a symptom of both hyper (too much vitamin) and hypovitaminosis (too little). You can fix hypovitamnosis through diet/habitat changes.... but if you give that turtle a vitamin A injection when it doesn't really need one,it could make things worse. I'm not sure how a vet could make a diagnosis like that over the phone, I would be skeptical of their advice in your situation.

For a reptile, not eating for two weeks is not as big of a deal as it sounds like.... they can go quite awhile with no food. It's not a good thing, but most turtles don't starve to death. I think your best bet is just to offer really smelly or wiggly food every day until he eats.

It sounds like your turtle is really lethargic and had some other symptoms that are more concerning than not eating. If you remedy those, his eating habits will probably return to normal. Maybe if you told us a little bit about your enclosure, we could offer some advice?

How big is your turtle?
How long have you had it?

What is the water temperature?
Did you use a thermometer?
Are you using a water heater?
How much water is in there?
Are you using a water conditioner?
Are you using any filtration?

What is the basking temperature?
Is there a basking light?
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on?
What kind is it or what is it made out of?
Is there a UVB light?

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

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

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?

The questionnaire is usually a good place to start.

[steve]

You don't need an injection... get some cod liver oil supplements from a pharmacy or health store. They are in a gel capsule and just open it then apply to the eyelid.

[AlexisAwesome]

What is your set up like and your water temperature?

[volunge]

How big is your turtle?
I can't measure it right now with a ruler, but it's about 14-15 cm long and 8-9 cm wide.

How long have you had it?
4 years

What is the water temperature?
Usually 26 - 28, but now we put it to 30 degrees of celcius

Did you use a thermometer?
Yes

Are you using a water heater?
Yes

How much water is in there?
About 50l

Are you using a water conditioner?
No

Are you using any filtration?
Yes

What is the basking temperature?
30 degress of celcius

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?
It's a big branch that he enjoys staying on

Is there a UVB light?
No, but we try to take him out to have some sunlight and UV light when it is warmer outside

What have you been trying to feed it?
We have been feeding him pellets when he was little, recently we gave him shrimps. We always tried offering vegetables, but he would only bite them a little or even not try them. I believe that is why this might be avitaminosis.

When was the last time your turtle ate?
He hasn't eaten for one week at all. It really concerns me.

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure?
150 l, but we are planning to get him a big tank as soon as he gets better.

Is the tank near a window?
Yes, it's behind the tank.

Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity?
It's not crowded, but usually there are people.

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 is less active, has swollen eyes and doesn't eat.

Yes we got cod liver oil and started applying it. In how much time can we notice a difference? How should it accure? Does the swollen get smaller? We haven't injected anything yet because we weren't sure if it wouldn't make it even worse. It's very disappointing that we do not have any qualified vets we could consult with because everyone just says they do not treat any reptiles, only dogs and cats. It's so frustrating, but thank you for your help.

[steve]

It should produce results in a day or two if that's the actual problem.